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{{Short description|Actor, theatrical entrepreneur and poet}}
{{Notability|1=Biographies|date=March 2021}}
[[File:Richard O'Donoghue on stage at the Little Theatre.jpg|thumb| <big>Richard O'Donoghue -</big> <big>Aurora Productions</big>]]
'''Richard O'Donoghue''' (1920-2002) was an actor, theatrical entrepreneur and poet. O'Donoghue was appointed Registrar for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, a position responsible for the student intake, support, and educational experience in their time at the college.

== Early stage career ==
Born on September 13 1920 in [[Epsom]], Surrey, Richard O'Donoghue went on to study at the [[Guildhall School of Music and Drama]], later joining the repertory company at the [[Hull New Theatre|New Theatre Hull]].<ref>"Hull Theatres", A J B Priestley Detective Story at the New, ''The Daily Mail,'' 27/08/1940 Page 4, British Newspaper Archive</ref> [[Alan Chadwick]] recalls the time in 1940 on stage with O'Donoghue playing with the Hull repertory company, "with German bombs falling nightly all around them".<ref>"What Makes the Crops Rejoice": An Introduction to Gardening

By Robert Howard with Eric Skjei Little, Brown; 1986, Chapter 8.[http://www.alan-chadwick.org/html%20pages/books_articles/what_makes_the_crops_rejoice.html#top]</ref>

During the war he was commissioned into the Royal Indian Army Service Corps, at the time one of the youngest majors.<ref>Obituaries, "Richard O'Donoghue", ''The Stage'', 07/02/2002, Page 13, British Newspaper Archive</ref>

Following demobilisation, he worked in repertory theatre with Peter Elliston<ref>Yarmouth Premiere, "Two's Company", ''The Stage'', 28/10/1948 Page 8, British Newspaper Archive</ref> and [[Aurora Productions Limited]] and later with Harry Hanson's Court Players at the [[Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea|Westcliff Palace]].<ref>"In the Provinces", Westcliff Palace, ''The Stage'', 02/02/1950 Page 13, British Newspaper Archive</ref><ref>Westcliff Palace, "Before the Party", ''The Stage'', 08/06/1950, Page 8, British Newspaper Archive</ref>

== Theatrical entrepreneur ==
In 1961 he formed a managerial partnership with Gervase Farjeon (Director<ref>"Theatrical Employer's Registration Acts", Gervase Farjeon, ''The Stage'', 10/12/1953, Page 8</ref> of the [[Players' Theatre]] 7/12/1953 and original commissioner of the musical ''[[The Boy Friend (musical)|The Boy Friend]])'' to produce and present plays, the first of which was ''The Doctor and the Devils'' by [[Dylan Thomas]] at the Edinburgh Festival, following at the Empire Sunderland, and then acquiring the rights for presentation in the West End.<ref>"Dylan Thomas Play for the West End", ''The Stage'', 23/11/1961, Page 1, British Newspaper Archive</ref>

Productions included:

* ''Savagery and Delights'' at the [[Duchess Theatre]], April 4 1963<ref>"Agnes Bernelle", ''The Stage'', 04/04/1963, Page 1, British Newspaper Archive</ref>
* ''Domino'', Marcel Archad's comedy adapted by Adrian Brine, toured the Royal Brighton,<ref>"Domino", Royal Brighton, ''The Stage'', 10/01/1963, Page 8</ref> Lyric Hammersmith, Royal Court Liverpool, and the Royal Newcastle; May 2 1963<ref>"Chit Chat", Domino, ''The Stage'', 2/05/1963, Page 8</ref>
* ''New Clothes for the Emperor'' by [[Nicholas Stuart Gray]] at [[Theatre Royal Stratford East|"The Royal" Stratford]] E15, Nov 28 1963<ref>Stratford East "New Clothes for the Emperor", ''The Stage'', 02/01/1964, Page 11, British Newspaper Archive</ref>
* ''Kindly Monkeys'', the first play of Milton Hood Ward, presented at the [[Arts Theatre]] (then New Arts), April 1 1965<ref>"East and West Meet", "Kindly Monkey", ''The Stage'', 01/04/1965, Page 13, British Newspaper Archive</ref>
* ''An Evening of Music Hall'' with [[Cyril Fletcher]], [[Jessie Matthews]] and members of the Players' Theatre at the [[Chichester Festival Theatre]], April 29 1965<ref>"Music Hall at Chichester", ''The Stage'', 29/04/1965, Page 14, British Newspaper Archive</ref>
* ''Every Other Evening'', a comedy adapted from the French play ''Des Enfants des Coeurs'' by [[Jack Popplewell]], commissioned by O'Donoghue and Farjeon. The play toured the UK, opening at the [[New Theatre Oxford|Oxford New Theatre]]<ref>"Popplewell Goes All French", ''The Stage'', 24/09/1964, Page 15, British Newspaper Archive</ref> before ending in London's West End. [[Margaret Lockwood]] starred in the production, with her daughter [[Julia Lockwood]] also in the cast.<ref>"Every Other Evening", ''The Stage,'' 23/07/1964, Page 8, British Newspaper Archive</ref>

