Alan Simpson (1921–1980) was an Irish theatre director. Simpson was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Walter Simpson, a Church of Ireland clergyman. He was called up to the army in 1941. In 1945 he transferred onto the army reserve and joined the Gate Theatre, Dublin as stage manager.

Career

In 1953 Simpson co-founded the Pike Theatre along with his wife Carolyn Swift. On November 19, 1954, Simpson staged the first ever production of

The Quare Fellow ''The Quare Fellow'' is Brendan Behan's first play, first produced in 1954. The title is taken from a Hiberno-English pronunciation of ''queer''. Plot The play is set in Mountjoy Prison, Dublin. The anti-hero of the play, The Quare Fellow, is never ...

by Brendan Behan, and, in 1955, he mounted the first Irish production of Samuel Beckett's '' Waiting for Godot'', which went on to become one of the longest-running productions in Ireland up until that time. In 1957 he staged

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thr ...

' ''

The Rose Tattoo ''The Rose Tattoo'' is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams in 1949 and 1950; after its Chicago premiere on December 29, 1950, he made further revisions to the play for its Broadway premiere on February 2, 1951, and its publication by ...

'' during the first International Dublin Theatre Festival. Despite being hugely successful and receiving positive reviews from both Irish and English critics, the production sparked controversy when a member of the audience claimed to have seen a contraceptive produced during the performance. Simpson was arrested on May 21, 1957 on a charge of producing an indecent and profane performance for gain and was incarcerated for one night at Bridewell. Despite the court case dragging on for the next year, Simpson was eventually discharged. However, the costly legal proceedings had a devastating impact on Simpson both financially and personally and eventually led to the closure of the Pike theatre in 1960. After his marriage to Swift broke down in 1961, he worked in several theatre productions in England and Scotland, after which he was hired as artistic adviser to the

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the p ...

on a ten-month contract in 1968. Between 1969 and 1976 he directed numerous productions including ''The Hard life'', ''

She Stoops to Conquer ''She Stoops to Conquer'' is a comedy by Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in the English-speaking world. It is one of the few plays from the 18t ...

'', ''

'' and others. He also staged in several musicals such as '' Jesus Christ Superstar'' in 1973 and '' Joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat'' at the Gaiety Theatre. He later moved to the United States of America where he lectured at

New York State University The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...

in 1978 and directed '' Androcles and the lion'' by George Bernard Shaw. Simpson divorced his first wife, Carolyn Swift. He then married Irish actress,

Eileen Colgan Eileen Colgan Simpson (2 January 1934 – 10 March 2014) was an Irish theatre, television and film actress. She was best known for her recurring role as Esther Roche on the RTÉ One soap opera, ''Fair City''. She also appeared in the RTÉ televis ...

. Simpson and Colgan remained together until his death in 1980.

References

1920 births 1980 deaths Irish theatre directors Place of birth missing {{Ireland-bio-stub