Saturday 5 October 2013

Today's WW1 Female Poet: Audrey Lucas - a pupil at Downe House School during WW1

Audrey Lucas (1898 - 1975) was the daughter of E.V. Lucas (one of my favourite poets) and his wife, Elizabeth.

Audrey was born in Marylebone in London and grew up surrounded by her Father's friends - people like J.M. Barrie, Arthur Conan Doyle, A.A. Milne and more.

During the First World War, Audrey was a pupil at Downe House School which was at that time housed in Charles Darwin's former home in Kent.   She helped out during the school holidays in the home for orphans set up by Elizabeth Lucas with financial aid from J.M. Barrie in a chateau in France. "Bettancourt" was on the River Marne and in the war zone and was a refuge for children orphaned or displaced by the War.

After WW1, Audrey went on to become famous in her own right, writing and producing plays. She even played the role of "Tottles" in "Peter Pan" in the 1924-1925 production at The Adelphi Theatre in London.  During the 1940s she worked for the BBC.

Audrey died in 1975.