Who was George Bernard Shaw?
Dramatist.
Date and Place of Birth:
26th July 1856, 33 Synge Street, Dublin, Ireland.
Family Background:
Son of George Carr Shaw a corn trader and alcoholic
and Lucille Bessie Gurley an amateur singer and teacher. Had two
elder sisters, Lucille Frances (Lucy) a singer and Elinor Agnes
(Yuppy).
Education:
Wesleyan Connexional School but claimed to be
self-educated. His father had no money to send him to university.
Chronology/Biography of George Bernard Shaw:
1865: The family
set up house with the Dublin concert Promoter George John Vandeleur
Lee.
1873: Lee Moved
to London and Shaw's mother and sisters followed him leaving him
alone with his father. Got a job in Dublin working as a clerk for
a firm of Land Agents.
1876: Sister Elinor
dies of Tuberculosis at the age of 21. Moves to London and is supported
by his mother whilst he tries to establish himself as a writer.
Writes five novels all of which are rejected by London publishers.
Contributed articles to the "Pall Mall Gazette".
1879: Finds employment
with the Edison Telephone Company. Learns shorthand and begins studying
several foreign languages as well as boxing. Becomes a Councillor
for the London Borough of St. Pancras.
1881: Becomes a
vegetarian in an attempt to stop his severe migraine attacks.
1882: Heard Henry
George lecture on land nationalisation and he joined the Social
Democratic Federation later becoming friends with such people as
William Morris.
1884: Joins the
Fabian Society (named after a Roman General who advocated harassment
rather than all out war) where he joined with Sidney Webb in trying
to establish Socialism as a credible doctrine. He became an ardent
and well respected speaker at public functions over the next few
years. Given the job as Art Critic for the "World" magazine.
1888: Became music
critic for the "Star" newspaper under the pen name of
"Corno di Bassetto" where he achieved considerable fame.
He also became a drama critic for the "Saturday Review".
Met Karl Marx's daughter Elinor and was to be profoundly influenced
by "Das Kapital" which he had read in the reading Room
of the British Museum.
1890: Gives a lecture
on Ibsen to the Fabian Society.
1892: Asked to write
a play after arranging for a private production of Ibsen's "Ghosts".
"Widower's Houses" was the result. Most of his plays were
published at his own expense in reading editions.
1893: Attended a
Fabian Society conference at Bradford which saw the creation of
the Independent Labour Party (later to become the Labour Party).
1897: "The
Devils Disciple" was produced in New York as it was deemed
unsuitable for the London Stage.
1902: Publication
of "Man and Superman" one of his finest philosophical
works.
1903: Ceases to
be a local Councillor.
1914-18: His "Commonsense
about War" was controversial and he lost popularity during
the First world War as the public mood was for something a bit more
light hearted.
1923: Approached
by the millionaire and founder of Birmingham Repertory Theatre Sir
Barry Jackson who wanted to stage the first production of "Back
to Methuselah".
1925: Awarded the
Nobel Prize for Literature.
1929: Jackson set
up the Malvern Festival with the first season being entirely devoted
to the plays of Shaw.
1931: Visits the
Soviet Union.
1932: Made a world
tour accompanied by his wife.
1938: A film version
of "Pygmalion" was produced although he would not allow
any cuts to the dialogue.
1945: "Caesar
and Cleopatra" filmed.
Written Works:
- 1881: "Cashel
Byron's Profession".
- 1883: "An
Unsocial Socialist".
- 1889: "Fabian
Essays in Socialism".
- 1891: "The
Quintessence of Ibsenism".
- 1892: "Widower's
Houses".
- 1894: "Arms
and the Man".
- 1897: "Candia".
"The Devil's Disciple". "The Man of Destiny".
- 1898: "The
Perfect Wagnerite". "Plays Pleasant and Unpleasant".
(Containing "Arms and the Man" "Mrs Warren's Profession".
"The Philanderer". "Widower's Houses". "You
Never Can Tell".)
- 1900: "Captain
Brassbound's Conversion".
- 1902: "Three
Plays for Puritans".
- 1905: "Major
Barbara". "Man and Superman".
- 1906: "The
Doctor's Dilemma".
- 1908: "Getting
Married".
- 1912: "Missalliance".
- 1913: "Androcles
and the Lion"
- 1914: "Pygmalion".
- 1919: "Heartbreak
House".
- 1921: "Back
to Methuselah".
- 1923: St. Joan".
- 1928: "The
Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism".
- 1929: "The
Apple Cart."
- 1932: "Too
Good to be True".
- 1936: "The
Millionairess".
- 1939: "In
Good King Charles's Golden Days".
- 1950: "Far
Fetched Fables".
Marriage:
1898 to Charlotte Payne Townshend a wealthy Irish
protestant at Covent Garden Register Office, London. (Died 1943).
Places of Interest:
LONDON:
British Museum
The British Library, Reading Room.
HERTFORDSHIRE:
Shaw's Corner, Ayot St. Lawrence, the house where
he lived with his wife for 44 years.
Date and Place of Death:
2nd November 1950, Ayot St. Lawrence, Hertfordshire,
England, after an accident pruning an apple tree.
Age at Death:
94.
Site of Grave:
Ashes scattered in his garden at Shaw's Corner,
Ayot St. Lawrence, Hertfordshire, England.
Further Information:
Shaw Society
c/o AJL Gayle
5A The Lane
Blackheath Park
London
S23 9SL
