THE man who was co-founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company, John Barton, has died at the age of 89.

He had been invited close on 60 years ago - way back in 1960, by Peter Hall to join him in the RSC enterprise and then worked for the company for the rest of his life.

Gregory Doran, the RSC’s artistic director, described John Barton as both a great director and teacher.

He said: “He was simply one of the greatest influences in the acting of Shakespeare of the last century”.

After linking with Peter Hall they collaborated on the ground-breaking The Wars of The Roses which defined the principles and direction of the new company.

Doran said a number of productions of the plays in the canon which John directed in his own right are still regarded by many as close to definitive: Twelfth Night at Stratford in 1969, with Judi Dench as Viola, and Donald Sinden as Malvolio;  and in 1976 a Much Ado About Nothing set in the Raj  with the same pair of actors as Benedick and Beatrice, and John Woodvine as a very funny Dogberry; Love’s Labour’s Lost in 1978 with Michael Pennington as Berowne and Jane Lapotaire as Rosaline; or The Merchant of Venice first with Patrick Stewart as Shylock at The Other Place in 1978, and then David Suchet in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in 1981.

John Barton’s wife Ann passed away aged 80 in 2013 and he is survived by his devoted sister Jennifer. He passed away at a care home in London. There will be a private family funeral and details of a memorial service will be announced in due course.

Doran added: “John always declared that his favourite play was Troilus and Cressida. He first directed the production in 1960, with Max Adrian as Pandarus, Dorothy Tutin as Cressida and first Denholm Elliot then Ian Holm as Troilus, and in 1969 with a young Helen Mirren as Cressida opposite Michael Williams, with Alan Howard delivering a distinctly homoerotic performance as Achilles. And finally, in 1976 with Mike Gwilym and Francesca Annis as the separated lovers.

“John's eyes lit up when I told him that I would be directing his favourite play this year, and he shared some of his passion for the play with me”. 

He added that he regretted that he won't be around to tell me what I got wrong - so I have chosen to dedicate our production of Troilus and Cressida at Stratford-upon-Avon this autumn to John Barton, a Shakespeare genius, a mentor, and someone, he said, I am proud to say was a friend.