Thelma Holt

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Thelma Holt CBE (born 4 January 1932) is a British theatre producer and former actress.^[1]

After a successful career as an actress, in partnership with Charles Marowitz, Thelma founded the Open Space Theatre in Tottenham Court Road, London,^[1] which became the forerunner of the London fringe. In 1977, joined The Round House in Chalk Farm as Artistic and Executive Director.^[1] There she instigated a policy of bringing the best of regional theatre to London: Citizens Theatre (Glasgow), Royal Exchange Theatre Company (Manchester), Stephen Joseph Theatre Company, Scarborough.

She gave London the opportunity to see some of the successful productions initiated at the Edinburgh Festival. Other visiting companies included: Josef Szanja (Poland), The Pickle Family Circus (USA), Circus Oz (Australia), Antoine Vitez (France), Rustaveli Theatre Company (Georgia, CIS).^{[citation needed]}

From 1977–83 Holt was artistic director at the Round House.^[1] In 1983 The Round House closed and Thelma Holt joined the Theatre of Comedy as executive producer, where she produced Loot by Joe Orton, directed by Jonathan Lynn and starring Leonard Rossiter. (For further information on Holt at both the Open Space and at the Round House, see (Vaulting Ambitions by Jennie Schiele, published in 2004.)