Bored with his job, Barnes took a correspondence course in theology and began to visit the British Museum Reading Room, which he used as an office on a daily basis.[4] During this period he worked as a film critic, story editor, and a screenwriter.[5] He achieved critical and box-office success with his baroque comedy The Ruling Class (1968), which debuted at the Nottingham Playhouse.[6] The play was notorious for its anti-naturalistic approach, unusual in theatre at the time.[7] Critic Harold Hobson deemed it to be one of the best first plays of its generation.[4] Following a successful three-month run in the West End, Barnes adapted the play for the 1972 film of the same name, which featured a highly acclaimed performance by Peter O'Toole.[8]
Later plays
Following his initial success, Barnes wrote a series of plays offering apocalyptic visions of various periods in history:
Leonardo's Last Supper (1969) portrayed Leonardo da Vinci as prematurely declared dead, with his subsequent "resurrection" in a filthy charnel-house.[9]
The Bewitched (1974), which he produced with the Royal Shakespeare Company, showed the Spanish state attempting to produce an heir for Carlos II, whom Barnes portrayed as being an impotent imbecile.[10]
Laughter! (1978) was his most controversial work, a double-bill that jumped from the reign of Ivan the Terrible to a satire based on the tedious bureaucracy required to sustain Auschwitz concentration camp.[4]
Red Noses (1985) depicts a sprightly priest, originally played by Antony Sher, who travelled around the plague-affected villages of 14th-century France with a band of fools, known as God's Zanies, offering holy assistance.[11] It was for this play that Barnes won his Olivier award.[12]
Barnes continued writing historical comedies throughout the 1990s. These include Sunsets and Glories (1990), Dreaming (1999) which transferred to London's West End, and Jubilee (2001).[17][4] He was the Royal Shakespeare Company's most produced living playwright at the time.[18]
The last play that Barnes completed was Babies, which is based on his experiences as an elderly father.[3] His second wife gave birth to a daughter when he was 69, followed by triplets a year later.[19]
John Irvin directed his The Moon and the Stars with Alfred Molina about the film business in 1930s' Rome.[20] A revival of his Noonday Demons was produced by renowned theatre designer John Napier.[21] Barnes television miniseries are shown yearly as holiday favourites.
Personal life
Barnes, who had two sons and two daughters, married twice – in 1958 to Charlotte Beck and in 1995 to Christie Horn.[1] His second wife, Christie, gave birth to his first daughter Leela in 2000 when he was 69.[8] Barnes, who received much American mainstream media attention for his movies and US television miniseries in later life, quickly became a tabloid obsession in 2002 when he became a father again at the age of 71.[22] His wife gave birth this time to triplets Abigail, Nathaniel and Zachary.[4] Barnes died of a stroke on 1 July 2004.[19]
Works
Theatre plays
The Time of the Barracudas, Curran Theatre, San Francisco, 1963
Lulu: A Sex Tragedy (adaptation of Frank Wedekind's plays Earth Spirit and Pandora's Box), produced at Nottingham Playhouse / Royal Court Theatre, London, 1970
The Alchemist (adaptation of a play by Ben Jonson), produced at Old Vic Theatre, 1970
The Devil Is an Ass (adaptation of a play by Ben Jonson), produced at Nottingham Playhouse, 1973 revised version, Edinburgh Festival, 1976 then National Theatre, London, 1977
For All Those Who Get Despondent (cabaret; based on works by Bertolt Brecht and Frank Wedekind), produced at Theatre Upstairs, 1976
The Frontiers of Farce (adaptation of the plays The Purging by Georges Feydeau and The Singer by Frank Wedekind), produced at Old Vic Theatre, 1976
Bartholomew Fair (based on the play by Ben Jonson), produced at Round House Theatre, 1978 then London, 1987
Antonio (based on John Marston's plays Antonio' and Mellida and Antonio's Revenge), produced at Nottingham Playhouse, 1979
Chaste Maid in Cheapside (radio adaptation of a play by Thomas Middleton), BBC, 1979
The Two Hangmen (radio adaptation of Barnes's stage play For All Those Who Get Despondent), 1979
Eulogy on Baldness (radio adaptation of a work by Synesius of Cyrene), BBC, 1980
