His Directing Talent Took Him from London's Famed Stages to the Lights
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PROFILE: Peter Glenville’s centenary Peter year will be marked by a gala glenville celebration in London this November. Comprising a (1913–1996) mini-retrospective of his films, a one-day symposium and a photographic exhibition at The Old Vic, the weekend will include live and filmed guest appearances by Michael Billington, Richard Eyre, James Earl Jones and Kevin Spacey. For details visit peterglenville.org 2010 2011 Ron Cephas Jones in The Tempest Kevin Spacey in Richard III His directing talent took him from London’s famed stages to the lights of Broadway and on to Hollywood in its heyday. But it all began with a season of plays he staged for The Old Vic in 1944. 1997 2004 2008 directed by Anthony Page. At the height of the Second Guthrie announced that an Shakespeare, featuring in the shortly after the war ended. Peter Hall returns with a classic The Old Vic Theatre Company’s David Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow, Feydeau’s A Flea in Her Ear World War, The Old Vic had upcoming director would lead a same line-up as Michael But he established himself as a season including Waiting for first season includesCloaca starring Jeff Goldblum, Kevin with Tom Hollander, directed taken to the road, with various season of plays. That young Redgrave, Sybil Thorndike and glittering figure in the post-war Godot with Ben Kingsley. directed by Kevin Spacey and Spacey and Laura Michelle Kelly, by Richard Eyre. companies deployed to tour director was Peter Glenville, and Alec Guinness, with whom he London theatre, directing West Aladdin with Ian McKellen. directed by Matthew Warchus. Shakespeare around the his period at the creative helm became lifelong friends. End hits before setting his sights 1998 Pygmalion starring Tim 2011 country’s industrial and mining of the Liverpool Playhouse on Broadway where he The Mirvish family puts 2005 Pigott-Smith and Michelle In the year of Terence Rattigan’s regions. By this time director during 1944-45 transformed By 1944 Glenville was ready to succeeded, by 1960, in the theatre on the market. National Anthems with Dockery, directed by Peter Hall. centenary, Thea Sharrock directs Tyrone Guthrie had moved the the theatre into what Guthrie branch out into directing, becoming ‘one of the most Suggestions for changing it into Kevin Spacey, Mary Stuart Alan Ayckbourn’s The Norman Cause Célèbre with Anne-Marie theatre’s headquarters to described as the ‘liveliest although he also performed, sought-after directors in a themed pub, a bingo hall or a Masterson and Steven Weber. Conquests, with Jessica Hynes Duff. Kevin Spacey plays the title Burnley in Lancashire in in the country’ – and ‘very most notably as Hamlet, during America,’ according to The lap-dancing club provoke The Philadelphia Story starring and Stephen Mangan. role in Richard III, directed by response to the bombing profitable’ to boot. The Old Vic’s Liverpool tenure. Times. He championed some outrage and protests. In Jennifer Ehle. Spacey plays title Sam Mendes for the final year of raids casting their dark shadow He made his directorial debut of the 20th century’s most response to public pressure, it is role in Richard II. 2009 The Bridge Project. John Crowley over London. As Guthrie Born in London to showbiz at the Playhouse with Henrik influential writers including acquired by The Old Vic Theatre Joe Sutton’s Complicit, starring directs Niamh Cusack, Ruth acknowledged, the early war parents, Peter Glenville caught Ibsen’s John Gabriel Borkman, Graham Greene, Rattigan, Trust, a registered charity set up 2006 Richard Dreyfuss, Elizabeth Negga and Robert Sheehan in years had been tough for the the acting bug while studying a play that signalled his passion Jean-Paul Sartre and Tennessee by Sally Greene. A new version of Stravinsky’s The McGovern and David Suchet, The Playboy of the Western depleted Old Vic Company, law at Oxford. As the youngest- for the work of contemporary Williams. And alongside his Soldier’s Tale. Arthur Miller’s directed by Kevin Spacey. Anna World. Michael Frayn’s Noises Off which struggled to secure ever director of the Oxford playwrights: ‘I have been stage work, he carved out a 1998 Resurrection Blues, directed by Mackmin directs Brian Friel’s opens with Janie Dee, Robert financing and the pedigree of University Dramatic Society, he influenced by the fact that career as a Hollywood director, Transfer of the Almeida’s Robert Altman. Eugene O’Neill’s Dancing at Lughnasa. The Glenister and Celia Imrie under acting talent with which it had gained recognition for his acting there are many brilliant modern winning 