William Gaskill
Gaskill, William (1930-2016), Theatre Director
William Gaskill was born on 24 June 1930 in Shipley, West Yorkshire to Maggie and Joseph Gaskill. He was educated at Salt High School in Baildon. His father introduced him to drama at a young age. Gaskill developed his interest as a school boy by helping to stage local ballet productions. He also attended weekly classes at Bradford Civic Playhouse run by actress and theatre director Esme Church.
Gaskill studied at Hertford College, Oxford from 1948-51. There he acted in and directed many amateur productions with societies such as the University Experimental Theatre Club. After his degree he lived in Paris for six months where he spent his time at the theatre Comédie-Française, watching ballet and studying acting and mine. On returning to the UK he worked in a variety of jobs including completing a trainee directorship with Granada Television, the ITV Regional Service.
In 1956 Gaskill saw the work of German playwright Bertolt Brecht and his theatre group, the Berliner Ensemble, in London. Brecht became an important influence for Gaskill throughout his career. He often used Brechtian characteristics in his plays such as clarity and bare staging.
Gaskill began his partnership with the English Stage Company (ESC) in 1957 by directing his London debut ‘A Resounding Tinkle’ at the Royal Court Theatre. John Osbourne’s ‘Epitaph for George Dillon’ was another early and successful ESC production which Gaskill directed. Throughout 1959 he was the ESC’s Associate Director. During this time he led the Royal Court’s Writers Group, implemented by George Devine in 1958. He gave weekly teaching sessions for writers working with the ESC.
The early 1960s saw Gaskill working with other theatres. From 1963-4 He was associate director at the National Theatre. He also directed with the Royal Shakespeare Company during this time.
In 1965 Gaskill became the Artistic Director for the ESC after his predecessor George Devine passed away. Devine had been extremely enthusiastic for Gaskill to take over the role, particularly because he admired his capability as a teacher.
The start of Gaskill’s time as Artistic Director at the ESC was defined by the battle against censorship. Edward Bond’s play ‘Saved’ was scheduled for production in 1965 but Lord Chamberlain’s office requested over 30 cuts be made to the script. To avoid compromising the play, Gaskill turned the Royal Court into a ‘club theatre’ and presented the play privately. However, the ESC was prosecuted and fined in March 1966 for showing an unlicensed play.
Bond’s ‘Early Morning’ was banned outright in 1967 by Lord Chamberlain’s office. Despite this, Gaskill managed to stage two productions, the second of which was a free to attend dress rehearsal in April 1968. The publicity created by ‘Saved’ and ‘Early Morning’ drew attention to Lord Chamberlain’s office and accelerated the end of theatre censorship. The Theatres Bill was passed on 28 September 1968, abolishing Lord Chamberlain’s power to censor plays. To celebrate this success, Gaskill held a Bond season at the Royal Court in 1969. A trilogy of Bond’s plays were staged: ‘Saved’, ‘Narrow Road to the Deep North’ and ‘Early Morning’.
In 1969 Gaskill opened The Theatre Upstairs, a small performance space above the Royal Court. This came to be a second auditorium for the theatre which mostly showed work from young and new writers. In the same year Gaskill wanted to take leave and direct at other theatres so from 1969-72, he shared the role of Artistic Director with Lindsay Anderson and Anthony Page. Oscar Lewnenstein took over the position in 1973. Gaskill continued directing at the Royal Court and working with the ESC until his resignation 1987.
In 1974 Gaskill cofounded the Joint Stock Theatre Group, a socialist theatre collective, along with director Max Stafford-Clark. Stafford-Clark went on to be the ESC’s Artistic Director from 1979-93. Since 1983 Gaskill worked as a freelance theatre director and theatre teacher. He taught regularly at University of California, Davis and at Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London.
In 1988 Gaskill’s autobiography was published ‘A Sense of Direction: Life at the Royal Court’ and in 2010 a series of essays titled ‘Words into Action’.
Gaskill died on 4 February 2016 aged 85.