Valery Hovenden (1902–1992)

Valery Hovenden was born in Barnes, England 07/04/1902. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music, then RADA, then worked with the Lewis Casson Company. In the 1930s she travelled with her husband, a civil engineer, and in World War II joined the WRNS. After the war she taught at PARADA, and founded the Hovenden Players, a company initially of 20 actors, and later the Hovenden Theatre Club. Valery functioned as Managing Director, Artistic Director, Play Director, Actor, Wardrobe Mistress, Publicity and PR, Office Manager, Catering Manager and Barman, and cleaning woman; as well as foster mother to many actors. Initially in the cellar of the AIA Gallery in Lisle Street, London, they revived rare classic plays from Bell's collection, and presented new plays. Thirteen years later, after moving first to St Anne's Soho Clergy House in Shaftesbury Avenue, and then Garrick Yard in Covent Garden, they had presented about 130 productions including 38 new plays, 26 by new authors. The Hovenden Theatre Club was then sold, and in 1964 Valery attemped to found the Hovenden Showboat: a Repertory Company to tour the canals of England on barges. Sadly this scheme was not realized, and Valery left for Tortola in the West Indies where she tried again to organize a travelling showboat, and started an acting school. She married for a second time, a Canadian Brigadier, and lived in Canada until returning to London in 1973, widowed again. She there set up a regular series of poetry readings which continued until her death on 01/12/1992.