Barry Vincent Jackson

Sir Barry Vincent Jackson, (1879–3 April, 1961), was a distinguished theatre director and the founder of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Life and career

He was the son of George Jackson of Birmingham and was educated privately.

He was the founder and Governing Director of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and was also a director of the Royal Opera House in London.

He directed the Malvern Summer Festivals from 1929 to 1937 and was Director of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1947-48. He was awarded the Freedom of the City of Birmingham on April 16, 1955.

In 1960, Jackson's health began to deteriorate as a result of leukaemia. He spent time between the hospital in Birmingham, is home in Malvern and his office at the theatre. The final play he saw was "Antony and Cleopatra" at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, however, he was unable to stay longer than the first intermission.

Letters written by Sir Barry Jackson and other materials are held at the University of Birmingham Special Collections and at Birmingham Central Library Archives.

Honours

*Birmingham Civic Society Gold Medal, 1922
*Hon M.A. (Birmingham), 1922
*Knighted, 1925
*Hon LL.D. (St.Andrews), 1937
*Hon D.Litt (Birmingham), 1950
*Freedom of the City of Birmingham, 1955

References

*"Bernard Shaw and Barry Jackson", Bernard Shaw, 2002, University of Toronto Press (ISBN: 0802035728)
*Hankinson, C. F. J. (ed.), "Debrett's Baronetage, Knightage and Companionage, 1954", Odhams Press, 1954
*"Birmingham Post and Mail Year Book and Who's Who, 1973-74", Birmingham Post and Mail Ltd., July 1973

External links

* [http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=57216&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=13146 Birmingham Repertory Theatre's website]