Lloyd Lamble

Lloyd Nelson Lamble (8 February 1914 – 17 March 2008)[1] was an Australian actor who worked in theatre, television, radio and film.

[2] His father William Lamble was a viola player in the Sisserman String Quartet[3][4] and in symphony orchestras in Melbourne; secretary of the Musicians' Union of Australia; a music teacher, pianist, organist, choirmaster and composer.

After a year of selling clothing door-to-door to survive, he left Australia to live the rest of his life in Britain.

[2] His professional stage career started in 1934 when he was chosen for the lead juvenile role in J.C. Williamson’s production of Fresh Fields.

[2][5] In lighter vein, he was straight man to Roy Rene (‘Mo’) and a compere and fall guy to Bob Dyer.

[2][5] Lloyd's stage career developed fast in 1940 at Sydney’s Minerva Theatre, where he played parts that included: Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Lennie in Of Mice and Men and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.

[2][3] In spite of Lloyd's political left-leanings, he was enlisted by the Australian government to read war propaganda on radio, probably for his strong voice that easily commanded authority.

[5] One of Lamble's first acting roles in Britain was in 1952, playing in the comedy Curtain Up, alongside Margaret Rutherford and Robert Morley.

[5] Throughout the rest of his life, he played hundreds of acting roles in Britain: on the stage, in radio, television and film.

[2] He is well-remembered for his many roles as authority figures, some of which were: Joyce Grenfell's police-superintendent-fiancée in the St. Trinian’s series; Quentin Crisp's father in The Naked Civil Servant; and Sir Oliver Surface in The School For Scandal.