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Siân Phillips Papers O'Toole, Peter, 1932-2013
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1940s-1970s

Material, including press articles and reviews, original texts and scripts, relating to film and television productions in which Siân Phillips appeared or was otherwise involved with from the 1940s through to the 1970s. The items comprise: Brethyn Cartre (1948); Special Enquiry (1952); Who's Next? (1958); A Game For Eskimos (1958); Land of Song (1958); Granite (1958); Who's Next? [1958]; Mae'r Oll Yn Gysegredig [1958x1960]; The Garden of Loneliness [1959]; A Quiet Man (1959); The Breaking Point (1959); The Tortoise and the Hare (1959); Treason (1959); Siwan (1960); Don Juán in Hell (1962); The Fanatics (1962); Becket (1964); The Other Man (1964); Levine (1964/5); Eh Joe (1966); Thief (1968); The Beast in the Jungle (1969); Goodbye, Mr Chips (1969); The Vessel of Wrath (1970); Murphy's War (1970-1); Platonov (1971); Croeso'r Castell (1971); Sharing the Honours (1972); Under Milk Wood (1972); The Man Outside (1972); Pillars of Society (1972); How Many Miles To Babylon? (1974); Shoulder To Shoulder (1974); The Puritan Experience: Forsaking England (1975); How Green Was My Valley (1975-6); Antony and Cleopatra (1976); In Memory of Aberfan (1976); I, Claudius (1976); Frieda [1976]; Heartbreak House (1977); The Achurch Letters (1977); Warrior Queen (1978); Mr Kettle and Mrs Moon (1978); Crime and Punishment (1979); Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979).

1960s

Material, including press articles and reviews, original texts, scripts and theatrical programmes, relating to stage productions in which Siân Phillips appeared during the 1960s. The items comprise: The Taming of the Shrew (1960); The Duchess of Malfi (1960); Ondine (1961); The Lizard on the Rock (1962); Les Maxibules (1964); Ride A Cock Horse (1965); Come And Go (1965); Man and Superman (1966); The Man of Destiny (1966); The Eccentricities of a Nightingale (1967); The Burglar (1967); The Cardinal of Spain (1969).

Diaries and calendars - 1960s

Diaries, 1964, 1966-1969, of Siân Phillips, the contents largely relating to Siân Phillips' personal, domestic and family affairs and to her professional life. One diary has the initials 'P.O'T.' embossed at lower right-hand corner of cover (relating to Siân Phillips' second husband Peter O'Toole, although there is no evidence of his hand within any of the volumes). One or two inserts, including two small linen sheets.

Diaries and calendars - 1970s

Diaries, 1970 - 1979, of Siân Phillips, some of the diaries having been printed for that purpose, others being notebooks used as diaries. The contents largely relate to Siân Phillips' personal, domestic and family affairs and to her professional life. Some entries, including one insert, made in what appears to be the hand of Siân Phillips' second husband, Peter O'Toole. One diary has the initials 'P.O.' embossed at lower right-hand corner of cover (most likely relating to Peter O'Toole, although there is no evidence of his hand within that particular volume).

General miscellany

** ONE ITEM IS CLOSED FOR 100 YEARS FROM DATE OF LAST ENTRY. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 EXEMPTION (SECTION 40) (PERSONAL INFORMATION). ***

Miscellaneous items of or relating to Siân Phillips, ranging from her earlier life in the Swansea Valley to her latter-day career. A number of items are annotated by Siân Phillips and others, primarily what appears to be the hand of her good friend, the actor Edward Duke.

Some items of note include:
Booklet titled 'Pererindod Ann Griffiths' ('Ann Griffiths Pilgrimage'), outlining a proposed journey of visits to various sites associated with the Welsh hymnist Ann Griffiths (inscribed and dated, Sunday 2 October 1955, inside front cover to Siân Phillips from the Welsh poet and dramatist Albert Cynan Evans-Jones (bardic name Cynan) (1895-1970)).

Printed programme relating to a performance by the Cwmllynfell Welfare Amateur Operatic Society of the musical play The Belle of New York at the Welfare Hall, Cwmllynfell, 26-30 April 1955, by Cwmllynfell Welfare Amateur Operatic Society, of which Siân Phillips was one of the presidents.

Completed land registry certificate, dated 21 January 1981, in the names of Siân Phillips and her second husband Peter O'Toole.

Siân Phillips publicity photographs.

Measurements for stage costume.

