Joan Littlewood Statue

Photo credit - Ben Sutherland @ Wikipedia

In front of the Theatre Royal Stratford East stands the statue of Joan Littlewood, the theatre director who became known as “The Mother of Modern Theatre.”

Joan Littlewood (1914-2002) was born in London. At the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she studied acting. Dissatisfied, she left after one year to live in Manchester. There, she joined Ewan MacColl’s Theatre of Action and married him. In 1936, they formed the Theatre Union. In 1945, Littlewood, her husband, and other Theatre Union members established the Theatre Workshop and the following years, performed around the country.

In 1953, the Theatre Workshop relocated to the Theatre Royal in Stratford, east London. As the company’s director, Littlewood advocated for the representation of the working-class people, providing a platform for their voices and stories, and broke the barriers between ‘artistic’ and ‘popular’ theater.

The Theatre Workshop gained a local and international reputation and performed in theaters in Europe and on Broadway. In 1963, Littlewood became the first woman to receive a Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Musical for Oh, What a Lovely War!

Retired in 1975, she moved to France and wrote the memoir of her companion, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, and her own autobiography, Joan’s Book. She died at the age of 87.

The Theatre Royal Stratford East decided to erect a statue in Littlewood’s honor as a permanent reminder of her contribution to the theatre. They commissioned artist Philip Jackson, who also made the Queen Mother Memorial in The Mall, and the Bomber Command Memorial Sculpture in Green Park.

Unveiled on October 4th, 2015, under the name The Mother of Modern Theatre, the life-size bronze statue was based on an iconic photograph of Littlewood sitting on rubble when the Theatre Royal Stratford East got threatened with demolition in the 1970s.

The Joan Littlewood Statue stands close to many monuments and sites, such as the Stratford Martyrs Memorial, the Samuel Curney Memorial, the Discovery Children’s Story Center, and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

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Theatre Square, Theatre Royal Stratford East, London, England, UK

 

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