By 1968, O'Donoghue was working with the newly founded "Forum Theatre", Billingham, presenting plays in the West End under the guise of "Thespis Productions Limited"; ''The Imaginary Invalid'', at the [[Vaudeville Theatre]] in April 1968,<ref>"The Imaginary Invalid", ''The Stage'', 25/04/1968, Page 8, British Newspaper Archive</ref> and ''Carry On Moliere'', May 1968 (a revival of Molière's play in an English translation by John Wood).<ref>"Carry On Moliere", ''The Stage'', 09/05/1968 Page 9, British Newspaper Archive</ref>

== Poetry ==
Richard O'Donoghue was a lover of poetry and an accomplished poet himself, publishing two anthologies of poems,<ref>''The National Poetry Library'', Richard O'Donoghue, Press Cuttings, [http://p10311uk.eos-intl.eu/P10311UK/OPAC/Details/Record.aspx?TaskCode=4418520&BibCode=MP10311UK%7C42959358%7C1%7C121642896&HitCount=1&SelectionType=1&SearchType=2&CurrentPage=1&IndexCode=-1&SortDirection=Descending&BrowseSearchMethod=None&BrowsePageNumber=0]</ref> "Poems for a Princess",<ref>''The British Library'', "Poems for a princess", 1975, [http://explore.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do?tabs=moreTab&ct=display&fn=search&doc=BLL01011986616&indx=2&recIds=BLL01011986616&recIdxs=1&elementId=1&renderMode=poppedOut&displayMode=full&frbrVersion=&vid=BLVU1&mode=Basic&vl(2084770705UI1)=all_items&tab=local_tab&dscnt=0&vl(freeText0)=%20Richard%20%20%20%20O%20%27%20DONOGHUE%20&vl(2084770704UI0)=creator&scp.scps=scope%3A%28BLCONTENT%29&dstmp=1615630232909]</ref> and "Verses on the Way to the Pub".<ref>''The British Library'', "Verses on the way to the pub", 1993, [http://explore.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do?tabs=moreTab&ct=display&fn=search&doc=BLL01010744118&indx=1&recIds=BLL01010744118&recIdxs=0&elementId=0&renderMode=poppedOut&displayMode=full&frbrVersion=&vid=BLVU1&mode=Basic&vl(2084770705UI1)=all_items&tab=local_tab&dscnt=0&vl(freeText0)=%20Richard%20%20%20%20O%20%27%20DONOGHUE%20&vl(2084770704UI0)=creator&scp.scps=scope%3A%28BLCONTENT%29&dstmp=1615630232909]</ref>

Richard O'Donoghue devised, presented and acted in the production of ''Dear Mr Kenyon'' at the Leeds Institute Gallery; a staged reading of the letters between [[Robert Browning]] and [[Elizabeth Barrett]] covering the time between their meeting, elopement and marriage. O'Donoghue played Robert Browning with his future wife, actress Anne King, as Elizabeth Barrett; October 1969.<ref>"Dear Mr Kenyon!", ''The Stage'', 16/10/1969, Page 6, British Newspaper Archive</ref>

His poem "[https://academic.oup.com/english/article-abstract/10/60/244-a/468707?redirectedFrom=fulltext Kensington Gardens]" was published in the journal ''English: Journal of the English Association: OUP''.

== The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art ==
With an excellent skill set from his extensive experience in the theatre, in 1967 Richard O'Donoghue was appointed to the senior management team of the [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]] as Registrar-Administrator<ref>"Richard O'Donoghue", ''The Stage,'' 16/03/1967, Page 8, British Newspaper Archive</ref> and Secretary of the [[Vanbrugh Theatre|Vanbrugh Theatre Club]], with responsibility for Vanbrugh Theatre productions, RADA's main theatre.<ref>Vanbrugh Fare Varied, ''The Stage'', 14/01/1971, Page 10, British Newspaper Archive</ref> As Registrar, O'Donoghue's role did not end with the assessment of suitability of applicants for studentship but afterwards would "inspire" students to fulfill their potential. In 1971, actor [https://www.rada.ac.uk/profiles/doyle-richmond/ Doyle Richmond] noted that he was accepted into RADA after "auditioning for Richard O'Donoghue", and was "the first Black and one of the youngest student-actors to be accepted into the internationally famous academy."<ref>''British Black and Asian Shakespeare Database'', Doyle Richmond, RADA 1973,[https://bbashakespeare.warwick.ac.uk/people/doyle-richmond]</ref>

Under O'Donoghue's management, The Vanbrugh produced a wide range of plays which were chosen on the basis of giving experience to the students rather than their popularity with the audience. Nonetheless, the theatre drew the public and ran at a profit. The 1981 autumn season's diverse programme featured Euripides' ''Hippolytus'', Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'', Webster's ''The White Devil'', plays from Ibsen, Strindberg and Feydeau, an adaption of Gorki, Stoppard's ''Travesties'', and an improvised play directed by Andrew Neil.<ref>“Fringe Focus”, ''Marylebone Mercury'', 23/10/1981, Page 11, British Newspaper Archive</ref>

Richard O'Donoghue remained at RADA till his retirement; about 20 years.

== Obituary ==
Richard O'Donoghue died on January 4th, 2002; obituary, ''The Stage,'' 07/02/2002.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:ODonoghue, Richard}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:Theatre companies in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:People associated with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]
[[Category:Drama schools]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]

Richard O'Donoghue (actor) - Revision history

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