Baliol Holloway

Baliol Holloway was an English Shakespearean actor born in Brentwood, Essex, around 1884. He was educated at Denstone in Staffordshire and trained under the actor Hermann Vezin. He went by the nickname "Bay" throughout his life.

Holloway's stage career began in 1899 when he appeared as a boy in a production of The Merchant of Venice. In 1907 he joined the Benson Company, and he subsequently took leading roles at several Stratford-upon-Avon festivals. He became leading man at the Old Vic in London, a position he held from 1925 to 1928, and he remained associated with the company until his retirement from it in 1949. Beyond the Old Vic, Holloway performed at the Open Air Theatre and acted for the Phoenix Society. He also worked as an actor-manager and appeared alongside Edith Evans during his career.

His Broadway appearances ran from 1925 to 1928 and included three productions: The Doctor's Dilemma, Othello, and Marco Millions. In his American work he played Iago in Othello alongside Walter Hampden. Holloway was particularly recognized for his portrayal of Richard III, a role he performed in 1923, 1925, 1927, and 1930. His extensive stage credits also encompassed roles such as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth in Macbeth, Volpone in Volpone, and Everyman in Everyman, among many others spanning classical and contemporary works.

Holloway's wife died in 1959. In 1965 he refused to vacate his home of 52 years in Marylebone, an action that halted a construction project. He died on 15 April 1967, at his home in London, at the age of 83.