Brian Rix - Revision history

Kurt: /* Arts Council (1986–1993) */

2024-08-25T18:54:33Z

Arts Council (1986–1993)

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:54, 25 August 2024
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	When Rix took office the Drama Panel was male-dominated, but by 1993 there was gender parity on the panel – paradoxically his female successor unbalanced it once more, again in favour of men. He achieved a significant shift in funding priorities; while maintaining support for national and regional building-based theatre companies, he actively supported the work of small-scale experimental touring companies – including theatre for young people and for the black and minority ethnic communities – and new writing projects.		When Rix took office the Drama Panel was male-dominated, but by 1993 there was gender parity on the panel – paradoxically his female successor unbalanced it once more, again in favour of men. He achieved a significant shift in funding priorities; while maintaining support for national and regional building-based theatre companies, he actively supported the work of small-scale experimental touring companies – including theatre for young people and for the black and minority ethnic communities – and new writing projects.

	His approach meant he was able to cut through bureaucratic constraints. Before Rix's first budget-setting exercise for the Drama Panel (when what was available for all companies was a less than inflation uplift) panel members and other members of the Arts Council had intended to fund the British-Asian theatre company Tara Arts, but no-one had been able to source the sum required. Rix however boldly proposed that the biggest national companies were stood still,~~{{clarify\|date=August 2016}}~~ so releasing money not only to fund Tara, but also allow fresh small-scale developments, and then saw that this was delivered through Panel and Council.<ref>Ian Brown and Rob Brannen, 'When Theatre was for All: the Cork Report, after Ten Years', New Theatre Quarterly, Vol. XII no. 48 (1996), p. 373</ref> Such willingness to take on the establishment marked his term of office. A constant champion of the interests of drama companies and theatre-workers, Rix's seven-year term of office meant that, even in a period of Thatcherite public-funding stringency, no theatre building for which he had responsibility was closed while the [[West Yorkshire Playhouse]] in [[Leeds]] was able to open (succeeding the Leeds Playhouse) with vastly increased capacity. Meanwhile, the number of touring companies, which had been falling before his arrival, increased from 22 to 33.		His approach meant he was able to cut through bureaucratic constraints. Before Rix's first budget-setting exercise for the Drama Panel (when what was available for all companies was a less than inflation uplift) panel members and other members of the Arts Council had intended to fund the British-Asian theatre company Tara Arts, but no-one had been able to source the sum required. Rix however boldly proposed that the biggest national companies were stood still, so releasing money not only to fund Tara, but also allow fresh small-scale developments, and then saw that this was delivered through Panel and Council.<ref>Ian Brown and Rob Brannen, 'When Theatre was for All: the Cork Report, after Ten Years', New Theatre Quarterly, Vol. XII no. 48 (1996), p. 373</ref> Such willingness to take on the establishment marked his term of office. A constant champion of the interests of drama companies and theatre-workers, Rix's seven-year term of office meant that, even in a period of Thatcherite public-funding stringency, no theatre building for which he had responsibility was closed while the [[West Yorkshire Playhouse]] in [[Leeds]] was able to open (succeeding the Leeds Playhouse) with vastly increased capacity. Meanwhile, the number of touring companies, which had been falling before his arrival, increased from 22 to 33.

	In 1993 at a retreat at [[Woodstock, Oxfordshire\|Woodstock]], the Council agreed that the Drama budget should be disproportionately reduced in the face of across-the-board cuts to the Council's budget and the money allocated to other less popular art forms. In the absence of specialist arts officers at the meeting, Rix was left isolated and he resigned as a matter of principle. This created a negative public reaction and shocked senior Council figures into realising their decision was unacceptable. After a campaign, led behind scenes by his Drama Director Ian Brown and publicly by Drama Panel members, the disproportionate cut was rescinded.<ref>Ian Brown ''The road through Woodstock: counter-Thatcherite strategies in ACGB’s drama development between 1984 and 1994'', Contemporary Theatre Review, Volume 17(2), 2007, pp. 227–29</ref>		In 1993 at a retreat at [[Woodstock, Oxfordshire\|Woodstock]], the Council agreed that the Drama budget should be disproportionately reduced in the face of across-the-board cuts to the Council's budget and the money allocated to other less popular art forms. In the absence of specialist arts officers at the meeting, Rix was left isolated and he resigned as a matter of principle. This created a negative public reaction and shocked senior Council figures into realising their decision was unacceptable. After a campaign, led behind scenes by his Drama Director Ian Brown and publicly by Drama Panel members, the disproportionate cut was rescinded.<ref>Ian Brown ''The road through Woodstock: counter-Thatcherite strategies in ACGB’s drama development between 1984 and 1994'', Contemporary Theatre Review, Volume 17(2), 2007, pp. 227–29</ref>

