Joan Littlewood stands as one of the key British theatre artists of the middle 20th century, a pioneer of documentary forms, collaborative creation and the exploration of popular theatre styles in political work. A self-positioned iconoclast, outsider and vulgarian, she was also a visionary and fearless director. As one of the founders and the main director of Theatre Workshop from 1945-1973 Littlewood had a status that few other women who were her contemporaries achieved or were allowed. She influenced the shape of actor training, and shepherded emerging writers such as Brendan Behan and Shelagh Delaney to greater recognition. Her work before the Second World War, mainly with the Theatre of Action and the Theatre Union in Manchester, also demonstrated an engagement with continental…
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Citation: Freeman, Sara. "Joan Littlewood". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 August 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=11728, accessed 23 November 2024.]
