Background
His father was the novelist Benjamin Leopold Farjeon. His mother, Margaret Jefferson, was the daughter of the American actor, Joseph Jefferson.
His father was the novelist Benjamin Leopold Farjeon. His mother, Margaret Jefferson, was the daughter of the American actor, Joseph Jefferson.
He was a presenter of revues in London"s West End, a theatre critic, lyricist, librettist, playwright, theatre manager and researcher Subsequently he had several plays performed in London. He was better known for his revues than for his "straight" plays, however.
These included: Spread lieutenant Abroad, The Two Bouquets, Nine Sharp, Little Revue, Diversion and Light and Shade.
He is credited with discovering Joyce Grenfell, whose first stage appearance was in Light and Shade. In 1938, he joined the management of the Little Theatre in London, and his revues were performed there.
His songs included "I"ve danced with a man, who"s danced with a girl, who"s danced with the Prince of Wales". He wrote reviews of plays and articles about the theatre for a number of British newspapers and magazines, including the Daily Mirror, Vogue, The Listener and the Radio Times.
He was interested in the history of the theatre, and wrote about the Elizabethan theatre, Shakespeare and his plays, and edited a seven volume publication of the text of the First Folio.
In the 1940s he helped to save the Theatre Royal, Bristol when it was put up for sale and might have ceased to be a theatre.
He was a conscientious objector in the First World War.