Person    | Female  Born 6/10/1914  Died 20/9/2002

Joan Littlewood

Categories: Theatre

Countries: France

Theatre director. Born Stockwell. 1945 set up the Theatre Workshop which moved into the Stratford Theatre Royal in 1953, many of the company living on site while it was being restored. 1963 created the stage production "Oh, What a Lovely War!" which was recreated as a film, as was her 1958 "A Taste of Honey". In 1965 she directed Twang!! which is remembered as "the most expensive flop" in West End history up to that time, though she did manage to resign before it opened.

Married to Ewan MacColl, 1934-1950, and then had a relationship with Gerry Raffles until his death in 1975. After that she worked in France for a time. Died in the London flat of Peter Rankin, a friend and co-worker for 40 years.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Joan Littlewood

Commemorated ati

East 15 Acting School

Margaret Walker (1922 - 2013) founder of East 15 Acting School and Theatre Wo...

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Joan Littlewood - Stratford plaque

Joan Littlewood, 1914 - 2002, theatre director. The sculpture by Philip Jacks...

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Joan Littlewood - Stratford statue

This bronze statue, called The Mother of Modern Theatre, is based on an iconi...

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Other Subjects

Savoy Theatre

Savoy Theatre

The Savoy Theatre opened in 1881. Despite this date it is a delightful example of Art Deco, explained on the Savoy Theatre website as follows: The theatre closed on 3 June 1929 to be internally com...

Building, Theatre

3 memorials
Ewan MacColl

Ewan MacColl

Folk singer, songwriter, dramatist, Marxist. Born James Miller in Salford, Lancashire. Three wives: theatre director Joan Littlewood, movement teacher Jean Newlove (with whom he had Kirsty MacColl)...

Person, Literature, Music / songs, Politics & Administration, Theatre

1 memorial
Dame Barbara Windsor

Dame Barbara Windsor

Actor. Born Barabara Ann Deeks in Shoreditch. She made her west end debut in 1952, before joining Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop. In the cinema she was a regular in the 'Carry On' series, appea...

Person, Cinema, Seriously Famous, Theatre, TV & Radio

3 memorials
Nelly Power

Nelly Power

Actress and singer. She appeared in music halls from the age of eight and made her first appearance on the London stage in 1868. She was the original singer of 'The Boy I Love Is up in the Gallery'...

Person, Music / songs, Theatre

1 memorial
George Edwardes

George Edwardes

Theatre manager. Born Lincolnshire.  His cousins were Irish theatre managers which enabled him to start in the business.  He moved to London in the late 1870s and worked for D'Oyly Carte.  In 1885 ...

Person, Theatre

1 memorial