Career
Born in Portuguese of Spain, Trinidad, John was home-schooled, then began his career as an artist and journalist. Deciding to pursue a career in acting, he joined the Whitehall Theatre Group in Trinidad. He had several small roles in films such as The African Queen (1951),, The Emperor Jones (1953),, and
He gained a major role in the British Broadcasting Corporation"s A Manitoba from the Sun (1956), alongside Cy Grant, Nadia Cattouse and Colin Douglas, and later had a significant role in the television series Number Hiding Place (British Broadcasting Corporation, 1961) and in the five-part series Rainbow City written for him by John Elliott.
lieutenant was produced at the Royal Court in 1958, and in 1962 in New York City. In the United Kingdom there have been notable productions at the Almeida Theatre (1988, directed by Maya Angelou), at Stratford East, and most recently at the Cottesloe Theatre, Royal National Theatre (2012) in an acclaimed production directed by Michael Buffong.
The Observer′s reviewer wrote: "lieutenant is marvellous to report that, 55 years on, this play, in its original version, holds its own and seems fresh as the day it was written." On 27 May 1958, a version of the play that he had adapted for radio and entitled Small Island Moon was broadcast on the British Broadcasting Corporation"s Third Programme. lieutenant was produced by Donald McWhinney and Robin Midgley, with a cast led by John himself and also including Barbara Assoon, Sylvia Wynter, Lionel Ngakane, Andrew Salkey and Robert Adams.
Errol John"s other writing included Force Majeure, The Dispossessed and Hasta Luego: Three Screenplays (1967).
Foreign television he wrote Teleclub (1954), and Dawn (1963) and was also the author of The Exiles, part of the British Broadcasting Corporation Wednesday Play series. He attempted to work in the American film industry, but was limited to minor roles in and John died in Camden, North London.
He was posthumously awarded the Trinidad & Tobago Chaconia Medal (Silver), for Drama, in 1988.