Printed programme for the 1935 production of Romeo and Juliet at the New Theatre, London, starring John Gielgud, Alec Guinness, Peggy Ashcroft and Laurence Olivier.

Driving test appointment card addressed to Siân Phillips, test date 16 March 1992.

Copies of publicity photographs of the actress Ellen Terry (1847-1928) (one inscribed 'Ellen Terry' on dorse in Siân Phillips' hand).

Photographs of Siân Phillips' cats.

Work schedules of Siân Philips.

Photocopied photographs of the cottage acquired by Siân Phillips and her second husband Peter O'Toole in Connemara, western Ireland (annotated in Siân Phillips' hand).

Admittance ticket and printed programme relating to Siân Phillips' attendance at the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle, 1 July 1969.

Text, annotated by Siân Phillips, taken from the memoirs of Swedish actor Fredrik Ohlsson, with whom Siân Phillips had a relationship during their time at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). While both were still at RADA, Ohlsson took the part of Jörgen Tesman alongside Siân Phillips' rôle as the title character in a 1957 production of Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler (see under Stage productions: 1930s-1950s).

Dust-jacketed copy, with added protective plastic binding, of History of Pontardawe and District from Earliest to Modern Times by Emeritus Principal John Henry Davies; Christopher Davies (Publishers) Ltd (Llandybïe, 1967). Title-page inscribed 'Siân Phillips' in her hand. Inserted at title-page is a printed black and white photographic plate showing a view of Brynaman, Carmarthenshire in the year 1895. 'Mynydd Du' inscribed at top right of plate in Siân Phillips' hand.

General notes, including notes relating to Welsh political activist, poet, dramatist, historian and literary critic Saunders Lewis.

Screenplay titled Flower Walk by Siân Phillips' good friend, the actor Edward Duke.

Script of a one-man show titled Cowardly Lion, based on the life and work of Noel Coward, adapted and devised by Siân Phillips' good friend, the actor Edward Duke. Annotated in what appears to be Edward Duke's hand.

Typescript text of children's book The Gondolier's Cat (published 1993) by author William (Bill) Corlett.

Bound typescript script of a stage adaptation by Jane Stanton Hitchcock of Edith Wharton's 1913 novel The Custom of the Country.

Bound copy of John Edmunds' translation into English of Jean Racine's 1677 tragic play Phèdre (Phaedra), inscribed and signed to Siân Phillips in John Edmunds' hand.

Bound typescript script, dated 1965 at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, of Sophocles' play Antigone, translated by Paul Merchant; with covering letter to Siân Phillips from academic, novelist, sculptor, poet and Anglican priest Moelwyn Merchant (father of Paul Merchant), the letter referencing Siân Phillips' second husband Peter O'Toole.

Bound script of Tennessee Williams' 1981 play The Notebook of Trigorin, an adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull (1895).

Bound script of Jean-Claude Carriere's 1968 comedy play L'Aide-Memoire. Inscribed title on cover possibly in the hand of Siân Phillips' good friend, the actor Edward Duke.

Three bound copies of the script of a play by author William (Bill) Corlett titled Elizabeth and her Will.

Piece of fabric depicting the Norwegian banner, bearing the printed inscription in Norwegian: 'Det Nye Teater Axel Otto Normann'.

Gorsedd of Bards

Printed invitation to Siân Phillips' second husband Peter O'Toole to attend her induction into the Gorsedd of Bards, 6 August 1959; together with press articles relating to Siân Phillips' induction into the Gorsedd.

Letters to Siân Phillips from Peter O'Toole

Three letters (one no more than a note), all undated, and two telegrams, only one of which is dated, to Sián Phillips from her second husband, stage and screen actor Peter O'Toole (one telegram and one letter annotated in Siân Phillips' hand); telegram dated 1969, signed 'Pete', assumed to be from Peter O'Toole; untitled sonnet [?1975/6], written by Peter O'Toole for Siân Phillips (copy of sonnet also enclosed with one of the letters) and sonnet titled 'The Harp of Wales' written by Tennessee Williams for Siân Phillips and signed 'TW (for Sian [sic] from Tennessee)'; and somewhat chaotic manuscript and typescript notes written by Peter O'Toole, one of which appears to be a suicide note (annotations in Siân Phillips' hand note 'O'T. DRUNK' on one folio and a comment on their eventual separation on another). Together with postcard, postmark 1977, from Peter O'Toole to his younger daughter, Patricia.

