Richard Negri was a British theatre director and designer.
13 Facts About Richard Negri
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Richard Negri was born on 27 June 1927 in Stamford Hill, London to parents of Italian origin: Riccardo Negri and Teresa Manattini.
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Richard Negri served in the Royal Navy as a radio engineer at the end of the Second World War and afterwards studied Art under David Bomberg at Borough Polytechnic.
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Richard Negri designed Chekhov's 'Platonov' directed by George Devine and John Blatchley at the Royal Court in 1960 with Rex Harrison as well as James Bolam, Peter Bowles, Ronald Barker, Rachel Roberts and Graham Crowden.
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Richard Negri was run by Michael Elliott and Casper Wrede, a friend from the Old Vic and, although short-lived, the company achieved considerable success with productions of Brand, Little Eyolf and Danton's Death.
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When Wrede and Elliott went on to run a season of plays at the Old Vic in 1961 Richard Negri joined them as designer.
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In 1962 Richard Negri began teaching as a part-time lecturer at Wimbledon School of Art in the Theatre Department teaching on the theatre design course; by the end of 1963 he had become Head of Department on Peter Bucknell's promotion to Principal.
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The formation of the 69 Theatre Company by Wrede, Elliott, and Braham Murray in Manchester led to Richard Negri designing many of the productions at the University Theatre including Peer Gynt and The Tempest.
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The theatre opened on 15 September 1976 and Richard Negri remained as an artistic director until 1983.
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Richard Negri directed a number of productions in addition to his design work.
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Richard Negri had resigned from Wimbledon in 1974 to concentrate all his efforts on the Royal Exchange but returned in 1982 to continue his lecturing.
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Richard Negri's legacy remains both in the theatre he designed and in the students he taught.
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Richard Negri married Jill Adams on 27 September 1956 in Bury St Edmunds.