Clifford Williams (1926 – 20 August 2005) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

theatre director and

stage actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...

. He was born in Cardiff, Wales, and died in London, England.

Biography

Clifford Williams, son of George F. Williams and Florence (Gapper), was born in Cardiff, United Kingdom. He served in the British Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) from 1945 to 1948. Williams was a fellow of Trinity College of Music (London), as well as the Welsh College of Music and Drama (on Board of Governors from 1980). Founder, 1994: (Director and Playwright) Mime Theatre London. 1950-53: Artistic Director, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, 1956 Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, 1957 Arts Theatre, London. 1963-80, Associate Director, Royal Shakespeare Company, U.K. From 1963: Artistic Directorships at: National Theatre, U.K., also the national theatres of: Spain, Yugoslavia, Mexico, Finland, Bulgaria, France, Denmark, Sweden, USSR, Canada, Japan Germany. In the United States, his Broadway productions included: ''The Comedy of Errors'', ''Soldiers'', ''Sleuth'', ''Emperor Henry IVth'', ''As You Like It'', ''A Pack of Lies'', ''Aren’t We All? Breaking the Code'' (TV) and ''Man and Superman''. His opera productions include: ''The Flying Dutchman'', ''Savitri'', ''Dido and Aeneas'', ''Bellman’s Opera''. Musical productions include (in London): ''Our Man Creighton'', ''Mardi Gras'', ''Oh! Calcutta'' and ''Carte Blanche''. He was the author of the children’s plays ''The Sleeping Princess'', ''The Goose Girl and The Secret Kingdom'', and he translated

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

, Strindberg and Chekhov. He was chairman of the British Theatre Association 1978-90. For the Royal Shakespeare Company: Directed 31 productions including the outstandingly successful (also set designer) ''Comedy of Errors'' (with Ian Richardson, Michael Williams, Timothy West, Donald Burton, Elizabeth Spriggs, Janet Suzman and Susan Engel); ''The Merchant of Venice'' (Janet Suzman, Eric Porter and William Squire) and ''The Jew of Malta'' (Eric Porter and Tony Church).

Selected theatre credits

*'' The Comedy of Errors'' (1962), for the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

*'' Cymbeline'' (1974), for the RSC *'' The Duchess of Malfi'' (1971), for the RSC *''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

'' (1974) *'' Sleuth'' (1970) *''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' (First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in around ...

'' (1951–1952) ( actor) *'' Caesar and Cleopatra'' (1951–1952) ( actor)

References

External links

*
U.K. productions as director listed in Theatre Archive, University of BristolTheatre Director Clifford Williams Dead
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Clifford British theatre directors Male actors from Cardiff Welsh male stage actors 1926 births 2005 deaths Royal Army Ordnance Corps soldiers 20th-century British Army personnel