Joan Littlewood
Joan Littlewood | |
|---|---|
Cover of Joan's Book: the autobiography of Joan Littlewood | |
| Born | Joan Maud Littlewood 6 October 1914 |
| Died | 20 September 2002 (aged 87) London, England |
| Occupation | Theatre director |
| Years active | 1930–1975 |
| Spouse | |
| Partner(s) | Gerry Raffles Philippe de Rothschild |
Joan Maud Littlewood (6 October 1914 – 20 September 2002) was an English theatre director who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and is best known for her work in developing the Theatre Workshop. She has been called "The Mother of Modern Theatre". Her production of Oh, What a Lovely War! in 1963 was one of her more influential pieces.
Littlewood and her company lived and slept in the Theatre Royal while it was restored. Productions of The Alchemist and Richard II, the latter starring Harry H. Corbett in the title role, established the reputation of the company.
She also conceived and developed the concept of the Fun Palace, in collaboration with architect Cedric Price.
Miss Littlewood, a musical written about Littlewood by Sam Kenyon, was performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2018.