Kenneth Tynan

Kenneth Tynan was one of the most famous theatrical critics of the 20th Century. He earned his own permanent place in the history of the English theater when he became the first dramaturg of Laurence Olivier, when the great actor finally realized his dream and became the director of the new National Theatre. Tynan's tenure at the National proved controversial, and he was forced to resign after championing Rolf Hochuth's play "Soldaten" ("Soldiers"), which essentially accused Winston Churchill, the wartime Prime Minister, of complicity in the murder of Free Poland's head of state, General Sikorsky. (After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the opening of the secret files of Soviet intelligence agencies, it generally is assumed that Skiorsky was assassinated by the Soviets.) Born Kenneth Peacock Tynan in Birmingham, England on April 2, 1927, the illegitimate son of Sir Peter Peacock, the former mayor of Warrington, who was leading a double life with his mistress and assumed the name o