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Diana Devlin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Diana Devlin (1 April 1941 - 27 September 2020) was a London based teacher, author and theatre academic who helped to create the Shakespeare's Globe theatre with her associate Sam Wanamaker.[1][2][3][4]

Life

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Devlin was born in Porthmadog, Wales on 1 April 1941.[1] She studied at Beaufort House primary school in Fulham, and then at Carlyle grammar school in Chelsea, where she was head girl at the school.[1] In 1960, she attended Cambridge University and obtained a second-class degree in English Literature.[1][2] During her time at Cambridge she became close friends with the actress Miriam Margolyes.[2][5] She married the actor Will Graham in 1968 but they divorced a few years later.[1] After attending Cambridge, she was awarded a Fulbright scholarship and subsequently gained a doctorate in theatre arts from the University of Minnesota.[1][2] After graduation, Devlin became a lecturer in drama at Goldsmiths, University of London.[1][2]

Devlin was a key figure in the development of the Shakespeare's Globe theatre.[1][2] This began with her running the theatre's first summer school, which took place in 1972.[3] In 1985, she became the administrator of the theatre.[1] In 1997, Devlin was appointed as a trustee of the theatre and would later act as the deputy chair of the council from 2013.[1][3]

In 1989, she married David Ogden but the marriage also ended in divorce.[1]

Between 1993 and 2013 she was the head of theatre studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.[1]

Devlin died on 27 September 2020.[1] The cause of death was pneumonia.[2]

Awards

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In June 2019, she received the Sam Wanamaker Award in recognition of her pioneering support of the Globe for 47 years.[1][6]

Publications

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  • A Speaking Part: Lewis Casson and the Theatre of His Time, Hodder & Stoughton, 1982.[1]
  • Mask and Scene: Introduction to a World View of Theatre, Scarecrow Press, 1989.[1]
  • Sam Wanamaker: A Global Performer, Oberon Books, 2019.[3][2][7]
  • The Casson Family in North Wales: A Story of Slate and More, Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 2019.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Diana Devlin obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Diana Devlin obituary". The Times. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Remembering Diana Devlin". Shakespeare's Globe. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  4. ^ "Obituary: Diana Devlin (1941-2020)". Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  5. ^ Margolyes, Miriam (2021). This Much is True. John Murray. ISBN 978-1529379884.
  6. ^ "Shakespeare's Globe celebrates founder Sam Wanamaker's centenary with 2019 Sam Wanamaker Award". Theatre News. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  7. ^ "Sam Wanamaker by Diana Devlin". The Times Literary Supplement. Retrieved 30 November 2022.