Evelyn James

Evelyn James (née Forbes) was a keen amateur actress in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. She hosted theatricals at her home, West Dean House, as well as in nearby Chichester at the Corn Exchange. She established the West Dean Dramatic Club in 1895, keeping a record of their activities until 1910. This group of amateurs performed at Chatsworth House as part of the Duchess of Devonshire's series of private theatricals which received significant press coverage as the Prince and Princess of Wales, later Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, were attendees on numerous occasions.