Kurt at 18:52, 25 August 2024

2024-08-25T18:52:28Z

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Kurt at 22:55, 3 January 2023

2023-01-03T22:55:47Z

Kurt at 22:48, 3 January 2023

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	{{Short description\|English actor}}		{{Short description\|English actor}}
	{{Infobox officeholder		{{Infobox officeholder
	\| honorific_prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]		\| honorific_prefix = [[w:The Right Honourable\|The Right Honourable]]
	\| name = The Lord Rix		\| name = The Lord Rix
	\| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals\|country=GBR\|size=100%\|CBE\|DL}}		\| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals\|country=GBR\|size=100%\|CBE\|DL}}
	\| image = ~~Lord~~ Rix ~~2008~~.jpg		\| image = Brian Rix.jpg
	\| caption = ~~Rix in 2008~~		\| caption =
	\| imagesize =		\| imagesize =
	\| office = [[Member of the House of Lords]]<br />[[Lord Temporal]]		\| office = [[w:Member of the House of Lords\|Member of the House of Lords]]<br />[[w:Lord Temporal\|Lord Temporal]]
	\| term_start = 27 January 1992		\| term_start = 27 January 1992
	\| term_end = 20 August 2016<br />[[Life peer\|Life Peerage]]		\| term_end = 20 August 2016<br />[[w:Life peer\|Life Peerage]]
	\| birth_name = Brian Norman Roger Rix		\| birth_name = Brian Norman Roger Rix
	\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1924\|1\|27\|df=yes}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1924\|1\|27\|df=yes}}
	\| birth_place = [[Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire\|Cottingham]], [[East Riding of Yorkshire]], England		\| birth_place = [[w:Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire\|Cottingham]], [[w:East Riding of Yorkshire\|East Riding of Yorkshire]], England
	\| death_date = {{death date and age\|2016\|8\|20\|1924\|1\|27\|df=yes}}		\| death_date = {{death date and age\|2016\|8\|20\|1924\|1\|27\|df=yes}}
	\| death_place =[[Northwood, London\|Northwood]], [[London]], England		\| death_place =[[w:Northwood, London\|Northwood]], [[w:London\|London]], England
	\| occupation = Actor, activist		\| occupation = Actor, activist
	\| known_for = Farces (particularly at the Whitehall Theatre and on the BBC)<br />Campaigning for those with learning disabilities		\| known_for = Farces (particularly at the Whitehall Theatre and on the BBC)<br />Campaigning for those with learning disabilities
	\| spouse = {{marriage\|[[Elspet Gray]]\|1949\|2013\|end=~~her death~~}}		\| spouse = {{marriage\|[[w:Elspet Gray\|Elspet Gray]]\|1949\|2013\|end=d.}}
	\| children = 4, including [[Jamie Rix\|Jamie]] and [[Louisa Rix\|Louisa]]		\| children = 4, including [[w:Jamie Rix\|Jamie]] and [[w:Louisa Rix\|Louisa]]
	\| relatives = [[Sheila Mercier]] (sister)		\| relatives = [[w:Sheila Mercier\|Sheila Mercier]] (sister)
	}}		}}

Kurt at 22:40, 3 January 2023

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 {{Short description|English actor}}
 {{Infobox officeholder
 | honorific_prefix   = [[The Right Honourable]]
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 *The [http://archiveshub.ac.uk/data/gb71-thm/373 Brian Rix Archive] is held by the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] Theatre and Performance Department.
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Rix, Brian}}

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2023-01-03T22:38:43Z

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← Older revision	Revision as of 17:38, 3 January 2023
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en>Keith D: /* Personal life */ Replace by {{cn}}

