Collection Summary
James Roose-Evans Papers
circa 1961-1977
Manuscript Collection MS-03602
1 box (.42 linear feet)
Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin
Roose-Evans, James,
1927-2022
The collection documents Roose-Evans' work as founder and
director of the Hampstead Theatre and the Stage Two theater workshop. The bulk of the papers
consist of incoming and outgoing correspondence with author Laurie Lee, and others in the
theater field. In addition to the correspondence, there are funding and proposal letters, a
written plan for the formation of the Stage Two Theater Workshop, letters of recommendation
and a substantial amount of notes and scripts.
English
A large volume of James Roose-Evans materials at the Ransom Center (approximately 50 boxes) remain uncataloged. These materials document Roose-Evans' life and career up to 2021. Please
contact the Center for questions about these and related materials.
Acquisition:
Purchases, 1973, 1977
Access:
Open for research. Researchers must create an online Research Account and agree to the
Materials Use Policy before using archival materials.
Use Policies:
Ransom Center collections may contain material with sensitive or confidential information
that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers
are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living
individuals represented in the collections without the consent of those individuals may have
legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may
arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed
highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the Ransom Center and The University of
Texas at Austin assume no responsibility.
Restrictions on Use:
Authorization for publication is given on behalf of the University of Texas as the owner of
the collection and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder
which must be obtained by the researcher. For more information please see the Ransom
Center's Open Access and Use Policies.
Processed by:
Dale Sauter, 1999
Biographical Sketch
James Roose-Evans, theater director and author, was born in London on November 11, 1927. He
completed his education at Oxford University in 1957. Roose-Evans began his career as an
actor, but by 1954 had started directing. He founded the Hampstead Theatre Club in 1959, and
served as artistic director until 1971. In 1969, while at the Hampstead, Roose-Evans also
founded and became director of Stage Two, an experimental theater workshop and research
center.
Roose-Evans also lectured at, and conducted various theater workshops in the United States
throughout his career. In addition, he directed numerous West End productions, including
Under Milk Wood, Cider with Rosie, Private Lives, The Happy Apple, An Ideal Husband, Spitting Image, 84 Charing Cross Road, The Seven Year Itch, The Best of Friends, and Mate, a Personal Affair. Roose-Evans also authored books on theater,
as well as a series of children's books in the 1970s. He was a member of the Royal Society
of Arts, the Welsh Arts Council, Southeast Wales Art Association, and the Welsh Dance
Theatre.
Roose-Evans died at age 94 on October 26, 2022.
Sources:
Contemporary Authors. New Revision Series, Vol. 35. Detroit: Gale
Research Company, 1983.
Who's Who in the Theater. Vol. 17. Detroit: Gale Research Company,
1981.
Index Terms
People
Cecil, David, Lord, 1902- .
Crinkley, Richmond.
Hobson, Harold, 1924- .
Kulukundis, Eddie.
Lee, Laurie.
Muggeridge, Malcolm, 1903- .
Rawlings, Margaret, 1906- .
Saunders, James, 1925- .
Snow, C. P. (Charles Percy), 1905-
.
Williams, Kenneth, 1926- .
Wilson, Sandy, 1924- .
Wolfit, Donald, Sir, 1902-1968.
Subjects
English theater, 20th century.
Lee, Laurie. Cider with Rosie.
The Hampstead Theatre.
Scope and Contents
The papers of James Roose-Evans, circa 1961-1977, document his work as founder and director
of the Hampstead Theatre and the Stage Two theater workshop. The bulk of the papers consist
of incoming and outgoing correspondence with author Laurie Lee, and others in the theater
field. There is also a substantial amount of notes and scripts pertaining to Roose-Evans'
adaptation of Lee's
Cider with Rosie. The papers are divided into two
series: I. Hampstead Theatre, Stage Two Theater Workshop, circa 1961-1977, undated (9
folders), and II. Cider with Rosie Materials, circa 1962-1969, undated
(4 folders).
The Hampstead Theatre, Stage Two Theater Workshop series is grouped together alphabetically
by last name of the correspondent. The majority of this correspondence relates to
Roose-Evans' promotion of, and requested funding for, the Stage Two theater workshop. This
correspondence was arranged and kept by Roose-Evans in groupings that reflect the topic and
relationship of the communication, and is enhanced by handwritten notes from him. In
addition to the correspondence, there are funding and proposal letters, a written plan for
the formation of the Stage Two Theater Workshop, and letters of recommendation for one of
Roose-Evans' U.S. lecture series. Prominent correspondents include: Lord David Cecil,
Richmond Crinkley, Harold Hobson, Eddie Kulukundis, Laurie Lee, Malcolm Muggeridge, Margaret
Rawlings, James Saunders, C. P. Snow, Kenneth Williams, Sandy Wilson, Sir Donald Wolfit, and
others. All correspondents in the collection are indexed.
Series II. contains only materials relating to Roose-Evans' adaptation of
Cider with Rosie for the stage. Highlighting these materials are
correspondence between Lee and Roose-Evans about the adaptation, the original lighting plot
by Roose-Evans (with illustrations) on the production, as well as portions of a prompt copy.
Also included is a program of the production from 1963, and an undated publicity
photograph.
