Charles Doran

Charles Doran (1 January 1877 – 5 April 1964) was an Irish actor, one of the last of the touring actor-managers in the tradition of Frank Benson, John Martin-Harvey and Ben Greet. Among those who joined his company at the start of their careers were Cecil Parker, Ralph Richardson, Francis L Sullivan and Donald Wolfit.

Doran toured with Benson and other managements, and played in the West End before setting up his own company in 1920. He led it for eleven years, before leaving Britain to work in India. On his return he worked on stage and made occasional television appearances.

Doran was born on 1 January 1877 in Cork, the son of Charles Jenkins Doran. He was educated in Cork and privately. In 1899 he made his stage debut as a member of Frank Benson's touring company, in Julius Caesar at the Theatre Royal, Belfast. He remained with Benson for two and a half years, during which he made his London debut, as Captain MacMorris in Henry V at the Lyceum.

In 1903 Doran toured in a stage version of Tolstoy's Resurrection . He was engaged by Fred Terry and Julia Neilson, and appeared at the New Theatre in 1905, as the Comte de Tournai in The Scarlet Pimpernel. In 1906, touring with H B Irving he made his first appearance in the US, and the following year toured in South Africa with Cora Urquhart Brown-Potter's company. In 1907 he returned to Benson's company. In 1908 he toured with Mrs Patrick Campbell in The Thunderbolt, and The Second Mrs Tanqueray. During 1909–10 he toured England and Australia with Oscar Asche and Lily Brayton (both former members of Benson's troupe). His parts included the title role in The Merchant of Venice, Lodovico in Othello, Tranio in The Taming of the Shrew and the Soothsayer in Julius Caesar.

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