2022-10-27T11:50:28Z

Personal life: Replace by {{cn}}

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	\| occupation = Actor, activist		\| occupation = Actor, activist
	\| known_for = Farces (particularly at the Whitehall Theatre and on the BBC)<br />Campaigning for those with learning disabilities		\| known_for = Farces (particularly at the Whitehall Theatre and on the BBC)<br />Campaigning for those with learning disabilities
	\| spouse = {{marriage\|[[~~w:Elspet Gray\|~~Elspet Gray]]\|1949\|2013\|end=d.}}		\| spouse = {{marriage\|[[Elspet Gray]]\|1949\|2013\|end=d.}}
	\| children = 4, including [[w:Jamie Rix\|Jamie]] and [[w:Louisa Rix\|Louisa]]		\| children = 4, including [[w:Jamie Rix\|Jamie]] and [[w:Louisa Rix\|Louisa]]
	\| relatives = [[w:Sheila Mercier\|Sheila Mercier]] (sister)		\| relatives = [[w:Sheila Mercier\|Sheila Mercier]] (sister)
	}}		}}

	'''Brian Norman Roger Rix, Baron Rix''', {{post-nominals\|country=GBR\|size=100%\|commas=on\|CBE\|DL}} (27 January 1924 – 20 August 2016) was an English actor-manager, who produced a record-breaking sequence of long-running farces on the London stage, including ''Dry Rot'', ''[[Simple Spymen]]'' and ''One for the Pot''. His one-night TV shows made him the joint-highest paid star on the BBC. He often worked with his wife [[Elspet Gray]] and sister [[Sheila Mercier]], who became the matriarch in ''[[Emmerdale\|Emmerdale Farm]]''.		'''Brian Norman Roger Rix, Baron Rix''', {{post-nominals\|country=GBR\|size=100%\|commas=on\|CBE\|DL}} (27 January 1924 – 20 August 2016) was an English actor-manager, who produced a record-breaking sequence of long-running farces on the London stage, including ''Dry Rot'', ''[[w:Simple Spymen\|Simple Spymen]]'' and ''One for the Pot''. His one-night TV shows made him the joint-highest paid star on the BBC. He often worked with his wife [[Elspet Gray]] and sister [[w:Sheila Mercier\|Sheila Mercier]], who became the matriarch in ''[[w:Emmerdale\|Emmerdale Farm]]''.

	After his first child was born with [[Down syndrome]], Rix became a campaigner for disability causes, among others. He entered the [[House of Lords]] as a crossbencher in 1992 and was president of [[Mencap]] from 1998 until his death.		After his first child was born with [[w:Down syndrome\|Down syndrome]], Rix became a campaigner for disability causes, among others. He entered the [[w:House of Lords\|House of Lords]] as a crossbencher in 1992 and was president of [[w:Mencap\|Mencap]] from 1998 until his death.

	==Biography==		==Biography==
	===Early years===		===Early years===
	Rix was born in [[Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire\|Cottingham]], [[East Riding of Yorkshire]], the youngest of four children. His father, Herbert Rix, and Herbert's two brothers, ran the shipping company [[J.R. Rix & Sons Ltd\|Robert Rix]] in [[Kingston upon Hull\|Hull]], founded by his grandfather. Rix had an interest in cricket and only wished to play for [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club\|Yorkshire]] in his childhood. He did play for Hull Cricket Club when he was 16 (and after the war for the [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] (MCC), the Stage and the [[Lord's Taverners]]). When he was being educated at [[Bootham School]],<ref>{{cite book\|title=Bootham School Register\|place=York, England\|publisher=Bootham Old Scholars Association\|year=2011\|asin=B0011MNR0Q}}</ref> York, his ambitions changed.		Rix was born in [[w:Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire\|Cottingham]], [[w:East Riding of Yorkshire\|East Riding of Yorkshire]], the youngest of four children. His father, Herbert Rix, and Herbert's two brothers, ran the shipping company [[w:J.R. Rix & Sons Ltd\|Robert Rix]] in [[w:Kingston upon Hull\|Hull\|]], founded by his grandfather. Rix had an interest in cricket and only wished to play for [[w:Yorkshire County Cricket Club\|Yorkshire]] in his childhood. He did play for Hull Cricket Club when he was 16 (and after the war for the [[w:Marylebone Cricket Club\|Marylebone Cricket Club]] (MCC), the Stage and the [[w:Lord's Taverners\|Lord's Taverners]]). When he was being educated at [[w:Bootham School\|Bootham School]],<ref>{{cite book\|title=Bootham School Register\|place=York, England\|publisher=Bootham Old Scholars Association\|year=2011\|asin=B0011MNR0Q}}</ref> York, his ambitions changed.

