REMEMBERING ACTOR DIRECTOR ROBIN PHILLIPS BORN TODAY 1940

 

JOHN PHILLIPS was an actor and director, who was born on February 28th 1940 in Haslemere, Surrey, UK to Ellen Anne ( Barfoot) and James William Phillips. He trained at the Bristol Old Vic, where a contemporary was actor #PatrickStewart, and worked as an actor and director for many years in the UK, finishing as artistic director at the Greenwich Theatre from 1973 to 1975.As an actor, his very last screen role was as James Elliot in  "Poetic Justice" with #PeterCushing in Amicus films, 'Tales from the Crypt' directed by Freddie Francis. BUT impressive as all that is, he actually was FAR more than that. So much so, I have taken the liberty and rare opportunity in sharing a very short clever and quite beautiful presentation on Robin Phillips and his thought provoking, moving speech, on theatre, film and art. What he says in his final moments, might keep some of you awake tonight??? 

 

SADLY, we lost Robin Phillips who quietly passed in his sleep on 25th July 2015, after a prolonged illness. He was survived by a younger sister, Hilary, and by his partner, Joe Mandel, whom he first met in 1962, who became his partner in 1971

 

IN 1975, four years after his role with Peter Cushing in 'Tales from the Crypt', Robin was hired as artistic director at the Stratford Festival in Canada in 1975, where he spent six seasons directing many productions and cultivating new talent. Maggie Smith, Richard Monette, Martha Henry and Brian Bedford, among others, were prominently featured during his tenure, and many of his Shakespearean, classical, and contemporary productions won widespread acclaim.

 

IN A REVIEW of Phillips' 1977 Stratford production of Richard III with Bedford in the title role, The Globe and Mail theatre critic John Fraser wrote: "The production Phillips has mounted is stunning, crackling with nuances and details that are spellbinding, while radiating an over-all economy of dramatic management that demands an intense involvement from any audience".

 

VETERAN Stratford actor and director William Hutt compared Phillips to earlier artistic directors by saying: "With Guthrie, the heartbeat of a production was loud, obvious, robust and healthy. With Langham, rhythmic, predictable and safe. With Gascon it ran fast; you suspected high blood pressure. With Phillips the heartbeat is thunderingly silent: it’s the audience’s hearts you hear beating”.

 

PHILIPS' energy seemed boundless during his time at the Stratford helm. He directed 36 productions in six seasons (his predecessor Jean Gascon directed 17 productions in seven seasons), and the company, audience, and overall scale of the organization grew considerably. But the workload took its toll: exhaustion was cited as the primary reason for his departure when he resigned during the 1980 season. He would later become artistic director at the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario and return to Stratford to direct the Young Company in 1987–88. He was also director general at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton from 1990 to 1995.

 

PHILLIPS directed a musical version of Jekyll & Hyde (1997) on Broadway (winning the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design for his contribution to the scenic design); Long Day's Journey into Night in London's West End in 2000; and a stage version of Larry's Party at Canadian Stage and the National Arts Centre in 2001.

 

PHILLPS was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2005. The citation read, in part, "Robin Phillips is revered amongst members of Canada's acting community. ... A tremendous asset to the cultural life of Canada, he is also credited with bringing new life to the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton and to theatres across the country." In 2010, Phillips received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts.

ROBIN PHILLIPS, is still missed by his family, friends and in the industry, but his influence lives on. Remembering Robin Phillips Actor Director who was born today February 28th 1940. 

  

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