FRY, CHRISTOPHER

born Dec. 18, 1907, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Eng. original name Christopher Harris British writer of verse plays. Fry adopted his mother's surname after he became a schoolteacher at age 18, his father having died many years earlier. He was for many years an actor, director, and writer of revues and plays before he gained fame as a playwright with The Lady's Not for Burning (1948), an ironic medieval comedy whose heroine is charged with being a witch. A Phoenix Too Frequent (1946) retells a tale from Petronius Arbiter. The Boy with a Cart (1950), a story of Saint Cuthman, is a legend of miracle and faith in the style of the mystery plays. A Sleep of Prisoners (1951) and The Dark Is Light Enough (1954) explore religious themes. After many years of translating and adapting playsincluding Ring Round the Moon (produced 1950; adapted from Jean Anouilh's LInvitation du chteau), Duel of Angels (produced 1963; adapted from Jean Giraudoux's Pour Lucrce), and Peer Gynt (produced 1970, based on Johan Fillinger's translation of Henrik Ibsen's play)Fry wrote A Yard of Sun, which was produced in 1970. He also collaborated on the screenplays of the epic films Ben Hur (1959) and Barabbas (1962), and he wrote both radio and television plays. His Can You Find Me: A Family History was published in 1978.