Alan Howard (actor)

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Alan Howard
Born
Alan MacKenzie Howard

(1937-08-05)5 August 1937
Croydon, Surrey, England
Died14 February 2015(2015-02-14) (aged 77)
Hampstead, London, England
Burial placeHighgate Cemetery
OccupationActor
Spouse(s)Stephanie Hinchliffe Davies (1965–1976; divorced)
Sally Beauman (2004–2015; his death)
Parents
Websitewww.alanhoward.org.uk

Alan MacKenzie Howard, CBE (5 August 1937 – 14 February 2015) was an English actor. He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1966 to 1983 and played leading roles at the Royal National Theatre between 1992 and 2000.

Early life[edit]

Howard was born in Croydon, Surrey, the only son of actor Arthur Howard and his wife Jean Compton (Mackenzie). His uncle was Leslie Howard, the film star,[1] while his aunt was the casting director Irene Howard. On his mother's side he was also a great-nephew of the actress Fay Compton[2] and the novelist Sir Compton Mackenzie. He was educated at the independent school Ardingly College in Ardingly, West Sussex.[citation needed]

Theatre career[edit]

1958–1965[edit]

Alan Howard made his first stage appearance at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, in April 1958, as a footman in Half In Earnest. He remained with the company until 1960, where his roles included Frankie Bryant in Arnold Wesker's Roots in June 1959. The production first transferred to the Royal Court Theatre and then the Duke of York's Theatre in July 1959, where he made his West End debut in the role.[citation needed]

Returning to the Belgrade he played Dave Simmonds in Wesker's I'm Talking About Jerusalem in April 1960. This was followed by Monty Blatt in Chicken Soup with Barley at the Royal Court during June and July 1960, completing the Wesker Trilogy with a revival of Roots and the transfer of I'm Talking About Jerusalem (as 1st Removal Man).[citation needed]

At the Pembroke Theatre in Croydon he played Kenny Baird in A Loss of Roses during January 1961, and the following month a return to the Royal Court as de Piraquo in Tony Richardson's production of Thomas Middleton and William Rowley's Jacobean tragedy The Changeling, then little known.[3]

In 1962 he was cast as the Duke of Ferrara in John Fletcher's The Chances and Nearchus in John Ford's The Broken Heart, both at the Chichester Festival Theatre in its inaugural season. A year later in April 1963 he played Loveless in Virtue in Danger, a musical version of Vanbrugh's The Relapse, first at the Mermaid Theatre before transferring to the Strand Theatre in June 1963. He ended the year playing Fotheringham in Anthony Powell's Afternoon Men at the New Arts Theatre in August 1963.[citation needed]

Engaged by H.M. Tennent Productions, 1964 brought him an international tour of South America and Europe,[4] playing both Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice and Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Staged by Wendy Toye and starring Ralph Richardson, the productions were first seen at the Theatre Royal, Brighton.[5]

At the Phoenix Theatre in May 1965 he was "boldly playing" Simon Challoner in Julian Mitchell's fine stage adaptation of A Heritage and Its History;[6] ending the year at the Nottingham Playhouse as Angelo in Measure for Measure and Bolingbroke in Richard II, co-starring with Judi Dench and Edward Woodward.

1966–1979[edit]

Howard first joined the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1966, cast as Orsino in Twelfth Night, Burgundy in Henry V and Lussurioso in The Revenger's Tragedy. Subsequent RSC roles, all at Stratford unless otherwise stated, included:

Howard then played Eric von Stroheim in The Ride Across Lake Constance at the Hampstead Theatre in November 1973, transferring to the May Fair Theatre in December; and again played Cyril in The Black and White Minstrels, revived at Hampstead in January 1974, before returning to the RSC, where his roles included:

  • Carlos II in The Bewitched Aldwych, May 1974
  • Title role in Henry V, and Prince Hal in the two parts of Henry IV Stratford 1975; Aldwych, January 1976
  • Rover in Wild Oats, co-starring with Jeremy Irons, Aldwych, December 1976
  • Title role in Henry V, also the title roles in the three parts of Henry VI and Coriolanus Stratford 1977; Newcastle Season, at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne 13 February – 25 March 1978; and Aldwych, summer 1978
  • Mark Antony in Antony and Cleopatra Stratford, October 1978; Aldwych, July 1979
  • Chepurnoy in Maxim Gorky's Children of the Sun Aldwych, October 1979[citation needed]

1980–2011[edit]

Alan Howard then left the Royal Shakespeare Company. Subsequent performances included:

A complete listing of Howard's theatre credits, including early work at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, appears on his career website, qv.[8]

Howard played all Shakespeare's consecutive eponymous English kings; though the distinction depends on a Henry IV played (as Henry Bolingbroke) in Richard II (at Nottingham) rather than in Henry IV, Part 1.[citation needed]

Theatre awards[edit]

Howard won his first Plays and Players award in 1969, voted by the London theatre critics as the Most Promising Actor in the RSC repertoire. His second came in 1977, again voted for by the London critics, when he won as Best Actor for his RSC performances in Wild Oats, the three parts of Henry VI and Coriolanus. In 1981 he again received the Plays and Players critics' award for Best Actor for his roles in Richard II and Good by C.P. Taylor.[citation needed]

He twice gained the Evening Standard Award Best Actor trophy for his performances in Coriolanus (1978) and Good (1981).[citation needed]

He also won the Society of West End Theatre award for Best Actor (1976) for his performances as Prince Hal in Henry IV, Part One and Part Two and Henry V and in 1978 as Best Actor in a Revival for Coriolanus (these are now known as the Olivier Awards).

