Audrey May Williamson (29 May 1913, Thornton Heath – 14 March 1986) was a British historical writer and "one of the most prolific theatre journalists of her time". In 1978, Williamson received the CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction for ''The Mystery of the Princes''.

Life

Williamson started out as an actress, but according to her '' Times'' obituarist "her career in the theatre was restricted by a diminutive physique". As a journalist, she wrote on art and medieval history for ''

Opera News ''Opera News'' is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to engender the appreciation of opera and also support ...

'', '' Theatre Arts Monthly'' and ''Drama''. In the 1960s she lived in the United States, and was New York opera and ballet correspondent for the ''Times'' and the ''

Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

''. After publishing a book on Thomas Paine in 1973, she served as vice president of the Thomas Paine Society. After a period of poor health, she died in London, on 14 March 1986.

Works

;Non-fiction * ''Contemporary ballet''. London: Rockliff, 1946. * ''Ballet renaissance''. 1947. London: Golden Galley Press. * ''Old Vic drama: a twelve years' study of plays and players''. London: Rockliff, 1948. * ''The art of ballet', London: Elek, 1950. * ''Theatre of two decades''. London: Rockliff, 1951. * ''Contemporary theatre, 1953–1956''. London: Rockliff, 1956. * ''Paul Rogers''. London: Rockliff, 1956. * (with Charles Landstone) ''The Bristol Old Vic: the first ten years'', London: J. Garnet Miller, 1957. * ''Old Vic drama 2, 1947–1957'', London: Rockliff, 1957. * ''Ballet of 3 decades''. London: Rockliff, 1958. * ''Wagner opera''. London: J. Calder, 1962. * ''Bernard Shaw: man and writer''. London: Collier-Macmillan, 1963. * ''Thomas Paine: his life, work, and times''. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1973. * ''Wilkes: A Friend to Liberty ''. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1974. * ''Artists and writers in revolt: the Pre-Raphaelites''. Newton Abbot: David and Charles, 1976. * ''The mystery of the princes: an investigation into a supposed murder''. Dursley: Alan Sutton, 1978. ;Fiction * ''Funeral march for Siegfried: a Richard York detective novel''. London: Elek, 1979. * ''Death of a theatre filly: a Richard York detective novel''. London: Elek, 1980.

References

1913 births 1986 deaths British theatre critics 20th-century British historians {{theat-bio-stub