Early life Stoll was born in
Melbourne, Australia as Oswald Gray. He moved to England with his mother, Adelaide McConnell Gray after the death of his father James Oswald Gray. When his mother remarried, he took his stepfather's last name, Stoll.
Entertainment career Theatre management At a young age, Stoll left school to help his mother, Adelaide, manage first the Parthenon music hall in Liverpool, and later a regional theatre company. The company was a success, and Stoll began to buy or build city theatres. The theatre business made Stoll a wealthy man, and in 1898 he merged his business with that of competitor
Edward Moss, to form
Moss Empires. By 1905, almost every large town in Britain had an "Empire" or a "Coliseum" theatre, managed by Stoll. He continued to honour the roots of his business by installing his mother in each new box office, so she could take the first ticket sale.
Royal Variety Performance Beginning with the first event in 1912, and continuing until 1926, Stoll was instrumental in presenting the
Royal Variety Performance (originally Royal Command Performance) a now-annual charity show benefiting the
Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund.
Film production His film company
Stoll Picture Productions was founded in April 1918, and acquired a
one-stage studio in Surbiton which the company retained until 1923. A former aeroplane factory in
Cricklewood was purchased in 1920 and converted to film use as
Cricklewood Studios. An
old soldiers' home named
Sir Oswald Stoll mansions based in
Fulham Broadway London still continues to house disabled ex-servicemen and women. It also provides supported housing for veterans suffering from mental ill health, and those who, having left the Forces, have found themselves homeless. In 2023, the foundation announced it would sell most of the site to
Chelsea Football Club, retaining 20 of the 157 flats. The Stoll Foundation organized workshops designed to help veterans suffering from post traumatic stress through performing Shakespeare. This led to the Combat Veteran Players, or CVP. Since establishment they have performed with the
RSC Open Stages programme, at the
Old Vic Vaults, and
Shakespeare's Globe. In 2014 they were awarded an inaugural Owle Schreame Award for innovation in historical theatre, for their production of
Henry V. ==Personal life==