Royce Thomas Carlisle Ryton (16 September 1924 – 14 April 2009) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

. He was educated at Lancing College. During the war he served in the Royal Navy; afterward, he went to train as an actor at the

Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art Webber may refer to: *Webber, Kansas, a US city *Webber Township, Jefferson County, Illinois, USA *Webber Township, Lake County, Michigan, USA *Webber International University, in Babson Park, Florida, USA *Webber (surname) Webber (/ˈwɛbər/) i ...

. As an actor, he played in many repertory theatres, including Bromley, Minehead, and

Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...

. He also toured extensively. Over the years he worked less as an actor so he could concentrate on his writing. Initially, he had some success with comedies (which were particularly well received in Germany), but later he became fascinated with the interaction of the private and public lives of royalty and politicians. He was married to Morar Kennedy (sister of

Ludovic Kennedy Sir Ludovic Henry Coverley Kennedy (3 November 191918 October 2009) was a Scottish journalist, broadcaster, humanist and author best known for re-examining cases such as the Lindbergh kidnapping and the murder convictions of Timothy Evans and ...

) from 1955 until his death, aged 84; they have a daughter, Charlotte. Morar has a son, Roderick Orr-Ewing, from her first marriage. With ''Crown Matrimonial'' (1972), Ryton achieved an historical first – the serious portrayal of a living member of the Royal Family (

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 ...

) on the stage. It is about the

Abdication crisis In early December 1936, a constitutional crisis in the British Empire arose when King-Emperor Edward VIII proposed to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who was divorced from her first husband and was pursuing the divorce of her secon ...

of 1936. The play was Ryton's most successful work and has been performed on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

and the

London West End The West End of London (commonly referred to as the West End) is a district of Central London, west of the City of London and north of the River Thames, in which many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buil ...

. In the West End, the central portrayals of Queen Mary and

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...

were played by

Wendy Hiller Dame Wendy Margaret Hiller, (15 August 1912 – 14 May 2003) was an English film and stage actress who enjoyed a varied acting career that spanned nearly 60 years. Writer Joel Hirschorn, in his 1984 compilation ''Rating the Movie Stars'', desc ...

and

Peter Barkworth Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

. Most recently Queen Mary was played by

Patricia Routledge Dame Katherine Patricia Routledge, (; born 17 February 1929) is an English actress, singer and broadcaster. For her role as Hyacinth Bucket in the BBC sitcom ''Keeping Up Appearances'' (1990–1995), she was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award f ...

. Ryton continued his 'Royal-theme' in 1981 with the comedy (co-written with

Ray Cooney Raymond George Alfred Cooney, OBE (born 30 May 1932) is an English playwright, actor, and director. His biggest success, '' Run for Your Wife'' (1983), ran for nine years in London's West End and is its longest-running comedy. He has had 17 ...

), '' Her Royal Highness'', about a double having to stand-in for

Lady Diana Spencer Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

when she loses her nerve and disappears, one week before the

Royal Wedding ''Royal Wedding'' is a 1951 American musical comedy film directed by Stanley Donen, and starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Set in 1947 London at the time of the wedding of Princess ...

. It ran successfully at the

Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia *Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria *Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Mo ...

in London's West End from 1981 to 1982.

Bibliography

*''The Painted Face'' *''Penguins Can't'' *''Enter Mr Johns'' *''Holiday in Spala'' *''The Royal Baccarat Scandal'' *''The Anastasia File'' *''Suez'' *''King Leopold'' *''Your Place or Mine'' *''The King's Grace'' *''Albert the Uncrowned King'' written with his daughter Charlotte Ryton *''Catherine the Queen'' written with his daughter Charlotte Ryton *''Woe to the Sparrows'' *''Queen Victoria's Granddaughters'' *''The Other Side of the Swamp'' *''

The Unvarnished Truth ''The Unvarnished Truth'' is a 1978 play by British playwright Royce Ryton. A comedy drama, ''The Unvarnished Truth'' was first produced by the Cambridge Theatre Company in January 1978, going on a short tour and, having been taken on by producer ...

'' *''Motherdear'' *'' Her Royal Highness'' *'' Crown Matrimonial'' * ''The Boy Juliet''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryton, Royce 1924 births 2009 deaths People educated at Lancing College Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art Royal Navy personnel of World War II English male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English male writers