The Devil Himself (revue; adaptation of works by Frank Wedekind), music by Carl Davis and Stephen Deutsch, produced at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, London, 1980
The Atheist (radio adaptation of play by Thomas Otway), BBC, 1981
The Singer (radio adaptation of work by Frank Wedekind), 1981
The Soldier's Fortune (radio adaptation of a play by Thomas Otway), BBC, 1981
The Dutch Courtesan (radio adaptation of play by John Marston), BBC, 1982
The Magician, radio adaptation of work by Maxim Gorky, 1982
A Mad World, My Masters (radio adaptation of a play by Thomas Middleton), 1983
The Primrose Path (radio adaptation of a play by Georges Feydeau), 1984
A Trick to Catch the Old One (radio adaptation of a play by Thomas Middleton), 1985
Scenes from a Marriage (based on the play by Georges Feydeau), produced at Barbican Theatre, London, 1986
The Old Law (radio adaptation of a play by Thomas Middleton, William Rowley and Philip Massinger), 1986
Woman of Paris (radio adaptation of work by Henri Becque), 1986
Don Juan and Faust (radio adaptation of by C. D. Grabbe), 1987
The Magnetic Lady (radio adaptation of a play by Ben Jonson), 1987
Tango at the End of Winter (based on a play by Kunio Shimizu), produced in London, 1991
Hard Times (television adaptation of the novel by Charles Dickens), BBC, 1994
"Peter Barnes", Fellows Remembered, The Royal Society of Literature
April 25, 2023
peter, barnes, playwright, peter, barnes, january, 1931, july, 2004, english, olivier, award, winning, playwright, screenwriter, best, known, work, play, ruling, class, which, made, into, 1972, film, which, peter, toole, received, oscar, nomination, photo, bar. Peter Barnes 10 January 1931 1 July 2004 1 was an English Olivier Award winning playwright and screenwriter His best known work is the play The Ruling Class which was made into a 1972 film for which Peter O Toole received an Oscar nomination 2 Photo of Barnes by Denis Thorpe Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Early career 1 2 Later plays 1 3 Later life 2 Personal life 3 Works 3 1 Theatre plays 3 2 Original works for radio 3 3 Original screenplays 3 4 Original teleplays 3 5 Adaptations for stage screen and radio 4 Selected filmography 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 External linksBiography EditEarly career Edit Barnes was educated at Marling School in Stroud Gloucestershire and performed his national service with the Royal Air Force He then worked briefly for London County Council 3 Bored with his job Barnes took a correspondence course in theology and began to visit the British Museum Reading Room which he used as an office on a daily basis 4 During this period he worked as a film critic story editor and a screenwriter 5 He achieved critical and box office success with his baroque comedy The Ruling Class 1968 which debuted at the Nottingham Playhouse 6 The play was notorious for its anti naturalistic approach unusual in theatre at the time 7 Critic Harold Hobson deemed it to be one of the best first plays of its generation 4 Following a successful three month run in the West End Barnes adapted the play for the 1972 film of the same name which featured a highly acclaimed performance by Peter O Toole 8 Later plays Edit Following his initial success Barnes wrote a series of plays offering apocalyptic visions of various periods in history Leonardo s Last Supper 1969 portrayed Leonardo da Vinci as prematurely declared dead with his subsequent resurrection in a filthy charnel house 9 The Bewitched 1974 which he produced with the Royal Shakespeare Company showed the Spanish state attempting to produce an heir for Carlos II whom Barnes portrayed as being an impotent imbecile 10 Laughter 1978 was his most controversial work a double bill that jumped from the reign of Ivan the Terrible to a satire based on the tedious bureaucracy required to sustain Auschwitz concentration camp 4 Red Noses 1985 depicts a sprightly priest originally played by Antony Sher who travelled around the plague affected villages of 14th century France with a band of fools known as God s Zanies offering holy assistance 11 It was for this play that Barnes won his Olivier award 12 Later life Edit In his later years Barnes turned his attention more in the direction of films radio and television 11 His screenplay for Elizabeth von Arnim s The Enchanted April earned him a nomination