Royce Thomas Carlisle Ryton (16 September 1924 – 14 April 2009) was an English

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

. He was educated at Lancing College. During World War Two he served in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

; afterwards, he went to train as an actor at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. As an actor, he played in many repertory theatres, including Bromley, Minehead and Worthing. He also toured extensively. Over the years he worked less as an actor so he could concentrate on his writing. Initially, he had some success with comedies (which were particularly well received in Germany), but later he became fascinated with the interaction of the private and public lives of royalty and politicians. He was married to Morar Kennedy (sister of Ludovic Kennedy) from 1955 until his death, aged 84; they have a daughter, Charlotte. Morar has a son, Roderick Orr-Ewing, from her first marriage. With '' Crown Matrimonial'' (1972), Ryton achieved an historical first – the serious portrayal of a living member of the Royal Family ( Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) on the stage. It is about the

Abdication crisis In early December 1936, a constitutional crisis in the British Empire arose when King Edward VIII proposed to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who was divorced from her first husband and was in the process of divorcing her second. T ...

of 1936. The play was Ryton's most successful work and has been performed on Broadway and the West End. In the West End, the central portrayals of Queen Mary and

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...

were played by Wendy Hiller and Peter Barkworth. Most recently Queen Mary was played by Patricia Routledge. Ryton continued his 'Royal theme' in 1981 with the comedy (co-written with Ray Cooney), '' Her Royal Highness'', about a double having to stand-in for Lady Diana Spencer when she loses her nerve and disappears, one week before the Royal Wedding. It ran successfully at the Palace Theatre in London's West End from 1981 to 1982.

Bibliography

*''The Painted Face'' *''Penguins Can't'' *''Enter Mr Johns'' *''Holiday in Spala'' *''The Royal Baccarat Scandal'' *''The Anastasia File'' *''Suez'' *''King Leopold'' *''Your Place or Mine'' *''The King's Grace'' *''Albert the Uncrowned King'' written with his daughter Charlotte Ryton *''Catherine the Queen'' written with his daughter Charlotte Ryton *''Woe to the Sparrows'' *''Queen Victoria's Granddaughters'' *''The Other Side of the Swamp'' *'' The Unvarnished Truth'' *''Motherdear'' *'' Her Royal Highness'' *'' Crown Matrimonial'' * ''The Boy Juliet''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryton, Royce 1924 births 2009 deaths People educated at Lancing College Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art Royal Navy personnel of World War II English male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English male writers