	His elder sister [[Sheila Mercier\|Sheila]] became an actress during his school days, and Rix himself developed the same ambition to go on the stage. All four Rix children had become interested in the theatre because of their mother, Fanny, who ran an amateur dramatic society and was the lead soprano in the local operatic society. All her children performed in the plays and two of them, Brian and Sheila, became professional actors. Sheila Mercier, as she became known, played [[Annie Sugden]] for more than 20 years in the Yorkshire TV soap opera ''[[Emmerdale\|Emmerdale Farm]]'' having worked regularly with her brother in the [[Whitehall farce]]s in the 1950s and 1960s.<ref name="ReferenceB">Information provided by Brian Rix to his son Jonathan</ref>		His elder sister [[w:Sheila Mercier\|Sheila]] became an actress during his school days, and Rix himself developed the same ambition to go on the stage. All four Rix children had become interested in the theatre because of their mother, Fanny, who ran an amateur dramatic society and was the lead soprano in the local operatic society. All her children performed in the plays and two of them, Brian and Sheila, became professional actors. Sheila Mercier, as she became known, played [[w:Annie Sugden\|Annie Sugden]] for more than 20 years in the Yorkshire TV soap opera ''[[w:Emmerdale\|Emmerdale Farm]]'' having worked regularly with her brother in the [[w:Whitehall farce\|Whitehall farce]]s in the 1950s and 1960s.<ref name="ReferenceB">Information provided by Brian Rix to his son Jonathan</ref>

	===Actor-manager===		===Actor-manager===
	Rix became a professional actor when he was 18, on deferment from service with the [[Royal Air Force]], with [[Donald Wolfit]]'s Shakespeare Company. After only four months as a professional actor, he played Sebastian in ''[[Twelfth Night]]'' at the [[St James's Theatre]] in London. His deferment was extended and he gained his first weekly repertory experience with the White Rose Players at the opera house in [[Harrogate]]. From there he went into the Royal Air Force, eventually ending up as a volunteer [[Bevin Boys\|Bevin Boy]] working down the coal mines near [[Doncaster]].<ref name="ReferenceB"/>		Rix became a professional actor when he was 18, on deferment from service with the [[w:Royal Air Force\|Royal Air Force]], with [[w:Donald Wolfit\|Donald Wolfit]]'s Shakespeare Company. After only four months as a professional actor, he played Sebastian in ''[[w:Twelfth Night\|Twelfth Night]]'' at the [[w:St James's Theatre\|St James's Theatre]] in London. His deferment was extended and he gained his first weekly repertory experience with the White Rose Players at the opera house in [[w:Harrogate\|Harrogate]]. From there he went into the Royal Air Force, eventually ending up as a volunteer [[w:Bevin Boys\|Bevin Boy]] working down the coal mines near [[w:Doncaster\|Doncaster]].<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

	After the war, Rix returned to the stage, forming his own theatre company in 1947 as an actor-manager, a career he was to pursue for the next 30 years. He ran [[Repertory theatre\|repertory companies]] at [[Ilkley]], [[Bridlington]] and [[Margate]], and while at Bridlington, in 1949, he found the play that was to bring him notice – ''Reluctant Heroes'', later adapted for [[Reluctant Heroes\|a film version]]. In the same year, he became engaged to [[Elspet Gray]], an actress in his company, and six months later they married. They were together, domestically and professionally, for 64 years, until her death in February 2013, appearing alongside each other in many of the television [[farce]]s, a radio series and three of the theatre productions.		After the war, Rix returned to the stage, forming his own theatre company in 1947 as an actor-manager, a career he was to pursue for the next 30 years. He ran [[w:Repertory theatre\|repertory companies]] at [[w:Ilkley\|Ilkley]], [[w:Bridlington\|Bridlington]] and [[w:Margate\|Margate]], and while at Bridlington, in 1949, he found the play that was to bring him notice – ''Reluctant Heroes'', later adapted for [[w:Reluctant Heroes\|a film version]]. In the same year, he became engaged to [[w:Elspet Gray\|Elspet Gray]], an actress in his company, and six months later they married. They were together, domestically and professionally, for 64 years, until her death in February 2013, appearing alongside each other in many of the television [[w:farce\|farce]]s, a radio series and three of the theatre productions.