for the best adapted screenplay Oscar in 1992 13 He also wrote several hugely successful mini series for U S television including Arabian Nights Merlin and Noah s Ark 14 For BBC Radio 3 he wrote a series of monologues entitled Barnes s People for which he attracted a large number of well known actors Laurence Olivier John Gielgud Alec Guinness Peggy Ashcroft Judi Dench and Ian McKellen 15 His television miniseries for ABC and NBC were the most popular of the day with record audiences 16 Barnes continued writing historical comedies throughout the 1990s These include Sunsets and Glories 1990 Dreaming 1999 which transferred to London s West End and Jubilee 2001 17 4 He was the Royal Shakespeare Company s most produced living playwright at the time 18 The last play that Barnes completed was Babies which is based on his experiences as an elderly father 3 His second wife gave birth to a daughter when he was 69 followed by triplets a year later 19 John Irvin directed his The Moon and the Stars with Alfred Molina about the film business in 1930s Rome 20 A revival of his Noonday Demons was produced by renowned theatre designer John Napier 21 Barnes television miniseries are shown yearly as holiday favourites Personal life EditBarnes who had two sons and two daughters married twice in 1958 to Charlotte Beck and in 1995 to Christie Horn 1 His second wife Christie gave birth to his first daughter Leela in 2000 when he was 69 8 Barnes who received much American mainstream media attention for his movies and US television miniseries in later life quickly became a tabloid obsession in 2002 when he became a father again at the age of 71 22 His wife gave birth this time to triplets Abigail Nathaniel and Zachary 4 Barnes died of a stroke on 1 July 2004 19 Works EditTheatre plays Edit The Time of the Barracudas Curran Theatre San Francisco 1963 Sclerosis Aldwych Theatre 1965 The Ruling Class Nottingham Piccadilly Theatre 1968 Leonardo s Last Supper Open Space 1969 Noonday Demons Open Space 1969 The Bewitched RSC at the Aldwych Theatre 1974 Laughter Royal Court 1978 Somersaults revue Leicester 1981 Red Noses RSC 1985 Sunsets And Glories Yorkshire Playhouse 1990 Luna Park Eclipses National Theatre Studio 1995 Corpsing revue Tristan Bates Theatre 1996 Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie first act was to have been performed in 1967 second act written in 1996 Heaven s Blessings Florida State University 1997 Dreaming Royal Exchange amp Queen s Theatre 1999 Jubilee RSC 2001Original works for radio Edit My Ben Johnson 1973 Barnes People Seven Monologues 1981 Barnes People II Seven Duologues 1984 Barnes People III Eight Trialogues 1986 No End to Dreaming 1987 More Barnes People 1990Original screenplays Edit Violent Moment film Anglo Amalgamated 1959 Breakout film Anglo Amalgamated 1959 The White Trap film Anglo Amalgamated 1959 The Professionals film Anglo Amalgamated 1960 The Devil Inside aka Off Beat film 1961 Ring of Spies aka Ring of Treason film written with Frank Launder 1964 Not with My Wife You Don t film co writer 1966 The Ruling Class film 1972 Original teleplays Edit Checkmate No Hiding Place TV series 1959 With Suicidal Intent No Hiding Place TV series 1959 Who Is Gustav Varnia No Hiding Place TV series 1959 The Man with a Feather in His Hat Armchair Mystery Theatre TV Series 1960 Breakout Kraft Mystery Theater TV Series 1961 Nobody Here but Us Chickens Nobody Here but Us Chickens More than a Touch of Zen Not as Bad as They Seem Channel 4 1989 Revolutionary Witness The Patriot The Preacher The Butcher The Amazon 1989 The Spirit of Man BBC Two 1990 Bye Bye Columbus BBC Two 1992 Merlin Hallmark 1998 two episodesAdaptations for stage screen and radio Edit Lulu A Sex Tragedy adaptation of Frank Wedekind s plays Earth Spirit and Pandora s Box produced at Nottingham Playhouse Royal Court Theatre London 1970 The Alchemist adaptation of a play by Ben Jonson produced at Old Vic Theatre 1970 The Devil Is an Ass adaptation of a play by Ben Jonson produced at Nottingham Playhouse 1973 revised version Edinburgh Festival 1976 then National Theatre London 1977 For All Those Who Get Despondent cabaret based on works by Bertolt Brecht and Frank Wedekind produced at Theatre Upstairs 1976 The Frontiers of Farce adaptation of the plays The Purging by Georges Feydeau and The Singer by Frank Wedekind