The Haileybury Society is saddened to learn of the death of Anthony Cecil John Dawes (E 42) who has died on the 21st January 2021 at the age of 92.

At Haileybury, Anthony played in the 2nd XI in 1945, undertaking national service during the Berlin Air-lift in the late 1940s before training as an actor and graduating from RADA in 1951. His first appearance was as a Court Gentleman in a Festival of Britain performance of Hamlet starring Alec Guinness at the New Theatre in London.

(Above: Anthony in his theatrical prime)

Following a period in rep, Anthony returned to the West End in 1955, appearing in John Pritchett’s A Girl Called Jo at the Piccadilly Theatre, which also gave him his first television debut. His growing television profile also meant he was in demand for theatre productions, including Jeff Wayne’s Dickensian musical, Two Cities, and also alongside Robert Morley and George Cole in Ben Travers’ Banana Ridge at the Savoy in 1976.

Anthony’s two favourite roles were in the 1980s, playing 15 months as Sir John in Mike Ockrent’s revival of Me and My Girl (1987) – a musical which returned for a two year tour in the 1990s – and as Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth. His technique and style made it easy for him to move between comedy and drama on television, appearing with comedians such as Harry Worth, Dick Emery and the Two Ronnies, while also featuring in comedy series such as Hancock, Fawlty Towers, and Yes Minister, and period dramas such as Upstairs Downstairs and Brideshead Revisited.

(Above: a programme reference to Anthony’s first theatre performance in 1951)

In addition to television and theatre, Anthony also appeared in a number of films during his career including Tommy Steele’s It’s All Happening (1963); Michael Winner’s The Jokers (1967); Walt Disney’s Diamonds on Wheels (1973) and Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon (1975).

Anthony leaves behind his wife Lesley, whom he met in 1954 during his period in rep, and his daughter Stephanie; to both of whom the Haileybury Society sends its deepest condolences at this difficult time.