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273:, and he himself produced 29 of Shakespeare's plays between 1919 and his retirement in 1934. Unusually for the times, in which the production of Shakespeare's plays was heavily cut in the style of William Poel and Nugent Monck, he presented the plays without cuts in the text, thereby earning the nickname 'Mr Unabridges-Adams'.
253:. There were doubts about the continuing viability of the festival, and Bridges-Adams realised that changes and new ideas would be necessary. He threw himself into the task with great enthusiasm. His ambition was to win for Stratford an international status on a par with that of the
161:. During this period Bridges-Adams occasionally worked as an actor, but more usually as a director and as a designer for other directors' productions. His first London production was in 1912 (a play called
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states that he was frustrated by the governors' failure to back him in his attempts to gain an international status for the theatre with more guest directors of international repute.
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The original
Memorial Theatre at Stratford was gutted by a disastrous fire in March 1926. Bridges-Adams' design for the stage layout of the replacement theatre (now the
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Speaight, Robert, Adams, William
Bridges- (1889–1965), rev. Stanley Wells, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
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165:, for the Norwich Players), a company he continued to work with alongside Monck for several years. He became producer for the
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49:(1 March 1889 – 17 August 1965) was an English theatre director and designer, associated closely with the
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After Oxford, Bridges-Adams began working in the professional theatre in 1911 under the managements of
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In 1919, Bridges-Adams was appointed director of the
Stratford-on-Avon Festival in succession to
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358:(verse), 1957; and, posthumously, a collection of his letters edited by Robert Speaight, 1971.
291:, in its obituary notice states, possibly tactfully, that he felt new blood was needed, but the
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in 1918 ("Quite the happiest feature of the production is Mr
Bridges-Adams's scenery," said
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121:, and directed the Oxford millenary pageant. His design was influenced by the
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This article is about the theatre director. For the railway engineer, see
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Backdrop to a Legend: The Scenic Design of the D'Oyly Carte Opera
Company
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The
Theatres of Stratford-upon-Avon 1875 – 1992: An Architectural History
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331:, promoting foreign tours of British works by British stage companies.
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74:, England, the only son of Walter Bridges Adams, tutor, and his wife,
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365:, Ireland, aged 76, and was buried in the Abbey cemetery at Bantry.
27:
173:, Liverpool, 1916–1917. His designs for stage scenery included
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The D'Oyly Carte Opera
Company in Gilbert and Sullivan Operas
468:(1961) London: Michael Joseph Ltd. Their date of 1915 for
327:. From 1937 to 1944 he worked as dramatic adviser to the
529:
The Royal
Shakespeare Company: A History of Ten Decades
82:(1854–1939) and grandson of the author and inventor
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is incorrect since Adams joined the company in 1918
443:Accessed 18 November 2007 (requires subscription)
287:In 1934 he resigned as director of the festival.
323:and to the building advisory committee for the
319:, and he was appointed to the council of the
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600:People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan
105:and played the leading roles of Leontes in
361:William Bridges-Adams died at his home in
284:when the new theatre was built in 1932.
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169:repertory seasons, 1914–1915, and the
545:, Stratford upon Avon Society (1994)
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16:English theatre director and designer
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101:At Oxford, Bridges-Adams joined the
559:, Victorian Opera Northwest (2019)
499:"Trial flight for the Swan of Avon"
488:incorrectly gives the year as 1927.
464:Rollins, Cyril and R. John Witts.
103:Oxford University Dramatic Society
70:William Bridges-Adams was born in
14:
605:People educated at Bedales School
590:English musical theatre directors
531:, Oxford University Press (1983)
294:Dictionary of National Biography
305:In 1936 Bridges-Adams directed
125:and by personal contacts with
1:
321:Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
257:. He secured the services of
280:) was followed by architect
51:Shakespeare Memorial Theatre
631:
615:People from Harrow, London
356:To Charlotte While Shaving
334:His publications include:
193:D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
18:
595:English theatre directors
484:, 24 October 1921, p. 8.
428:, 18 November 1912, p. 10
394:accessed 18 November 2007
278:Royal Shakespeare Theatre
187:) and no fewer than nine
32:Set design for Act II of
416:, 19 August 1965, p. 12.
352:The Irresistible Theatre
245:Shakespeare at Stratford
57:, from 1919 until 1934.
336:The Shakespeare Country
235:, and all in 1919, and
232:The Yeomen of the Guard
220:The Pirates of Penzance
155:Harley Granville-Barker
137:Directing and designing
555:Walker & Skelly:
264:The Merchant of Venice
259:Theodore Komisarjevsky
43:
86:. He was educated at
84:William Bridges Adams
47:William Bridges-Adams
31:
21:William Bridges Adams
455:, 13 June 1918, p. 9
189:Gilbert and Sullivan
34:Gilbert and Sullivan
486:Rollins & Witts
340:The British Theatre
123:Post-Impressionists
55:Stratford-upon-Avon
610:People from Bantry
441:, A & C Black.
44:
565:978-0-952-99431-2
344:Looking at a Play
255:Salzburg Festival
195:, beginning with
171:Playhouse Theatre
108:The Winter's Tale
92:Worcester College
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325:National Theatre
251:Sir Frank Benson
175:The Loving Heart
159:George Alexander
127:Charles Ricketts
111:and Prospero in
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505:. 27 March 1932
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282:Elisabeth Scott
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191:operas for the
167:Bristol Old Vic
143:Laurence Irving
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131:Charles Shannon
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61:Life and career
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507:. Retrieved
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224:Princess Ida
216:The Sorcerer
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151:Nugent Monck
147:William Poel
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585:1965 deaths
580:1889 births
439:Who Was Who
312:Oedipus Rex
301:Later years
179:New Theatre
114:The Tempest
66:Early years
574:Categories
522:References
307:Stravinsky
261:to direct
228:The Mikado
76:Mary Jane
509:22 August
482:The Times
453:The Times
426:The Times
414:The Times
289:The Times
238:Ruddigore
184:The Times
39:Ruddigore
503:Guardian
470:Iolanthe
354:, 1957;
350:, 1954;
346:, 1947;
342:, 1944;
338:, 1932;
241:(1921).
210:Iolanthe
204:Patience
270:Macbeth
177:at the
563:
549:
535:
363:Bantry
96:Oxford
80:Daltry
72:Harrow
42:, 1921
369:Notes
561:ISBN
547:ISBN
533:ISBN
511:2007
267:and
157:and
129:and
90:and
315:at
309:'s
163:Job
78:née
36:'s
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400:^
377:^
230:,
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133:.
98:.
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513:.
23:.
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