Annie Castledine
| Annie Castledine | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Ann Castledine 26 February 1939 Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, UK |
| Died | 4 June 2016 (aged 77) Eastbourne, Sussex, England, UK |
| Alma mater | University of York, Goldsmiths |
| Occupation | Director Dramaturg Teacher |
Ann "Annie" Castledine (26 February 1939 – 4 June 2016), was a British theatre director, teacher and dramaturg.
Described in The Guardian as "one of the arts world's best-known secrets" who "shaped some of the most influential players in British theatre" and had a "genius for doing work that is unfashionable".Peter Brook described her as an "outstanding director of European classical and contemporary plays".
She was regarded as an expert on the dramas of Bertolt Brecht, William Shakespeare, Anton Chekov and Henrik Ibsen, as well as being noted for her championing of new talent in British theatre and the arts, including work with new playwrights and the training of new directors. In supporting the development of British theatre, she was often likened to Joan Littlewood - the "mother of modern (English) theatre".
Born in 1939, Ann Castledine grew up in Yorkshire and initially worked as a teacher. She attended the University of York as a mature student and turned to theatre directing in the 1970s.
She was the eldest child of three born to Ida Castledine (née Armstrong) and Walter Cecil Castledine, who worked as an electrical engineer employed by the National Coal Board at coal mines including Kiveton Park Colliery. Her mother worked to run the household and bring up three children, while also donating time to the NSPCC. Ida and Cecil were keen on plays and theatre and placed an emphasis on education as a means of betterment. Castledine claimed to have been well-versed with Greek and Roman mythology and literature at the age of 5. A bright student, she considered her early career prospects to be firmly established by her gender and class – in press interviews she recalled making the choice to work as a teacher, having been presented with a choice between becoming a teacher or becoming a nurse.
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