| Activity | Eric Crozier OBE (14 November 1914 – 7 September 1994) was a British theatrical director, opera librettist and producer, long associated with Benjamin Britten. He also presented on a variety of programmes for BBC TV from 1937 onwards, and also began producing TV plays for the BBC at that time.
Crozier was born in London.
He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and at the British Institute in Paris, working as a translator and giving English lessons. In Paris he joined Jacques Copeau's La Compagnie des Quinze, known for championing experimental drama.
Returning to England, he became one of the first drama producers for BBC Television.
During that time productions including 'The Proposal' by Tschekov[/Chekov], (Broadcast Tue 6th Apr 1937, 15:00 on BBC Television) and Comic Strip (1937).
Crozier joined the Old Vic theatre, working with Tyrone Guthrie, then moved during the war to the Sadlers Wells Opera Company where he directed Smetana's 'The Bartered Bride' in 1943 with Peter Pears in the lead role.
Betty Willingale’s archives show that Crozier was also consulted to write reader’s reports to review literary works for the BBC Drama department.
Crozier's association with Benjamin Britten began when Crozier directed his first opera, 'Peter Grimes', which had its world premiere at Sadler's Wells on 7 June 1945. Although this was both a critical and a commercial success there were many difficulties over its staging, including objections both to the music and to Britten's pacifism. Crozier fiercely defended the opera, and after the premiere he resigned from the company due to the lukewarm support he had received from the management.
Instead, Crozier founded the English Opera Group in 1947, and co-founded (with Britten) the Aldeburgh Festival in 1948. He directed his second wife, Nancy Evans, in the role of Lucretia in the 1946 premiere of Britten's opera 'The Rape of Lucretia' at Glyndebourne, and later succeeded Peter Pears as director of the Aldeburgh Festival. His first opera libretto for Britten was 'Albert Herring' (1947). He wrote the librettos for the cantata 'Saint Nicolas' (1948), the children's opera 'Let's Make an Opera' (1949), and (with E.M Forster) 'Billy Budd' at Covent Garden in 1951. Many of these operas were also broadcast on the BBC.
Crozier translated many opera librettos into English, including 'The Bartered Bride', 'La Traviata', 'Otello' and 'Falstaff' (with Joan Cross), and 'Idomeneo', 'Salome' and 'Die Frau ohne Schatten'.
He was appointed an OBE in 1991. |