Biography

She was born Esther Helen Armstong in Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

 on 25 June 1902 and was educated at the Central Newcastle High School

Central Newcastle High School

Central Newcastle High School is an independent all-girls school in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.-History:Central Newcastle High School was officially opened in 1895 and moved into its current home around 1899 with the foundation stone for the current building being laid by Earl Grey on the 13th of...

, where she won the cricket-ball throwing competition every year.

From 1929, she acted with the Newcastle Repertory Company. Her first play The Willing Spirit was produced in 1936. It was her second play, Quiet Wedding, in 1938,
which made her reputation as a writer of domestic comedy and took her to London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. It was later filmed by Anthony Asquith

Anthony Asquith

Anthony Asquith was a leading English film director. He collaborated successfully with playwright Terence Rattigan on The Winslow Boy and The Browning Version , among other adaptations...

 in 1941.

Her next plays, The Willing Spirit in 1936, Counter Attraction in 1938, and White Elephants in 1940, were less successful, but Quiet Weekend

Quiet Weekend (play)

Quiet Weekend is a 1941 play by the British writer Esther McCracken. It was a sequel to the 1941 play Quiet Wedding.-Adaptation:In 1946 it was turned into a film Quiet Weekend directed by Harold French.-Bibliography:...

, in 1941, surpassed her earlier success and ran for over a thousand performances.

She married Angus McCracken, a famous northern rugby player and accountant in 1936, but he was killed in action in 1943. In the following year, she married Mungo Campbell, the shipping magnate. She went on to introduce What Cheor Geordie, which ran from 1940 to 1956. The signature tune was the very popular 'Wherever ye gaan, you're sure to meet a Geordie'. She also wrote more serious plays in her later career, including Living Room in 1943, No Medals in 1944, and Cry Liberty in 1950.

The initials of McCracken, her husband and a friend are included in the name of MEA House in Ellison Place, Newcastle, which was set up through their efforts. This is the first British building purpose-built to house a range of voluntary services.

She died in September 1971. The actress Imogen Stubbs

Imogen Stubbs

Imogen Stubbs, Lady Nunn is an English actress and playwright.-Early life:Imogen Stubbs was born in Northumberland, lived briefly in Portsmouth, where her father was a naval officer, and then moved with her parents to London, where they lived on an elderly river barge on the Thames...

is her granddaughter.

External links

• Imdb profile