ROBERTSON, THOMAS WILLIAM

born , Jan. 9, 1829, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, Eng. died Feb. 3, 1871, London British playwright whose realistic social comedies and pioneering work as a producer-director helped establish the late-19th-century revival of drama in England. Many of his plays long remained in the repertory, and his Caste is still performed. Born into a theatrical family that played a provincial circuit based on the city of Lincoln, Robertson in 1848 moved to London to become an actor. In 1854 he was engaged as prompter at the Lyceum Theatre by Mme Vestris, an enterprising and important manager. It was her work in refining the staging of comedy that he was eventually to perfect. After his marriage in 1856, Robertson gradually abandoned acting for writing. Some of his adaptations and translations had already been produced, and in 1861 a one-act farce called The Cantab, his first original play, was staged. From 1865 to 1870 a number of plays made Robertson famous: Society, Ours, Caste, Play, School, and The M.P. The broader themes suggested by the titles are merely touched upon, but the plays give a convincing picture of the social scene, marred only by a strain of sentimentality. Generally speaking, Robertson's characters are recognizable as individuals, his plots are skillfully manipulated, and his characters' dialogue is easy and conversational. As a director, Robertson stressed the performance as a whole, insisting upon adequate rehearsal, attention to detail, and ensemble playing. It was his staging methods rather than his plays that proved most influential on the development of English theatre.