Kenneth Tynan
Kenneth Tynan | |
|---|---|
Tynan in 1953; detail of photo by Elsbeth Juda | |
| Born | Kenneth Peacock Tynan 2 April 1927 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England |
| Died | 26 July 1980 (aged 53) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Holywell Cemetery |
| Other names | Ken Tynan |
| Education | King Edward's School, Birmingham |
| Alma mater | Magdalen College, Oxford |
| Occupation(s) | Theatre critic, writer |
| Years active | 1952–1980 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
Kenneth Peacock Tynan (2 April 1927 – 26 July 1980) was an English theatre critic and writer. Initially making his mark as a critic at The Observer, he praised John Osborne's Look Back in Anger (1956) and encouraged the emerging wave of British theatrical talent.
In 1963, Tynan was appointed the new National Theatre Company's literary manager.
An opponent of theatre censorship, he was the first person to deliberately say the word "fuck" during a live television broadcast in 1965, although Miriam Margolyes had earlier used the expletive accidentally.
Later in life, he settled in California, where he resumed his writing career.