John Barton

John Bernard Adie Barton, CBE (26 November 1928 – 18 January 2018), was a British theatre director and teacher whose close association with the Royal Shakespeare Company spanned more than half a century. Early life John Barton was the son of Sir Harold Montague and Lady Barton (née Joyce Wale). He was educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge and while at Cambridge directed and acted in many productions for the Marlowe Society and the ADC. At the Westminster Theatre in July 1953 he directed his first London production, Henry V for the Elizabethan Theatre Company. He created a 12-part series for BBC Radio on the medieval Mysteries, inspired by the York Mystery Plays. Royal Shakespeare Company John Barton joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1960 at the invitation of its founder, Peter Hall [2]. In addition to directing plays, his particular responsibility was to improve the quality of verse speaking in the company. He and Peter Hall developed a house style that was rooted in rigorous analysis of the text while observing the shape and rhythm of the blank verse line. Having everyone "speaking Shakespeare the same way" was core to the new ensemble and Barton’s role in teaching and training the actors in that technique made a vital contribution. In 1963, he collaborated with Peter Hall on the ground-breaking The Wars of the Roses which defined the principles and direction of the new company. He directed over 50 productions, some in collaboration with Hall and Trevor Nunn. His landmark productions at the RSC include 1969's Twelfth Night with Judi Dench as Viola. In the RSC's 50th anniversary commemorations (2011) Barton's teaching was acknowledged as one of the lasting reasons for the company's success and he is regarded as one of the most influential directors of Shakespeare of his time.