Sir Kenneth Ralph Barnes (11 September 1878 – 16 October 1957) was director of the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sen ...

(RADA) in

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, from 1909-55. Born at

Heavitree Heavitree is a historic village and parish situated formerly outside the walls of the City of Exeter in Devon, England, and is today an eastern district of that city. It was formerly the first significant village outside the city on the road to ...

, near

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

, the youngest of six children of Rev. Reginald Henry Barnes (1831–1889),

Prebendary A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...

Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The present building was complete by about 140 ...

and Vicar of

, and his wife, Frances Mary Emily, ''née'' Nation. His sisters,

Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United Stat ...

and

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both became actresses.Roy, Donald
"Barnes, Sir Kenneth Ralph (1878–1957), college head."
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, 23 September 2004, accessed 18 October 2021 In 1921 he instigated the building of a new theatre for RADA which was demolished by bombing in 1941. A new Vanbrugh Theatre was opened by

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...

in 1954 shortly before Sir Kenneth's retirement. He was knighted in 1938.Profile of Sir Kenneth Barnes
devonheritage.org; accessed 17 March 2017.

References

1878 births 1957 deaths People educated at Westminster School, London People from Exeter British theatre directors Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford People associated with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art {{Theat-bio-stub Knights Bachelor