produced at Old Vic Theatre 1976 Bartholomew Fair based on the play by Ben Jonson produced at Round House Theatre 1978 then London 1987 Antonio based on John Marston s plays Antonio and Mellida and Antonio s Revenge produced at Nottingham Playhouse 1979 Chaste Maid in Cheapside radio adaptation of a play by Thomas Middleton BBC 1979 The Two Hangmen radio adaptation of Barnes s stage play For All Those Who Get Despondent 1979 Eulogy on Baldness radio adaptation of a work by Synesius of Cyrene BBC 1980 The Devil Himself revue adaptation of works by Frank Wedekind music by Carl Davis and Stephen Deutsch produced at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre London 1980 The Atheist radio adaptation of play by Thomas Otway BBC 1981 The Singer radio adaptation of work by Frank Wedekind 1981 The Soldier s Fortune radio adaptation of a play by Thomas Otway BBC 1981 The Dutch Courtesan radio adaptation of play by John Marston BBC 1982 The Magician radio adaptation of work by Maxim Gorky 1982 A Mad World My Masters radio adaptation of a play by Thomas Middleton 1983 The Primrose Path radio adaptation of a play by Georges Feydeau 1984 A Trick to Catch the Old One radio adaptation of a play by Thomas Middleton 1985 Scenes from a Marriage based on the play by Georges Feydeau produced at Barbican Theatre London 1986 The Old Law radio adaptation of a play by Thomas Middleton William Rowley and Philip Massinger 1986 Woman of Paris radio adaptation of work by Henri Becque 1986 Don Juan and Faust radio adaptation of by C D Grabbe 1987 The Magnetic Lady radio adaptation of a play by Ben Jonson 1987 Tango at the End of Winter based on a play by Kunio Shimizu produced in London 1991 Hard Times television adaptation of the novel by Charles Dickens BBC 1994 Enchanted April screen adaptation of the novel by Elizabeth Von Arnim Miramax 1992 Voices aka Voices from a Locked Room screen adaptation written with Nicholas Meyer of the book Double Jeopardy by Mark A Stuart 1995 Noah s Ark television adaptation Hallmark 1999 A Christmas Carol television adaptation Hallmark 1999 Alice in Wonderland television adaptation Hallmark 1999 Arabian Nights television adaptation Hallmark 2000Selected filmography EditViolent Moment 1959 References Edit a b Strachan Alan 5 July 2004 Peter Barnes Surprising and adventurous dramatist The Independent Archived from the original on 25 December 2014 Retrieved 5 September 2014 Dwyer Michael Peter O Toole 74 gets eighth Oscar nomination for best actor The Irish Times a b Peter Barnes 4 July 2004 via www telegraph co uk a b c d e Obituary Peter Barnes TheGuardian com 5 July 2004 Dramatist celebrated subversive power of laughter The Irish Times 50 Years at Wellington Circus The Sixties Nottingham Playhouse Forgotten authors No 29 Peter Barnes The Independent 29 March 2009 Archived from the original on 2 April 2009 a b Saxon Wolfgang 3 July 2004 Peter Barnes Playwright Known For The Ruling Class Dies at 73 The New York Times Leonardo s Last Supper Drama Online www dramaonlinelibrary com Barnes Peter Drama Online www dramaonlinelibrary com a b Wolf Matt 5 July 2004 Peter Barnes Olivier Winners 1985 Olivier Awards The 65th Academy Awards 1993 Oscars org Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Peter Barnes BFI Barnes People 27 September 1981 p 45 via BBC Genome Carter Bill 29 April 1998 TV Notes Merlin Sparks Ratings Magic The New York Times Head Dominic 26 January 2006 The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English Cambridge University Press ISBN 9780521831796 Associates Casarotto Ramsay amp Peter Barnes Casarotto Ramsay amp Associates a b Obituary Peter Barnes 2 July 2004 via theguardian com The Moon and the Stars 2007 John Irvin Synopsis Characteristics Moods Themes and Related AllMovie Billington Michael 15 July 2015 Noonday Demons review rival hermits declare holy war in caustic comedy via www theguardian com Paton Maureen 20 December 2002 I m ready for fatherhood now via www telegraph co uk Bibliography EditWoolland Brian 2004 Dark Attractions The Theatre of Peter Barnes London Methuen ISBN 0 413 77442 2 External links EditPeter Barnes at IMDb Peter Barnes Fellows Remembered The Royal Society of Literature Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Peter Barnes playwright amp oldid 1142182943, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
