Special award to playwright

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34146, 6 May 1976, Page 3

Special award to playwright

The i arely-bestowec I Margaret Condlifft • Memorial Prize was • awarded to Mr Mervyr •Thompson, actor, pro ducer, and playwright at the University oi Canterbui y graduation ceremony in the Town Hall yesterday. Mr Thompson has beer director of the Downstagi jTheatre in Wellington, fo ithe last two years. He is ; • graduate of the university • and was a lecturer in Eng lish.for eight years. The prize was las awarded about five year ago to Professor D. W. Bea ven, head of the medica • unit at Princess Margate: • Hospital. 1 It recognises and encour • ages creative achievement by New Zealanders tha • shows marked distinction ir

[, letters, the fine arts, or in jthe service of humanity. Professor R. A. Copland, iI in the citation for the award, said that it was not unusual to hear informed de- • votees of the theatre comparing Mr Thompson’s later ! productions with the best lately seen in London. Mr Thompson, a student of Dame Ngaio Marsh, had taken part in a great array of plays by dramatic masters, Professor Copland said. ( His production of “.Marat- ‘ Sade” showed promise of I marked distinction; his later ( ones showed a vigorous and creative imagination. j His first play “O! Temperance!" had been performed |by 11 groups; “First Return” c had been published: and two ’ others had been performed ' for the first time this year.