Double Olivier Award winner Alan Howard, whose long and successful stage career was defined by his numerous Shakespearean performances, has died at the age of 77.
The actor, who took home two of London theatre’s most coveted prizes – for his acclaimed performances in Henry IV (Parts 1 and 2) and Henry V in in 1976, and Coriolanus in 1978 – began his career at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre, where he took to the stage in productions including Half In Earnest and Arnold Wesker’s Roots.
In 1959, following its premiere in Coventry, Roots transferred to London’s Royal Court and, later, to the Duke of York’s Theatre, where Howard made his West End debut as Frankie Bryant.
Five years later, Howard joined the Royal Shakespeare Company where he played scores of roles in Stratford-upon-Avon and in the West End, cementing his reputation as one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of his generation. During the course of his 60-year career, if including his portrayal of Henry Bolingbroke in Richard II, the actor played all of the Bard’s eponymous English kings.
Away from the Shakespeare canon, Howard appeared in productions including Waiting For Godot at the Old Vic, Jonathan Kent’s 2008 take on Sophocles’ Oedipus starring Ralph Fiennes at the National Theatre and, most recently, The School For Scandal at the Barbican Theatre in 2011.
While best known for his stage credits, the actor is also recognised for his television appearances in Parade’s End, Foyle’s War, Midsomer Murders and Anna Lee. He even took his Shakespearean prowess to the screen, taking on the title role in the BBC’s 1984 adaptation of Coriolanus.
Following his death, Howard’s fellow performers and co-stars took to Twitter to pay their respects. British actress Tanya Moodie said: “Alan Howard was a great actor & lovely man. I was Antigone to his Oedipus at the National. Such an honour. #Treasure.” The RSC’s Artistic Director Gregory Doran also paid tribute to the actor, saying: “Alan was a giant. He was gifted with a great classical physique, a prodigious talent and an utterly unmistakable voice.”
The actor died following a bout of pneumonia on 14 February at London’s Royal Free Hospital with his wife and son by his side.