Letters to/from Peter O'Toole

Letters and postcard, 1969, 1977, 1978 and 1983 (postmark), to Siân Phillips' second husband Peter O'Toole. The material comprises: telegram [incomplete] (?possibly from director Herbert Ross) to Peter O'Toole relating to the successful preview of the film Goodbye Mr Chips (1969), in which O'Toole played the title rôle; letter from Robert Powell, headmaster of Sherborne School, Sherborne, Dorset during the filming there of Goodbye Mr Chips; letter from novelist Alun Richards; letter from US film producer Jules Buck; letter from a correspondent signing herself 'M. [treble clef] O.' (most likely a Mexican woman named Anna, who became O'Toole's mistress and was renamed by him 'Malinche'); postcard from a woman named 'Kate', possibly another mistress of O'Toole's; and letter from Siân Phillips' mother Sally Phillips. The letters signed 'M. [treble clef] O.' and 'Kate' are annotated by Siân Phillips.

Undated note from Peter O'Toole to 'John', most likely actor and theatre director John Gielgud, with whom O'Toole starred in the 1979 film adaptation of Gore Vidal's original screenplay 'Caligula', the media response to which is referenced in O'Toole's note.

Postcard, 1977, from Peter O'Toole to his younger daughter, Pat (Patricia) O'Toole.

O'Toole press articles

Press articles directly relating to Siân Phillips' second husband Peter O'Toole and one article directly relating to their daughter Kate O'Toole.

Peter O'Toole

Miscellaneous items relating to Siân Phillips' second husband, stage and screen actor Peter O'Toole, comprising photograph of O'Toole as a boy playing the bagpipes (annotated on dorse in Siân Phillips' hand: 'O'Toole'); watercolour drawing of Peter O'Toole in the rôle of Shylock (The Merchant of Venice, 1960); printed copy of Loughborough National Union of Students' Drama Festival programme 1962-1963, at which Peter O'Toole gave a talk entitled 'The Hazards of Acting'; printed theatre programme for a 1963 production of Bertolt Brecht's 1923 play Baal, in which Peter O'Toole played the title character; printed theatre programme for a 1969 production of Samuel Beckett's 1952 play Waiting for Godot, in which Peter O'Toole played Vladimir; bound first draft screenplay of Peter Shaffer's 1962 play The Public Eye, inscribed on cover 'P O'T[oole]'; material, which contains some annotation by Peter O'Toole, relating to Man of La Mancha, a 1972 musical film adaptation by Dale Wasserman of Miguel de Cervantes' novel Don Quixote, in which Peter O'Toole played the title character; agreements made between H. M. Tennant of the Globe Theatre, London and Alexander Film Productions Ltd whereby Siân Phillips became the investor in a 1976 play by Peter King titled Dead Eyed Dicks (1976), together with summary of accounts relating to the same play (1976 agreement annotated in Siân Phillips' hand to the effect that O'Toole 'forced' her to invest in what she calls 'this awful play'); 1977 agreement annotated in Siân Phillips' hand: 'Invested £2,500.00 against Sara's [Randall, Siân's theatrical agent] wishes Never saw a penny'); photocopied bill from the Hotel Danieli, Venice, dated 26 September 1977, made out to 'Peter O'Toole Keep Films Ltd' and signed by O'Toole (annotated in Siân Phillips' hand: 'our favourite hotel'); photocopied list in Peter O'Toole's hand headed 'P. O'T DAILY LIFE NEEDS' and dated 10 April 1979 (annotated in Siân Phillips' hand 'He wrote this out for someone!'); and undated notes in Peter O'Toole's hand written on headed paper printed with 'Siân Phillips', one folio also including Siân Phillips' hand.

Press articles

Press articles relating to the private and professional lives of Siân Phillips, her second husband Peter O'Toole, their daughters Kate O'Toole and Pat O'Toole and to Siân Phillips' third husband Robin Sachs, the contents ranging from Siân Phillips' earliest school successes to her latter-day career. Some items annotated by Siân Phillips. Together with miscellaneous press articles not directly related to Siân Phillips or her family but some of which reference leading figures in the theatrical world, Welsh current affairs or notable Welsh figures.

Stage productions

Material relating to the numerous stage productions in which Siân Phillips has appeared throughout her career, beginning with the school, chapel and Urdd events of her childhood, through her acting rôles while studying at Cardiff University and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and continuing for the duration of her professional life. Some of the productions co-star Siân Phillips' second husband Peter O'Toole, or her third husband, Robin Sachs. The material includes Siân Phillips' guest appearances at public events. A substantial number of the items are annotated by Siân Phillips and/or by friends and colleagues.