Irving Wardle
Encyclopedia
John Irving Wardle is an English writer and theatre critic.
He was born on 20 July 1929 in Manchester
, Lancashire, the son of John Wardle and his wife Nellie (Partington). His father was drama critic on the Bolton Evening News, and a regular performer at the Bolton Little Theatre. Wardle was educated at Bolton School, Wadham College Oxford and the Royal College of Music
.
While at Oxford Wardle participated in theatre, performing in a production of The Tempest
alongside the actors Nigel Davenport
and Jack May
, the future directors John Schlesinger
and Bill Gaskill, and Mary Moore, the future principal of St Hilda's College, Oxford
.
Wardle's early appointments included an anonymous fortnightly review spot on the Bolton Evening News, beginning in 1958. He worked as a sub-editor on The Times Literary Supplement
, 1956-; as deputy theatre critic (to Kenneth Tynan
) on The Observer
, 1959-63; drama critic for The Times
1963-89; editor of Gambit 1973-75; theatre critic for The Independent on Sunday
1989-95(?). More recently he has written articles for magazines such as Prospect
and The Oldie
.
He has published two books, a biography The Theatres of George Devine
(Jonathan Cape, 1978) and Theatre Criticism (Routledge, 1992).
His first play, The Houseboy, was performed at The Open Space Theatre in 1973. The play is semi-autobiographical, based on Wardle’s experience from a part-time job washing dishes at a London guest house. The production was directed by Charles Marowitz
and the cast included Timothy West
. A television production was made for ITV’s Playhouse season and screened on 3 July 1982, directed by Christopher Hodson. The cast was Stephen Garlick, Geoffrey Palmer
, Richard Pasco
and Earl Rhodes.
He was in 2004 honoured at the Cairo International Festival of Experimental Theatre.
Wardle was a close friend of the writer Harold Pinter
, for whose work he coined the phrase "comedies of menace". The two met after Wardle reviewed Pinter's "The Birthday Party" in 1958, and an impressed Pinter wrote to compliment him on his critical sensibility.
He was born on 20 July 1929 in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Lancashire, the son of John Wardle and his wife Nellie (Partington). His father was drama critic on the Bolton Evening News, and a regular performer at the Bolton Little Theatre. Wardle was educated at Bolton School, Wadham College Oxford and the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
.
While at Oxford Wardle participated in theatre, performing in a production of The Tempest
The Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
alongside the actors Nigel Davenport
Nigel Davenport
Nigel Davenport is an English stage, television and film actor.- Early life :Davenport was born Arthur Nigel Davenport, however he goes by the first name of Nigel. Davenport was born in Shelford, Cambridgeshire, the son of Katherine Lucy and Arthur Henry Davenport. Davenport's father was a bursar...
and Jack May
Jack May
Jack May was an English actor. Born in Henley-on-Thames, he was educated at Forest School, Walthamstow and after war service with the Royal Indian Navy in India was offered a place at RADA, but he instead went to Merton College, Oxford...
, the future directors John Schlesinger
John Schlesinger
John Richard Schlesinger, CBE was an English film and stage director and actor.-Early life:Schlesinger was born in London into a middle-class Jewish family, the son of Winifred Henrietta and Bernard Edward Schlesinger, a physician...
and Bill Gaskill, and Mary Moore, the future principal of St Hilda's College, Oxford
St Hilda's College, Oxford
St Hilda's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England.The college was founded in 1893 as a hall for women, and remained an all-women's college until 2006....
.
Wardle's early appointments included an anonymous fortnightly review spot on the Bolton Evening News, beginning in 1958. He worked as a sub-editor on The Times Literary Supplement
The Times Literary Supplement
The Times Literary Supplement is a weekly literary review published in London by News International, a subsidiary of News Corporation.-History:...
, 1956-; as deputy theatre critic (to Kenneth Tynan
Kenneth Tynan
Kenneth Peacock Tynan was an influential and often controversial English theatre critic and writer.-Early life:...
) on The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, 1959-63; drama critic for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
1963-89; editor of Gambit 1973-75; theatre critic for The Independent on Sunday
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
1989-95(?). More recently he has written articles for magazines such as Prospect
Prospect (magazine)
Prospect is a monthly British general interest magazine, specialising in politics and current affairs. Frequent topics include British, European, and US politics, social issues, art, literature, cinema, science, the media, history, philosophy, and psychology...
and The Oldie
The Oldie
The Oldie is a monthly magazine launched in 1992 by Richard Ingrams, who for 23 years was the editor of Private Eye. It carries general interest articles, humour and cartoons, and has an eclectic list of contributors, including James Le Fanu, John Sweeney, Thomas Stuttaford, Virginia Ironside,...
.
He has published two books, a biography The Theatres of George Devine
George Devine
George Alexander Cassady Devine CBE was an extremely influential theatrical manager, director, teacher and actor in London from the late 1940s until his death. He also worked in the media of TV and film.-Biography:...
(Jonathan Cape, 1978) and Theatre Criticism (Routledge, 1992).
His first play, The Houseboy, was performed at The Open Space Theatre in 1973. The play is semi-autobiographical, based on Wardle’s experience from a part-time job washing dishes at a London guest house. The production was directed by Charles Marowitz
Charles Marowitz
Charles Marowitz is an American critic, theatre director, and playwright who has been a regular columnist on Swans Commentary—a cultural-political bi-weekly—since 2004...
and the cast included Timothy West
Timothy West
Timothy Lancaster West, CBE is an English film, stage and television actor.-Career:West's craggy looks ensured a career as a character actor rather than a leading man. He began his career as an Assistant Stage Manager at the Wimbledon Theatre in 1956, and followed this with several seasons of...
. A television production was made for ITV’s Playhouse season and screened on 3 July 1982, directed by Christopher Hodson. The cast was Stephen Garlick, Geoffrey Palmer
Geoffrey Palmer (actor)
Geoffrey Dyson Palmer, OBE is an English actor, best known for his roles in sitcoms such as Butterflies and As Time Goes By.-Career:...
, Richard Pasco
Richard Pasco
Richard Edward Pasco, CBE is a British stage, screen and TV actor.-Early life:Pasco was born in Barnes, London, the son of Phyllis Irene and Cecil George Pasco. He was educated at the King's College School, Wimbledon...
and Earl Rhodes.
He was in 2004 honoured at the Cairo International Festival of Experimental Theatre.
Wardle was a close friend of the writer Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter, CH, CBE was a Nobel Prize–winning English playwright and screenwriter. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party , The Homecoming , and Betrayal , each of which he adapted to...
, for whose work he coined the phrase "comedies of menace". The two met after Wardle reviewed Pinter's "The Birthday Party" in 1958, and an impressed Pinter wrote to compliment him on his critical sensibility.