-
English Stage Company
The English Stage Company was an organization formed to present plays by young inexperienced dramatists. They also aimed to bring the public the best contemporary plays from abroad. After some failed attempts and after considering a number of other theatres, the company bought the lease of the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square. Since then the company has been better known as Royal Court Theatre.They worked to help revitalize British drama (English Stage Company/Royal Court Theatre Archive). -
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Stratford Festival was a theatre festival that began in 1879 when it began holding the summer festival of Shakespeare's plays. This grew tremendously after World War II and in 1961 it was renamed the Royal Shakespeare Company. This became more than a national event and spread internationally (Brockett 201). Peter Hall was the director when the company went international on tour, they maintain a base in Newark (Royal Shakespeare Company). -
National Theatre Inaguaration
The National Theatre was a company inaugurated in 1963 led by Lawrence Oliver. It did not move into its permanent home until 1976. The National Theatre holds over 20 productions and 1000 performances each year alone at its London site. This is not its only site as it has toured throughout England and internationally (Brockett 202). -
"Marat/Sade"
"Marat/Sade" was directed by famous director Peter Brook in 1964 at the Royal Shakespeare Company. "Brook's unforgettable production remains a signal event in the post-war British theatre," (Independent). This play was a dispute on the French Revolution and was told through a chaotic performance in a lunatic asylum set in 1808. Marat/Sade was a very influential production as it changed the lives of most audiences. "Marat/Sade" also launched fringe and alternative theatre in Europe (Independent). -
Peter Brook
Peter Brook, an English producer and director of Shakespeare's plays, contributed greatly to theatre in the 20th century. His first play was "King John" in 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. He has produced many plays and worked with some incredible designers such as Salvador Dali and Sally Jacobs. His most recent work includes the play "Why?" the he produced and directed and examines the purpose of theatre. He won the Praemium Imperiale Award in 1997 (Britannica). -
Theatres Act of 1968
Since the sixteenth century, England had censored theatre and this became quite an issue between many. Throughout history, Lord Chamberlain was the official license of plays and regulated restrictions. When the original Theatres Act was passed in 1843 not much changed with censorship. In 1909 questions were raised and in 1966 joint committees set to abolish this. The committee's main concern was freedom of speech in plays. Theatre censorship was finally abolished in 1968 (1968 Theatres Act). -
Sally Jacobs
Sally Jacobs, one of the most famous British set designers was born on November 5, 1932, and died on August 5, 2020. She designed one of her most famous sets in 1970 for "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Her other works include sets for director Peter Brook, Joe Chaikin, and Richard Foreman. She spent ten years in Las Angelos. When she retired to Britain, she taught at Central School of Art and Design, Slade School of Fine Art, Rutgers, and UCLA (Sally Jacobs Obituary). Her work is incomparable! -
"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Peter Brook directed the 1970 production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Royal Shakespeare Company. This was very unconventional as it used circus and aerobatic techniques in the performance. Sally Jacobs, a British stage designer since the 60's designed the set. This was also different from the traditional dream set, it was a brightly-lit white box to replicate what dreamland may look like. The actors wore bright colored silks from different time periods (Peter Brook 1970 Production). -
"No Sex Please, We're British"
June 3rd, 1971 one of the most successful British comedies premiered at the Strand Theatre. "No Sex Please, We're British" totaled 6,761 performances making it the longest-running British comedy. It played in three different venues, moving from the Strand Theatre to the Garrick Theatre and finally finishing at the Dutchess. The success of this play went beyond the original as many adaptations have been performed as well as an American version on Broadway (London Theatre History and Timeline). -
"Nicholas Nickleby"
"Nicholas Nickleby" directed by John Caird and Trevor Nunn opened in June 1980 at the Aldwych Theatre as an adaptation of Charles Dickens' comic novel. This eight and a half hour production was originally an eight-week run. This two part production became a sellout playing for more than two seasons at the Aldwych theatre, transferring to Broadway in 1981-1982. This saved the RSC after a drastic cut in funding when Treveor Nunn put everything into this one spectacular play (Morris). -
"Sink the Belgrano!"
"Sink the Belgrano!" was directed by Steven Berkoff and premiered at the Half Moon Theatre in London on September 2nd, 1986. "Sink the Belgrano!" is a satirical play and about British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's decision to torpedo an Argentinian ship. While this is one of Berkoff's lesser-known works it carried a lot of controversies. Many critics refused to review the play because of its differing views from the government (Sink the Belgrano!). -
"Phantom of the Opera"
The longest-running show in Broadway history opened in London in 1986 at Her Majesty's Theatre. This musical phenomenon has played all over the world since then. Andrew Lloyd Webber's incredible musical received an Oliver Award in 1986 and a Tony Award in 1988. The success makes "Phantom of the Opera" the second longest-running musical on the West End after Les Miserables (Nelson). An interesting fact about the chandelier's replica is comprised of 6,000 beads and weighs one ton (LLC).