Murray Melvin – Actor, director, archivist Born August 10, 1932; died April 14, 2023 Murray Melvin, who has died aged 90, was an actor of elegance, sensitivity and sophistication, whose appearance in Shelagh Delaney’s play, A Taste of Honey (1958) became a key marker of British society’s post World War II mores. Delaney’s taboo busting play was produced by Joan Littlewood and Gerry Raffles’ trailblazing Theatre Workshop company at Theatre Royal, Stratford East, and touched on issues of teenage pregnancy, race and homosexuality in working class Salford. The latter came through Melvin’s character, Geoffrey, the effete art student friend and surrogate mother of Jo, played in Tony Richardson’s film of the play by Rita Tushingham. At a time when homosexuality was illegal, for an actor to play such a role as Geoffrey made a bold statement. Melvin was cast on the back of a conversation with Littlewood after the first read through of an early draft of the play. Melvin was making tea
An archive of arts writing by Neil Cooper. Effete No Obstacle.