Robert Marsden

Infobox Actor
name = Marsden, Robert

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birthdate = Birth date|1921|08|22
birthplace = West Hampstead, London
deathdate = Death date and age|2007|04|5|1921|08|22
deathplace = Elstree, Hertfordshire
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occupation = Actor, theatre director, dramatic recitalist, drama teacher
yearsactive = 1939-1966
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Robert Marsden (Birth date|1921|08|22 - Death date|2007|04|5) was a British actor, director, dramatic recitalist and teacher of drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and elsewhere. He was also one of the earliest (and latest surviving) wartime members of the BBC Radio Drama Repertory Company, formed to meet the circumstances of World War II.

= Biography =

Robert Marsden was born in West Hampstead. His theatre training was at LAMDA, the London Mask Theatre School, RADA, and Webber Douglas.

He made his professional debut at Warrington in 1939.

At Stratford-on-Avon, aged nineteen, he played a round of Shakespearean roles, including Tybalt in "Romeo & Juliet", Hotspur in "Richard II" and Tranio in "The Taming of the Shrew".cite book|author=T. C.Kemp & J. C. Trewin|title=The Stratford Festival|publisher=Cornish|location=Birmingham|date=1953] He first broadcast in 1942, and played a variety of parts,cite book|last=Gielgud|first=Val|title='British Radio Drama|publisher=Geo Harrap & Co|date=1957] including Robert in "The Letter", Chorus to Laurence Olivier's "Henry V" and the disciple Philip in Dorothy L. Sayers' play cycle on Jesus "The Man Born To Be King". [cite book|last=Sayers|first=Dorothy L.|title=The Man Born to be King (scripts with credits)|publisher=Victor Gollancz|date=1943]

In London, he was in John Drinkwater's "Abraham Lincoln" both at the Westminster in 1940 and at the Playhouse in 1943.cite book|title='Who's Who In The Theatre|editor=John Parker|publisher=Pitman|location=London|date=1947|edition=10th] At the Arts he played leading parts in "The Rivals", "The Constant Couple" etc. In 1944 he appeared at the Chanticleer Theatre in such plays as "The Lady From the Sea" and as the title character in "John Gabriel Borkman".

The following year he was approached by John Gielgud about Rodney Ackland's adaptation of "Crime & Punishment", and he played the leading character’s friend with Gielgud, Edith Evans and Peter Ustinov at the New Theatre, and elsewhere. Gielgud also cast him in "Medea" at the Globe Theatre.

Marsden’s next broadcast was as Young Marlow in "She Stoops To Conquer", playing opposite Angela Baddeley. He continued to freelance in radio, his parts including "Macbeth", Orsino in "Twelfth Night", Tybalt (as at Stratford) and the King in "Love's Labour's Lost".

He was a fine pianist, and accompanied his own singing, on the air and later in recitations. He composed revue material and comic songs, such as a witty setting of Carroll's "Jabberwocky". On radio in the mid-fifties he played the title role in the series "Mike Dudley, Charter Pilot". He was also a regular in the "Bunkle" series with Billie Whitelaw, and he acted in "In Parenthesis" with Dylan Thomas.

He also appeared on television, parts ranging from Antonio in "The Tempest", to the sinister Black Dog in "Treasure Island" with Bernard Miles. [cite book|title=Radio & Television Who's Who|editor=Cyrus Andrews|publisher=George Young|date=1954|edition=3rd]

In Fry's "The Boy With A Cart", he played one of the brothers in the West End with Richard Burton, and a different one on TV. In 1956 at the Phoenix he was in Peter Brook's production of "The Power & the Glory" with Paul Scofield (with whom he had trained). [cite book|title=Who's Who in the Theatre|editor=Freda Gaye|publisher=Pitman|location=London|edition=13th]

His career as a director began at Whitby, and included Guildford (where he directed Philip Bond in "Richard II") and Coventry. At Preston he played "Othello" and co-directed it. He also worked with Joan Littlewood at Stratford East.

In 1959 he 'did the hat-trick' with "Abraham Lincoln", playing the name character at the Belgrade, Coventry. At the Belgrade he also played Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice" and Brutus in "Julius Caesar".

On television he played Lincoln in an episode of "Dr Who" - the First Doctor warned him not to go to the theatre the night of his assassination.

At Birmingham Rep in 1961 he was Enobarbus in "Antony & Cleopatra". [cite book|last=Trewin|first=J. C.|title=The Birmingham Repertory Theatre|publisher=Barrie & Rockliff|location=London|date=1963] He also performed at Hampstead Theatre in its early days, playing in "He Who Gets Slapped".

He started to vary his acting with work as a drama teacher, at RADA, Central School and the City Lit, as well as privately. He also gave solo recitations which were both dramatic and musical.

In 1965, Marsden rejoined the Stratford-based Shakespeare company, now called the Royal Shakespeare Company. He had played the major role of the Chorus in "Henry V" on radio, and now he succeeded Eric Porter in the part at the Aldwych Theatre in London, with Ian Holm as the King.

While with the RSC, he was in the earliest of their Theatre-Go-Round outreach programmes for school pupils, and he played Boretzki in Peter Weiss's disturbing compilation from the concentration camp hearings, "The Investigation". Performed at the Aldwych, it was recorded by the BBC and broadcast more than once.

After this, though he appeared both live and on television again, he did not work much as an actor. One of his latest personal appearances was at a verse recital performing alongside Dame Peggy Ashcroft and Jeremy Brett. For many years he continued as a private drama teacher, specialising in coaching intense voice work.

Marsden died on Death date|2007|04|5 at Elstree, Hertfordshire.

References

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0550460/ Robert Marsden's entry at IMDB.com]
* [http://calm.shakespeare.org.uk/dserve/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Roles&dsqCmd=XDetail.tcl&dsqSearch=((Name='Robert')AND(Name='Marsden')) Robert Marsden's roles in the archives of the Royal Shakespeare Company]
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article1747206.ece Obituary in "The Times", 4 May 2007]

Persondata
NAME=Marsden, Robert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= British actor, theatre director, dramatic recitalist, drama teacher
DATE OF BIRTH= 1921-08-22
PLACE OF BIRTH= West Hampstead, London
DATE OF DEATH= 2007-04-5
PLACE OF DEATH= Elstree, Hertfordshire