Man of the Theatre

part two of an appreciation of the work of Laurence Olivier

Laurence Olivier 17th June 1939 by Carl Van Vechten, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

IN 1944 Laurence Olivier, by now an international film star, returned to his first love, the stage. He and his friend Ralph Richardson were appointed co-directors of the Old Vic theatre, where he played a succession of major comic and tragic roles, including Richard III. The Old Vic seasons were complete sell-outs, although the adoration was not universal, with some critics already questioning his acting technique.