Felix Barker
Encyclopedia
Richard Felix Raine Barker (7 May 1917 - 11 July 1997) was a British
drama critic
and historian
. He is known for having been the youngest dramatic critic on Fleet Street
.
on 7 May 1917, the son of architect
Anthony Raine Barker
and his wife, photographer Patricia Russell. He was educated at Felsted School
before attending the Choate School in Connecticut
as part of a student exchange program
. Barker went on to become a student at the Old Vic
. He married Anthea Gotch in 1950. Felix Barker died on 11 July 1997.
fire, earned him a weekly column as the paper's amateur drama critic at the age of 19, making him the youngest dramatic critic working on Fleet Street
. During World War II
he served as a sergeant in the Gordon Highlanders. He continued to move upwards in the Evening News, becoming a feature
writer in 1946, the deputy drama critic later that same year, and the chief critic in 1958.
In 1960, Barker expanded his work to include film criticism
, making him one of the few critics at the time who was working in both theatre and film. He became the president of The Critics' Circle
in 1974. Throughout his career as a critic, Barker also established himself as a historian, publishing such works as The Oliviers in 1953, The House that Stoll Built in 1957, and London: 2000 Years of a City and Its People in 1974. His final book was Edwardian London, published in 1995.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
drama critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
and historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
. He is known for having been the youngest dramatic critic on Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
.
Biography
Barker was born in LondonLondon
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...
on 7 May 1917, the son of architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Anthony Raine Barker
Anthony Raine Barker
Anthony Raine Barker was a British artist.Barker was born in Harrow on the Hill, the son of Henry Raine Barker and his wife Caroline Haynes. His brother was England-international footballer Richard Raine Barker....
and his wife, photographer Patricia Russell. He was educated at Felsted School
Felsted School
Felsted School, an English co-educational day and boarding independent school, situated in Felsted, Essex. It is in the British Public School tradition, and was founded in 1564 by Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich who, as Lord Chancellor and Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations, acquired...
before attending the Choate School in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
as part of a student exchange program
Student exchange program
A student exchange program generally could be defined as a program where students from secondary school or university choose to study abroad in partner institutions...
. Barker went on to become a student at the Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
. He married Anthea Gotch in 1950. Felix Barker died on 11 July 1997.
Career
Barker began his career at a young age doing reporting work for the Evening News. His two most well-received pieces, one on school life and the other on the 1936 Crystal PalaceThe Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
fire, earned him a weekly column as the paper's amateur drama critic at the age of 19, making him the youngest dramatic critic working on Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served as a sergeant in the Gordon Highlanders. He continued to move upwards in the Evening News, becoming a feature
Feature story
- Published Features & news :While the distinction between published features and news is often clear, when approached conceptually there are few hard boundaries between the two. It is quite possible to write a feature in the style of a news story, for instance...
writer in 1946, the deputy drama critic later that same year, and the chief critic in 1958.
In 1960, Barker expanded his work to include film criticism
Film criticism
Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films, individually and collectively. In general, this can be divided into journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, and other popular, mass-media outlets and academic criticism by film scholars that is informed by film theory and...
, making him one of the few critics at the time who was working in both theatre and film. He became the president of The Critics' Circle
The Critics' Circle
The Critics' Circle is a professional association of British critics of dance, drama, film, music, visual arts and architecture. It was established in 1913 as an offshoot of the Society of Dramatic Critics, which had been formed six years earlier but had become inactive.For many years the Circle...
in 1974. Throughout his career as a critic, Barker also established himself as a historian, publishing such works as The Oliviers in 1953, The House that Stoll Built in 1957, and London: 2000 Years of a City and Its People in 1974. His final book was Edwardian London, published in 1995.