Donald Albery

Sir Donald Arthur Rolleston Albery (19 June 1914 – 14 September 1988)^[1] was an English theatre impresario who did much to translate the adventurous spirit of London in the 1960s onto the stage.^[2]

Sir Donald Albery
Albery in December 1972.
Born	Donald Arthur Rolleston Albery 19 June 1914 St Pancras, London, England
Died	14 September 1988(1988-09-14) (aged 74) Monte Carlo, Monaco
Spouses	Rubina Macgilchrist ​ ​ (m. 1934; div. 1946)​ Cicely Boys ​ ​ (m. 1946; div. 1974)​ Nobuko Uenishi Morris ​ ​ (m. 1974)​
Children	4, including Ian, Nicholas and Tim
Father	Sir Bronson Albery

Biography

He was born into a theatrical family, with his father being the director Sir Bronson James Albery.^[2] His first job was to manage Sadler's Wells Ballet during the Blitz.^[2] When he launched his own Donmar company in 1953 he championed plays by Graham Greene, Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee, Jean Anouilh, and an adaptation by J. B. Priestley of an Iris Murdoch novel.^[3]

Though he was always commercially minded, his spirit of adventure endured with the first London production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot and sponsorship of Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop. In 1961, Albery, in collaboration with William Donaldson, produced Beyond the Fringe in London and, in 1962, in New York.^[2]

From 1964 to 1968, Albery served as director and administrator of the London Festival Ballet.^[1]

Albery was appointed Knight Bachelor in the 1977 New Year Honours for services to the theatre.^[2][4]

In 1982, Albery added his archive to the British theatre holdings of the Harry Ransom Center. Records include correspondence, legal and financial documents, scripts, sound recordings, prompt books, manuscript and printed music scores and parts, and printed and publicity materials such as clippings, programmes, playbills, posters, proofs and tickets concerning the theatrical productions and business affairs of Wyndham's Theatres Ltd., The Piccadilly Theatre Ltd., Sadler's Wells Theatre, the Royal Ballet, and the touring productions of the Festival Ballet.^[5]

Family

Albery was married three times.^[3]

1. In 1934 he married Rubina Macgilchrist (injured in an air raid, and died 1956); they were divorced in 1946, having had a son, Ian Albery.
2. In 1946 he married Cicely Margaret Heather Boys, daughter of the army officer Reginald Harvey Henderson Boys; they were divorced in 1974, and had three children including Nicholas Albery and Tim Albery.^[6]
3. In 1974 he married Nobuko Uenishi Morris, former wife of author Ivan Morris.

References

1. Ian Herbert, ed. (1981). "ALBERY, Sir Donald". Who's Who in the Theatre. Vol. 1. Gale Research Company. p. 7. ISSN 0083-9833.
2. Colin Larkin, ed. (2002). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 11/2. ISBN 1-85227-937-0.
3. Trewin, Wendy. "Albery, Sir Donald Arthur Rolleston". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/39920. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
4. "No. 47102". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1976. p. 1.
5. "Collection Descriptions". Hrc.utexas.edu. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
6. "Albery, Tim, Grove Music". oxfordmusiconline.com. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.O900069.

External links

• Donald Albery Papers at the Harry Ransom Center