Robert David MacDonald

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Robert David MacDonald (27 August 1929 – 19 May 2004), known as David, was a Scottish

translator and theatre director
.

Early life

Robert David MacDonald was born in

Career as a director

MacDonald spent some years as a translator for

Granada Television as well as being performed on Broadway for two years.[1]

He became assistant director at

In 1970, he became co-artistic director of the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, until his retirement in May 2003.[2][1] During that time, he directed 50 productions[1] and wrote fifteen plays for the company, including The De Sade Show (1975), Chinchilla (1977), Summit Conference (1978 – later seen in the West End with Glenda Jackson, Georgina Hale and Gary Oldman), A Waste of Time (1980), Don Juan (1980), Webster (1983), In Quest of Conscience (1994), Britannicus (2002) and Cheri (2003).[citation needed]

Translations

MacDonald translated over 70 plays and

Racine, not only to Glasgow audiences, but to those around Europe and America...".[1]

He translated five of Friedrich Schiller's plays, which led Michael Billington to write in 2005, "why is Schiller no longer box-office poison? The first crucial fact is that actable versions of the plays are now readily available. MacDonald was the great pioneer in this area, but Jeremy Sams, Francis Lamport, Mike Poulton and several others have also rid the plays of swagger and fustian."[3]

One of MacDonald's early successes was War and Peace,[2][1][4] which he had translated from Erwin Piscator's 1955 German stage adaptation of Tolstoy's novel.[5] MacDonald's version reached Broadway in 1967.[6]

With Giles Havergal, he adapted Thomas Mann's novella Death in Venice for a one-man production in 1999. Following a run in Glasgow, the production has traveled to several theaters in Europe and the USA.[7]

His translation of Racine's Phèdre, titled Phedra, was produced at The Old Vic in November 1984, designed and directed by Philip Prowse and with Glenda Jackson in the title role and Robert Eddison as Theramenes.[8][9][10]

Death

MacDonald died of a heart attack, aged 74.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Jones, Sarah (28 June 2004). "Robert David MacDonald". The Independent. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Coveney, Michael (24 May 2004). "Robert David MacDonald". The Guardian.
  3. ^ Billington, Michael (29 January 2005). "The German Shakespeare:Schiller used to be box-office poison. Why are his plays suddenly back in favour, asks Michael Billington". The Guardian.
  4. ^ "Obituaries: Robert David MacDonald". The Telegraph. 21 May 2004.
  5. OCLC 253336057
    .
  6. ^ "War and Peace". IBDB.com. Internet Broadway Database.
  7. ^ Hurwitt, Robert (12 September 2006). "One-man 'Death in Venice' captures novel's creepy beauty". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  8. ^ Phedra [theatre programme]. Proscenium, for The Old Vic. 1984.
  9. ^ "Theatre Costume, 1984, [by] Prowse, Philip". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  10. ^ "London The Old Vic Theatre - Phedra - 1984". Theatre Memorabilia .co.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2022.

External links