	In 1950 the newly-weds toured together with ''Reluctant Heroes'' until Rix managed to persuade the [[Trafalgar Studios\|Whitehall Theatre]] management that this army farce was the ideal play to follow the long-running ''Worm's Eye View''. It was a happy choice, for Rix's productions ran there for the next 16 years, before he moved to the [[Garrick Theatre]], breaking many [[West End theatre\|West End]] records in the process. His farces for [[BBC Television]] also began at the Whitehall, enlarging Rix and Gray's profile as well as that of the Whitehall Theatre.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>		In 1950 the newly-weds toured together with ''Reluctant Heroes'' until Rix managed to persuade the [[w:Trafalgar Studios\|Whitehall Theatre]] management that this army farce was the ideal play to follow the long-running ''Worm's Eye View''. It was a happy choice, for Rix's productions ran there for the next 16 years, before he moved to the [[w:Garrick Theatre\|Garrick Theatre]], breaking many [[w:West End theatre\|West End]] records in the process. His farces for [[w:BBC Television\|BBC Television]] also began at the Whitehall, enlarging Rix and Gray's profile as well as that of the Whitehall Theatre.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

	During the next 18 years, Rix presented more than 90 one-night-only television farces on the BBC. These were often presented at [[Christmas]] or on other [[bank holiday]]s<ref>{{cite web\|last=Wyver \|first=John \|url=https://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/brian-rix-presents-reluctant-heroes-bbc-1952/ \|title=Brian Rix presents: Reluctant Heroes (BBC, 1952) \| SCREEN PLAYS \|website=Screenplaystv.wordpress.com \|date=7 December 2011 \|access-date=26 September 2016}}</ref> with viewing figures often reaching 15 million. In the early 1960s, Rix was the highest-paid actor (along with [[Robert Morley]]) to appear on BBC Television. Alongside the regulars from his theatre company, Rix appeared in these TV productions with such names as [[Dora Bryan]], [[Joan Sims]], [[Ian Carmichael]], [[John Le Mesurier]], [[Patrick Cargill]], [[Fabia Drake]], [[Sheila Hancock]], [[Warren Mitchell]], [[Thora Hird]] and [[Francis Matthews (actor)\|Francis Matthews]]. Only a handful of the televised farces remain in the BBC archive, however. Rix also appeared in 11 films and though he felt these were less suited to his talents as a farceur, these also met with some box-office success.		During the next 18 years, Rix presented more than 90 one-night-only television farces on the BBC. These were often presented at [[w:Christmas\|Christmas]] or on other [[w:bank holiday\|bank holiday]]s<ref>{{cite web\|last=Wyver \|first=John \|url=https://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/brian-rix-presents-reluctant-heroes-bbc-1952/ \|title=Brian Rix presents: Reluctant Heroes (BBC, 1952) \| SCREEN PLAYS \|website=Screenplaystv.wordpress.com \|date=7 December 2011 \|access-date=26 September 2016}}</ref> with viewing figures often reaching 15 million. In the early 1960s, Rix was the highest-paid actor (along with [[Robert Morley]]) to appear on BBC Television. Alongside the regulars from his theatre company, Rix appeared in these TV productions with such names as [[Dora Bryan]], [[Joan Sims]], [[Ian Carmichael]], [[John Le Mesurier]], [[Patrick Cargill]], [[Fabia Drake]], [[Sheila Hancock]], [[Warren Mitchell]], [[Thora Hird]] and [[Francis Matthews (actor)\|Francis Matthews]]. Only a handful of the televised farces remain in the BBC archive, however. Rix also appeared in 11 films and though he felt these were less suited to his talents as a farceur, these also met with some box-office success.

	====Whitehall Theatre (1950–1966)====		====Whitehall Theatre (1950–1966)====