William Pole [later changed to Poel as a nom de theatre] was born on 22nd July 1852 in the city of Westminster and died on 13th December 1934 at his home in Putney, SW London.
A producer and actor, William Poel's career spanned the years from the rise of Victorian actor-manager Henry Irving to the establishment of such twentieth century figures as John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier.
He is remembered as the founder of the Elizabethan Stage Society [1894-1905]. But he was also a founder and leading figure in the movements at the end of the nineteenth century campaigning for such things as: the restoration of Shakespeare's texts, a simpler, fleeter staging of the plays, the rediscovery of early English drama, a Shakespeare memorial theatre, and a National Theatre. His influence on the production of early English, Elizabethan and Jacobean drama can still be seen today.
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15th July 2010 |