Joan Littlewood

Joan Littlewood was born out of wedlock in Stockwell, South London. Her mother disliked books and reading, but Littlewood was predominantly raised by her grandmother who encouraged storytelling. While still at school, she went to the Old Vic to see John Gielgud play Macbeth. However, she was disappointed by his performance, finding it too flowery and decorative. She describes in her autobiography how she decided to produce and perform in her own production of the play at school, causing the Mother Superior to faint when she used cochineal to portray Banquo’s blood on the stage.

After moving to Manchester in 1934, Littlewood met and married Jimmie Miller, better known later as the folk singer Ewan MacColl. They lived with his parents and conceived a child, which the couple decided to abort. By 1945, their relationship had come to an end and they chose to divorce. Littlewood remained close to MacColl, becoming godmother to his two children. Littlewood then fell in love with Gerry Raffles, a new recruit to her acting troupe. They remained life partners until his death in 1975. Following Raffles’ death, Littlewood withdrew from the theatre, choosing to live near his grave in France. She published her autobiography, Joan’s Book, in 1994. Littlewood died in 2002 in the flat of the English author Peter Rankin.

Key Dates & Events

• 1934 - Littlewood moves to Manchester from London.
• 1934 - Littlewood co-founds the Theatre of Action with her husband, Ewan MacColl, and then the Theatre Union in 1936.
• 1941 - Littlewood is banned by the BBC from broadcasting on the network due to alleged extreme communist views.
• 1945 - Littlewood and MacColl divorce.
• 1953 - Littlewood and the newly renamed Theatre Workshop begin renting the Theatre Royal Stratford.
• 1955 - Littlewood directs and stars in the UK premiere of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children.
• 1958 - Littlewood produced Shelagh Delaney’s debut play A Taste of Honey.
• 1963 - Littlewood achieves international recognition with her satirical production of Oh, What a Lovely War!.
• 1994 - Littlewood publishes her autobiography, Joan’s Book.
• 2015 - A statue of Joan Littlewood is unveiled outside the Theatre Royal, Stratford East.
• 2018 - Littlewood’s life and career provide the inspiration for the RSC musical Miss Littlewood.