12 Oscar nominations production of The Iceman A Moon for the Misbegotten, Bridge Project: The Cherry the direction of Lindsay Posner. become associated. Support and producing talents, making classics which English audiences for his 1964 screen adaptation Cometh is a huge success. with Eve Best and Kevin Spacey, Orchard & The Winter’s Tale, with from the Council for the his first London appearance in a are seldom, if ever, given an of Becket, starring Richard Kevin Spacey wins the Evening directed by Howard Davies. Simon Russell Beale, Sinéad 2012 Encouragement of Music and university production of Richard opportunity of seeing…’ Burton, John Gielgud and Peter Standard and Olivier Awards Cusack, Rebecca Hall and Ethan Eve Best returns to The Old Vic in the Arts helped to revive the III, which transferred to Regent’s Glenville followed his Ibsen with O’Toole. Three years later, a for Best Actor. 2007 Hawke, directed by Sam The Duchess of Malfi, directed by travelling company’s economic Park Open Air in 1934. an adaptation of Ivan Turgenev’s star-studded film version of The Taming of the Shrew and Mendes. Trevor Nunn directs Jamie Lloyd. Democracy by fortunes. Then, in 1944, new Although he left Oxford without A House of Gentlefolk, Noël Greene’s The Comedians 1999 Twelfth Night, directed by David Troughton and Kevin Michael Frayn, directed by Paul appointments in two principal a degree, he established Coward’s Point Valaine, Eugene brought together Burton, The first production presented Edward Hall with his all-male Spacey in Inherit the Wind. Miller. Sheridan Smith and Adrian cities would fully restore The friendships with like-minded O’Neill’s Anna Christie and the Elizabeth Taylor, Guinness under the ownership of The Old company Propeller. John Scarborough star in Hedda Old Vic’s artistic reputation. students who had their hearts more classic School for Scandal and Peter Ustinov under the Vic Theatre Trust – Amadeus Osborne’s The Entertainer, 2010 Gabler, directed by Anna set on a life in the theatre, by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. direction of Glenville, who also directed by Peter Hall, starring starring Robert Lindsay, directed Six Degrees of Separation, Mackmin. The first musical Laurence Olivier and Ralph including Terence Rattigan and Notices in the local papers selected one of his favourite David Suchet and Michael Sheen by Sean Holmes. Peter Gill starring Obi Abili, Anthony Head co-produced by The Old Vic Richardson were released early Oliver Messel. During the latter praised his ‘brilliance’ and ‘deft American actors, James Earl – is nominated for five Oliviers. directs Patrick Hamilton’s and Lesley Manville, directed by Theatre Company, Kiss Me, Kate, from military service to become half of the 1930s, Glenville craftsmanship’ and Glenville Jones, to play Dr Magiot. Gaslight. A new play by Samuel David Grindley. The Real Thing directed by Trevor Nunn. joint directors, with John Burrell, proved himself as a professional attributed almost all he knew 2003 Adamson based on Pedro by Tom Stoppard, starring Toby of the company in London, as it stage actor, winning coveted about directing to this formative By 1973 Glenville felt he had An announcement confirms that Almodóvar’s filmAll About My Stephens and Hattie Morahan, 2013 took up temporary residence in West End roles, appearing period. He would collaborate achieved ‘as much as he could’, The Old Vic will once again Mother, starring Lesley Manville, directed by Anna Mackmin. The Henry Goodman stars in The the undamaged New Theatre to opposite Vivien Leigh in The throughout his life with the Old happily retiring and being become a producing house, with Diana Rigg and Mark Gatiss. Bridge Project: As You Like It & Winslow Boy, directed by produce a series of landmark Doctor’s Dilemma and joining Vic players that he and Guthrie embraced by Manhattan society. Kevin Spacey appointed the first Stephen Fry’s new panto version The Tempest, directed by Sam Lindsay Posner. Marianne Elliott productions. Over in Liverpool, impresario Binkie Beaumont’s had assembled in Liverpool. In search of a quieter existence Artistic Director of The Old Vic of Cinderella is also staged. Mendes. Noël Coward’s Design directs Kim Cattrall and Seth where The Old Vic had inner circle. In 1940 he was in 1978, he purchased a second Theatre Company. for Living starring Tom Burke, Numrich in Sweet Bird of Youth established a noted subsidiary invited to be a part of The Old Glenville never returned to The home in Mexico where he died Lisa Dillon and Andrew Scott, by Tennessee Williams. repertory company since 1942, Vic’s annual birthday bash for Old Vic, having left the company peacefully in 1996 aged 82..