Bill Bryden

William Campbell Rough Bryden (12 April 1942 – 5 January 2022) was a Scottish stage and film director and screenwriter.

Early life and career Bryden worked as a trainee with Scottish Television before becoming assistant director at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, in 1965. He then worked as a director at the Royal Court Theatre (1967–1971), the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh (1972–1975), Associate Director at the National Theatre (1975–1985); and as a visiting director in Glasgow and New York. In 1990, he directed Leoš Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen, at the Royal Opera House. He was Head of Television Drama at BBC Scotland (1984-1993) and has also done other work for film and television, as screenwriter, director and executive producer.

Personal life and death In 1970 he married the Hon. Deborah Morris, a potter, who was a daughter of IOC President Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin. They had two children, Dillon and Mary Kate. The couple divorced in 1988.

In the same year, he met actress Angela Douglas at a dinner party arranged by mutual friend Marsha Hunt. They lived together in west London and were married at City Hall, New York City, in February 2009.

National Life Stories conducted an oral history interview (C1316/11) with Bill Bryden in 2009 for its Legacy of the English Stage Company collection held by the British Library.

Bryden died from heart disease at Denville Hall, a retirement home for entertainers in Northwood, London, on 5 January 2022, aged 79.

Honours Bryden was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1993.

Work

Film director 1983: Ill Fares the Land 1986: The Holy City 1987: Aria (segment) 1992: Six Characters in Search of an Author

Writer 1975: Benny Lynch, Scenes from a Short Life : a Play Benny Lynch: Scenes from a Short Life : a Play 1976: Willie Rough, a BBC Play for Today 1977: Old Movies 1980: The Long Riders (film) 1981: Civilians, a play

Theatre director

1972: Kidnapped – Royal Lyceum 1974: Romeo and Juliet - Old Vic 1974: Spring Awakening – Old Vic 1974: Romeo and Juliet – Old Vic 1975: The Playboy of the Western World – Old Vic 1976: Watch It Come Down – Old Vic then National Theatre 1976: Il Campiello – National Theatre 1976: Counting the Ways – National Theatre 1977 (with Sebastian Graham Jones): The Passion – National Theatre 1977: Old Movies – National Theatre 1977: The Plough and the Stars – National Theatre 1978 (with Sebastian Graham Jones): Lark Rise – National Theatre 1978: American Buffalo – National Theatre 1978 (with Sebastian Graham Jones): The World Turned Upside Down – National Theatre 1978: The Long Voyage Home – National Theatre 1978: Dispatches – National Theatre 1979 (with Sebastian Graham Jones): Candleford – National Theatre 1980: Hughie – National Theatre 1980: The Iceman Cometh – National Theatre 1980: The Nativity – National Theatre 1980: The Crucible – National Theatre 1981: Civilians (writer & director) - Scottish Theatre Company 1982: Don Quixote - National Theatre 1982: A Midsummer Night's Dream – National Theatre 1983: Glengarry Glen Ross – National Theatre (World Premiere) then Mermaid Theatre, London 1983: Cinderella - National Theatre 1984: Golden Boy - National Theatre 1985: Doomsday, presented with The Nativity and The Passion, as the Mysteries from medieval Mystery plays in a version by Tony Harrison – National Theatre 1989: A Life in the Theatre - Theatre Royal then Strand Theatre, London 1989: Op Hoop Van Zegen - Ro Theatre Rotterdam, The Netherlands 1990: The Ship (writer & director) Harland & Wolff Shed, Govan, Glasgow 1994: A Month in the Country by Ivan Turgenev, starring Helen Mirren and John Hurt. Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and West End 1994: The Big Picnic (writer & director) - Harland & Wolff, Govan, Glasgow 1995: Son of Man - The Pit, RSC, London 1996: Uncle Vanya - Minerva Theatre, Chichester then Albery Theare, London 1999: The Mysteries - The Nativity - National Theatre 1999: The Mysteries - The Passion - National Theatre 1999: The Mysteries - Doomsday - National Theatre 2001: The Good Hope – National Theatre 2005: Romeo and Juliet – Birmingham Repertory Theatre 2005: The Creeper – Theatre Royal Windsor

Opera director 1988: Parsifal by Richard Wagner - Royal Opera House, London 1990: The Cunning Little Vixen by Leoš Janáček - Royal Opera House, London 2000: The Silver Tassie - English National Opera, London

Awards and nominations 1985: Olivier Award for Best Director, The Mysteries. 1985: Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Director for The Mysteries 1985: London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Director for The Mysteries