ARCHER, WILLIAM

born Sept. 23, 1856, Perth, Perth, Scot. died Dec. 27, 1924, London drama critic whose translations introduced Henrik Ibsen to the British public. While studying law at Edinburgh, Archer began his journalistic career on the Edinburgh Evening News. After a world tour (187677), in 1878 he moved to London and in 1879 became drama critic on the London Figaro. In 1884 he joined the World; his reviews for it and other periodicals were collected in The Theatrical World of 18931897, 5 vol. (189498). He was later drama critic on the Nation, the Tribune, and the Manchester Guardian. The translations of Ibsen that were to make him famous began with Pillars of Society (1880), the first of the plays produced in England. Later translations included A Doll's House (1889), Ibsen's Prose Dramas, 5 vol. (189091), Peer Gynt (1892), The Master Builder (1893), and the Collected Works, 12 vol. (190612). Despite faults, these had great influence and remain popular. His support for a national theatre prompted A National Theatre: Scheme and Estimates (1907), with Harley Granville-Barker. His play The Green Goddess (1921) was extremely successful and often revived. Of his other plays, four were posthumously published.