Alan MacKenzie Howard, CBE (5 August 1937 – 14 February 2015) was an English actor. He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1966 to 1983, and played leading roles at the Royal National Theatre between 1992 and 2000.
Early life
Howard was born in Croydon, Surrey, the only son of actor Arthur Howard and his wife Jean Compton (Mackenzie). His uncle was Leslie Howard, the film star, while his aunt was the casting director Irene Howard. On his mother’s side he was also a great-nephew of the actress Fay Compton and the novelist Sir Compton Mackenzie. He was educated at the independent school Ardingly College in Ardingly, West Sussex.
Theatre career
1958–1965
Alan Howard made his first stage appearance at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, in April 1958, as a footman in Half In Earnest. He remained with the company until 1960, where his roles included Frankie Bryant in Arnold Wesker’s Roots in June 1959. The production first transferred to the Royal Court Theatre and then the Duke of York’s Theatre in July 1959, where he made his West End debut in the role.
Returning to the Belgrade he played Dave Simmonds in Wesker’s I’m Talking About Jerusalem in April 1960. This was followed by Monty Blatt in Chicken Soup with Barley at the Royal Court during June and July 1960, completing the Wesker Trilogy with a revival of Roots and the transfer of I’m Talking About Jerusalem (as 1st Removal Man).
At the Pembroke Theatre in Croydon he played Kenny Baird in A Loss of Roses during January 1961, and the following month a return to the Royal Court as de Praquo in Tony Richardson’s production of Thomas Middleton and William Rowley’s Jacobean tragedy The Changeling, then little known.
In 1962 he was cast as the Duke of Ferrara in John Fletcher’s The Chances and Nearchus in John Ford’s The Broken Heart, both at the Chichester Festival Theatre in its inaugural season. A year later in April 1963 he played Loveless in Virtue in Danger, a musical version of Vanbrugh’s The Relapse, first at the Mermaid Theatre before transferring to the Strand Theatre in June 1963. He ended the year playing Fotheringham in Anthony Powell’s Afternoon Men at the New Arts Theatre in August 1963.
Engaged by H.M. Tennent Productions, 1964 brought him the challenge of an international tour of South America and Europe playing both Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice and Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Staged by Wendy Toye and starring Ralph Richardson, the productions were first seen at the Theatre Royal, Brighton.
At the Phoenix Theatre in May 1965 he was “boldly playing” Simon Challoner in Julian Mitchell’s fine stage adaptation of A Heritage and Its History; ending the year at the Nottingham Playhouse as Angelo in Measure for Measure and Bolingbroke in Richard II, co-starring with Judi Dench and Edward Woodward.
Summary
| Alan Howard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Alan MacKenzie Howard 5 August 1937 Croydon, Surrey, England |
| Died | 14 February 2015 (aged 77) Hampstead, London, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Spouse(s) | Stephanie Hinchliffe Davies (1965–1976; divorced) Sally Beauman (2004–2015; his death) |
| Website | http://www.alanhoward.org.uk |
Source:wikipedia