Folder List
I. Hampstead Theatre / Stage Two Theatre Workshop, circa 1961-1977,
undated
Correspondence
1
1
A-C
1
2
F-H
1
3
K-N
1
4
P-R
1
5
S-T
1
6
V-W, Y
1
7
Funding proposal and letters, 1970,
undated
1
8
Letters of recommendation for Roose-Evans, 1968,
undated
1
9
Plan for formation of experimental theater company, typescript copies,
1968
II. Cider with Rosie Materials, circa
1962-1969, undated
1
10
Correspondence and manuscript poem from Laurie Lee, 1962-1969,
undated
1
11
Notebooks with lighting plot, undated
1
12
Program and publicity photograph, 1963,
undated
1
13
Prompt copy, typescript with corrections,
undated
Index of Correspondents
- Abrahams, Doris Cole (Albion Plays Limited; Albion Productions
Limited)--1.1
- Ashcroft, Peggy, Dame--1.1
- Asher, Jane--1.3 (filed with Paul McCartney)
- Barrault, Jean Louis (Théâtre des Nations)--1.1
- Bates, Alan, 1934- --1.1
- Beaumont, Hugh, 1908-1976 (H. M. Tennent Ltd.)--1.1
- Beaumont, Timothy Wentworth--1.1
- Bennett, Alan, 1934- --1.1
- Betjeman, John, Sir, 1906- --1.1
- Bloom, Claire, 1931- --1.1
- Bowen, John, 1924- --1.1
- Bron, Eleanor--1.1
- Brook, Peter (Centrel International de Recherche
Theatrale)--1.1
- Campbell, Michael, 1924- --1.1
- Carrick, Edward, 1905- (pseud. of Edward Anthony
Craig)--1.1
- Casson, Dame Sybil--1.1; see also Thorndike, Sybil, Dame,
1882-1976
- Cecil, David, Lord, 1902- --1.1
- Coldstream, William, 1908- --1.1
- Coward, Noel, 1899-1973--1.1, 1.8
- Craig, Edward Anthony--see Carrick, Edward
- Crinkley, Richmond--1.1
- Forsyth, James, 1913- --1.2
- Fox, Edward, 1937- --1.2
- Garland, Patrick (The British Broadcasting Company; Poetry Int.
70)--1.2
- Gascoigne, Bamber--1.2
- Gielgud, John, Sir, 1904- --1.2, 1.8
- Guinness, Alec, Sir, 1914- --1.2
- Guthrie, Tyrone, Sir, 1900-1971--1.2
- Hale, John--1.6 (filed with Sandy Wilson)
- Harbottle, Laurence--1.3 (filed with Eddie Kulukundis)
- Hartnoll, Phyllis (The Oxford Companion to the
Theatre)--1.2
- Hepworth, Barbara, Dame, 1903-1975--1.2
- Hicks, David (fl. 1969)--1.2
- Higham, David--1.2
- Hobson, Harold, 1924- --1.2
- Howard, Robin (Contemporary Ballet Trust Ltd.)--1.2
- Howarth, Donald--1.2
- Kramer, Larry--1.3
- Kulukundis, Eddie--1.3
- Lee, Laurie--1.3
- Lockwood, Margaret--1.3
- Maguire, Robert S.--1.3
- Marcus, Frank--1.3
- McCartney, Paul--1.3
- Miles, Sarah, 1941- --1.3
- Miller, Jonathon, 1934- --1.3
- Milligan, Air Commodore--1.4 (filed with Sir Max Rayne)
- Moro, Peter (Peter Moro & Partners)--1.3
- Muggeridge, Malcolm, 1903- --1.3
- Muir, Willa, 1890- --1.3
- Nikolais, Alwin (Nikolais Dance Theatre)--1.3
- Pilbrow, Richard (Theatre Projects Ltd.)--1.4
- Pinter, Harold, 1930- --1.4
- Profumo, Valerie (Mrs.John)--1.4
- Pulman, Jack--1.4
- Rawlings, Margaret, 1906- --1.4
- Rayne, Max, Sir--1.4
- Redgrave, Michael, Sir--1.8
- Redgrave, Vanessa, 1937- --1.4
- Rice, Peter, 1935- --1.4
- Richards, Alun, 1929- --1.4
- Robson, Flora, Dame, 1902- --1.4
- Ross, Kenneth, 1941- --1.4
- Saunders, James, 1925- --1.5
- Scales, Prunella--1.5
- Shulman, Milton, 1913- --1.6 (filed with B. A. (Bertram A.)
Young)
- Snow, C. P. (CharlesPercy), 1905- --1.5
- Spencer, Colin--1.5
- Spender, Stephen, 1909- --1.5
- St. Just, Maria--1.6 (filed with Gore Vidal)
- Thomas, Myfanwy--1.5
- Thomas, R. S. (Ronald Stewart), 1913- --1.5
- Thorndike, Sybil, Dame, 1882-1976--1.8; see also Casson, Dame
Sybil
- Travers, Ben, 1886- --1.5
- Vidal, Gore, 1925- --1.6
- Wesker, Arnold, 1932- --1.6
- Wheldon, Huw P., 1916- (BBC Television Centre London)--1.6
- Whitaker, Ben, 1934--1.6
- Williams, Kenneth, 1926- --1.6
- Wilson, Sandy, 1924- --1.6
- Wolfit, Donald, Sir, 1902-1968--1.6
- Young, B. A. (Bertram A.)--1.6