| Hugh Percival Cruttwell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 October 1918 Singapore |
| Died | 24 August 2002 (aged 83) London |
| Occupation | Teacher, Creative Consultant |
| Spouse | Geraldine McEwan (1953-2002) |
Hugh Percival Cruttwell (31 October 1918 – 24 August 2002) was an influential teacher of drama and principal of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
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Hugh Cruttwell was born in Singapore, but lived in England from the age of eight. He was educated at King's School, Bruton, in Somerset, and studied History at Hertford College, Oxford. He began his career as an assistant stage manager at the Theatre Royal, Windsor. He soon became an associate director and over a period of three years directed sixty plays. During this time he met the actress Geraldine McEwan, and they married in 1953.
After leaving Windsor, Cruttwell enjoyed much success as a freelance director. Following a spell teaching at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, he was approached to take over the principalship of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, following the resignation of John Fernald in 1965. During his nineteen year tenure he trained many of this generation's finest actors, including Kenneth Branagh, Ralph Fiennes, Jane Horrocks, Alan Rickman, John Sessions and Imogen Stubbs.
Cruttwell was heavily involved in the activities of Renaissance Theatre Company and Renaissance Films; companies established by David Parfitt and Kenneth Branagh. He was a production/creative consultant of Branagh's films of Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Dead Again, Peter's Friends and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. He adapted, from a short story by Chekhov, the Academy Award winning short film Swan Song, starring Sir John Gielgud.
Hugh Cruttwell played a crucial role in shaping the theatre as we know it today. In his eighteen years as principal of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he spotted, nurtured and polished generations of actors who have gone on to become household names. In paying homage to his former teacher and associate, Kenneth Branagh wrote:
Hugh Cruttwell was the greatest teacher and student of acting I have ever known. He was a cherished friend and mentor, an inspiration to a generation of British actors - and a modest, shy man who would have been the last to recognise himself thus.