Other awards include the 1980 Variety Club Best Actor Award for the title roles in Richard II and Richard III; and the Drama magazine (British Theatre Association) Award for Best Actor (joint) 1981, for Richard II, Good and The Forest.[citation needed]

Television[edit]

Television performances include Philoctetes, The Way of the World and Comets Among the Stars.[episode needed]

He played a spymaster in the Thames Television six-hour spy story Cover, written by Philip Mackie, 1981; and played John Osborne's father, Tom Osborne, in A Better Class of Person, Thames 1985. He also played the title role of Coriolanus in the 1984 BBC Shakespeare production.

Howard played the lead character of Sam McCready, an intelligence agent, in the 1989–1990 television movie series Frederick Forsyth Presents. He was also seen in such series as Notorious Woman, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Midsomer Murders and Foyle's War. He was Spenlow in David Copperfield (2000) and Maurice Wilkins in Life Story.

Film[edit]

He made occasional film appearances, including a significant role in Peter Greenaway's The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) as Michael, "The Lover" who carries on a doomed affair with "The Wife" Georgina played by Helen Mirren.[9] He also supplied the voice of Sauron and the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.[10]

Personal life[edit]

He first married actress and theatre designer Stephanie Hinchcliff Davies in 1965 (marriage dissolved). He met his second wife, the novelist and journalist Sally Beauman, when she interviewed him about his performance as Hamlet at Stratford in 1970. They became lovers not long afterwards, and married in 2004. They had one son and two grandchildren. Howard was appointed CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1998.[citation needed]

Death[edit]

Grave of Alan Howard and Sally Beauman in Highgate Cemetery

Howard died on 14 February 2015 at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London, of pneumonia.[11] His grave is on the east side of Highgate Cemetery, where Sally Beauman, who died a year later, is also buried.[citation needed]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1961 Victim Frank
1963 The V.I.P.s Second Reporter Uncredited
1964 The Americanization of Emily Port Ensign
1965 The Heroes of Telemark Oli
1968 Work Is a Four-Letter Word Reverend Mort
1984 Oxford Blues Simon Rutledge
1989 The Return of the Musketeers Oliver Cromwell
1989 Strapless Mr. Cooper
1989 The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover Michael (The Lover)
1990 Antigone/Rites of Passion Haemon & Polynices Voice
1992 Dakota Road Alan Brandon
1993 The Secret Rapture Tom French
2001 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Sauron / The One Ring Voice
2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1974 Notorious Woman Prosper Merimee Miniseries, 2 episodes
1984 The Tragedy of Coriolanus Caius Marcius TV movie
1985 Screen Two Clement Scott Episode: "Poppyland"
1986 The Return of Sherlock Holmes The Duke of Holdernesse Episode: "The Priory School"
1987 A Perfect Spy Jack Brotherhood Miniseries
1987 Life Story Maurice Wilkins TV movie
1989 Agatha Christie's Poirot Benedict Farley/Hugo Cornworthy Episode: "The Dream"
1989–1990 Frederic Forsyth Presents: A Casualty of War Sam McCready 3 episodes
2000 David Copperfield Mr. Spenlow TV movie
2001 Midsomer Murders Owen August Episode: "Dark Autumn"
2003 Death in Holy Orders Father Sebastian Morell Miniseries
2003 Foyle's War Stephen Beck Episode: "War Games"
2012 Parade's End Tietjens Senior Miniseries, 3 episodes

References[edit]

  1. ^ Michael Coveney "Alan Howard obituary" Archived 28 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 18 February 2015
  2. ^ Sheridan Morley Plays and Players, September 1969 Archived 28 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Julius Novick "The Changeling" Archived 28 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Encore, May–June 1961, reproduced on Alan Howartd's website
  4. ^ "Ralph Richardson". Alanhoward.org.uk. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Merchant of Venice and Dream". Alanhoward.org.uk. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  6. ^ "Heritage". Picks.plus.com. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  7. ^ "The Black and White Minstrels". Alanhoward.org.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  8. ^ "Alan Howard career: website". Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
  9. ^ The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover at Rotten Tomatoes
  10. ^ "Fellowship2 at alanhoward.org Archived 28 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 February 2015
  11. ^ "Alan Howard, mainstay of RSC and National Theatre, dies aged 77". TheGuardian.com. 19 February 2015. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2016.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Who's Who in the Theatre 17th edition, Gale (1981) ISBN 0-8103-0235-7
  • Theatre Record and its annual Indexes
  • The Best of Plays and Players 1969–1983 edited by Peter Roberts, Methuen Drama (1989)

External links[edit]

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