Christopher Morahan
This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2015) |
Christopher Morahan National Theatre Studio in 2010 | |
---|---|
Born | Christopher Thomas Morahan 9 July 1929 London, England |
Died | 7 April 2017 Guildford, England | (aged 87)
Occupation | Director |
Years active | 1957–2017 |
Spouse(s) | Joan Murray (her death) Anna Carteret |
Children | 5, including Andy and Hattie |
Christopher Thomas Morahan CBE (9 July 1929 – 7 April 2017) was a British stage and television director and production executive.
Biography
Early life and career
Morahan was born on 9 July 1929 in London, the son of film production designer Tom Morahan (1906-1969) and his wife, Nancy Charlotte Barker (1904-1977), an artist.[1][2]
He was educated at
Initially an actor, he briefly worked as a stage manager on Orson Welles' touring production of Othello, but refused to work on Welles' next production and found the theatre of the time unenthusing.[2] In a career change of sorts, he joined ATV as a floor manager and, subsequently became a television director from 1957, on Emergency Ward 10,[1] a new ITV series.
At the BBC and in the theatre
Later, he developed a rapport with writer
From 1972 to 1976, he was the Head of Plays for
Later career
Morahan joined the
He was involved in creating the 14-part television drama
Personal life and honours
Morahan's first wife was Joan Lucie Murray (d. 1973), with whom he had two sons, including director Andy Morahan; a daughter from the marriage predeceased him.[1][4] After his first wife died, Morahan married actress Anna Carteret; the couple have two daughters: theatre director Rebecca,[5] also involved in human rights activism,[2] and actress Hattie Morahan.[6]
Morahan was appointed
Morahan died on 7 April 2017, the same day as Tim Pigott-Smith, one of the leads in The Jewel in the Crown.[1][9]
Selected directing credits
Television
- The Road (First Night, 1963)
- Fable (The Wednesday Play, 1965)
- Talking to a Stranger (BBC 1966)[10]
- Lay Down Your Arms (ITV Sunday Night Theatre, 1970)
- Uncle Vanya (Play of the Month, BBC, 1970)
- Old Times
- Fathers and Families (BBC series, 1977)
- The Jewel in the Crown (Granada 1984, three episodes, also producer)
- In the Secret State (1985)
- After Pilkington (BBC, 1987)
- The Heat of the Day (1989)
- Ashenden(1991)
- Unnatural Pursuits (Simon Gray two-part play, 1992)
- A Dance to the Music of Time' (four-part mini-series 1997)
Film
- Diamonds for Breakfast (1968)
- All Neat in Black Stockings (1969)
- Clockwise (1986)
- Paper Mask (1990)
- Element of Doubt (1996)
Theatre
- This Story of Yours (John Hopkins), Royal Court (December 1968)
- Flint (David Mercer), Criterion Theatre (May 1970)
- The Caretaker (Harold Pinter), starring Leonard Rossiter at the Mermaid Theatre (March 1972)
- State of Revolution (Robert Bolt), National Lyttelton (1977)
- Sir Is Winning (Shane Connaughton), National Cottesloe (1977)
- The Lady from Maxim's (Georges Feydeau), National Lyttelton (1977)
- Brand (Ibsen), National Olivier (1978)
- The Philanderer (George Bernard Shaw), National Lyttelton (1978)
- Strife (John Galsworthy, National Olivier(1978)
- Tolstoy), National Olivier (1979)
- Richard III, National Olivier (1979)
- The Wild Duck (Ibsen), Nartional Olivier (1979)
- Line 'Em (Nigel Williams), National Cottesloe (1980)
- Man and Superman (Shaw), National Olivier (1980)
- Evening StandardBest Director Award, 1984) and New York (1986)
- Melon (Simon Gray), Theatre Royal Haymarket, (1987)
- The Devil's Disciple (Shaw), National Olivier, (1994)
- Comedy Theatre(October 1997)
- Ugly Rumours (Tricycle Theatre, Kilburn(November 1998)
- Semi-Detached (David Turner), Chichester Festival Theatre (May 1999)
- The Importance of Being Earnest (Wilde), Chichester Festival Theatre and Theatre Royal Haymarket (1999)
- Albery Theatre(September 1999)
- Heartbreak House (Shaw), Chichester (May 2000)
- West Yorkshire Playhouseand tour, (January 2001)
- The Importance of Being Earnest, Savoy Theatre (2001)
- The Dwarfs (Pinter novel, adapted by Kerry Lee Crabbe), Tricycle Theatre (April 2003)
- The Linden Tree (J.B. Priestley), Orange Tree Theatre(February 2006)
- Legal Fictions (double bill: The Dock Brief/Edwin, by John Mortimer) Richmond Theatre and touring (November 2007)[11]
References
- Simon Callow The National: The Theatre and its Work 1963–1997 by Nick Hern Books/NT, 1997 ISBN 1-85459-323-4
- Leslie Halliwell and Philip Purser Halliwell's Television Companion, Third edition, Grafton, 1986 ISBN 0-246-12838-0
- Theatre Record and Theatre Record annual indexes
- John Walker (ed) Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies, Fourth edition, HarperCollins, 2006 ISBN 0-00-716957-4
- Who's Who in the Theatre 17th edition, Gale, 1981 ISBN 0-8103-0235-7
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f Billington, Michael (11 April 2017). "Christopher Morahan". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f "Christopher Morahan". The Times. London. 18 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017. (subscription required)
- ^ "Christopher Morahan Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
- ^ Morahan, Andy. "andy morahan about". AndyMorahan.com. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
- ^ "Hattie Morahan pulls it off at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards". London Evening Standard. 27 November 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ Ann McFerran Interview with Anna Carteret and Hattie Morahan, The Sunday Times Magazine, 30 November 2008
- ^ "No. 59808". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 2011. p. 8.
- ^ "Main list of the 2011 Queen's birthday honours recipients" (PDF). BBC News UK. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ^ British Theatre Guide review
- ^ "The Daily Telegraph article re production of Legal Fictions". Archived from the original on 20 November 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2007.
External links
- Christopher Morahan at IMDb
- Christopher Morahan at the Internet Broadway Database
- Christopher Morahan(Aveleyman)
- Morahan family tree
- "Christopher Morahan". The British Entertainment History Project.