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Pat Trevor
Cecil Williams - d. 1954
Journeys End (November - 1953)
The Strong are Lonely -Phoenix Players. Pietermaritzburg (date unknown)
Cecil established himself is one of the most experimental and respected producer/ directors in the Johannesburg. Of his many successful productions "Journeys End" which was performed in the Johannesburg was his most memorable, with "The Strong are Lonely", based on the Jesuits who built a utopian state in South America which was condemned by the king, as one of Cecil's great production triumphs at the time.
Unfortunately, Cecil also became deeply involved in politics and the plight of Nelson Mandela (at that time a member of the banned ANC). in his fight against apartheid. Cecil chauffeured Mandela (often hidden in the back seat of his car with a blanket) to different political meetings, which at that time were illegal, by the Prime Minister Dr. Verwoerd.
In early 1954 Cecil received an anonymous phone call from a member of the security department advising him that his flat would be raided in the early hours of the morning to be placed under house arrest. With a small cache of diamonds he managed to escape by car over the border into a neighboring country where he boarded a flight to Britain. A feature film of Cecil's involvement with Mandela was released entitled "The Man who drove with Mandela".
Cecil eventually arrived in Scotland where he again involved himself in theatre productions until his death a few years later.