Ruth Pennyman (born Ruth Constance Dorrien Knight 1893–1983) was an English artist, designer, community organiser and theatrical producer. She was the wife of aristocratic land-owner Major James Pennyman of

Ormesby Hall Ormesby Hall, a Grade I listed building, is a predominantly 18th-century mansion house built in the Palladian style and completed in 1754. It is situated in Ormesby, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire in the north-east of England. The home of the ...

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...

Biography

Pennyman was the daughter of Rev. Francis Henry Grenville Knight, a rector from Upton-upon-Pyne. She studied at St John's Wood Art School where she learned stage design, interior decoration and illustration. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

she became a nurse, and in 1926 she married Major Pennyman. During the inter-war years she developed a keen social conscience and used her prominent position to help communities in need. In 1932 she helped establish the Cleveland Work Camps, a self-help scheme aimed at alleviating the poverty of unemployed iron-stone miners during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. In the late 1930s, as chair of the local branch of the National Joint Committee for Spanish Relief, she was instrumental in rescuing a group of Basque refugee children from the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, travelling to Barcelona and later arranging their accommodation at Hutton Hall in North Yorkshire. Her enthusiasm for community engagement and her passion for stage production led Pennyman to produce large scale theatrical productions at Ormesby Hall.

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

was a particular favourite and over many years she staged his plays on the lawn at her stately home, creating the costumes, set designs and promotional posters herself. The productions included

The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...

(1933),

Romeo & Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

(1934), Agincourt (From Henry V, 1935),

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

(1953),

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, 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 Wil ...

(1954 & 1958),

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...

(1959),

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

(1960).

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed around 1607, by the King's Men at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre. Its first appearance in print was in the First Folio published ...

(1964). Pennyman was known to have strong political views and has been described as having 'startlingly left leaning politics and a love for community projects'. Despite describing herself as a Communist, Pennyman was not a member of the

Communist Party of Great Britain The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was the largest communist organisation in Britain and was founded in 1920 through a merger of several smaller Marxist groups. Many miners joined the CPGB in the 1926 general strike. In 1930, the CPGB ...

. Pennyman was an important influence on some key figures in British arts, particularly composer Sir

Michael Tippett Sir Michael Kemp Tippett (2 January 1905 – 8 January 1998) was an English composer who rose to prominence during and immediately after the Second World War. In his lifetime he was sometimes ranked with his contemporary Benjamin Britten as o ...

to whom she became a 'mother figure', and theatre producer

Joan Littlewood Joan Maud Littlewood (6 October 1914 – 20 September 2002) was an English theatre director who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and is best known for her work in developing the Theatre Workshop. She has been called "The Mother of M ...

whose

Theatre Workshop Theatre Workshop is a theatre group whose long-serving director was Joan Littlewood. Many actors of the 1950s and 1960s received their training and first exposure with the company, many of its productions were transferred to theatres in the West ...

company she hosted at Ormesby Hall in the post-war years.

References

{{reflist 1893 births 1983 deaths 20th-century English women artists Alumni of St John's Wood Art School English designers