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The work of Margaret Macnamara first became of significance in 1908, when her play The Gates of the Morning was performed by the Incorporated Stage Society at the Shaftesbury Theatre, with the backing of George Bernard Shaw. Throughout her career she wrote a number of plays which were most popular with amateur groups, such as schools, youth groups. Indeed, some of her plays written during the 1920's were done in conjunction with Henfield Women's Institute and their drama group, the Tip-teerers.
In 1921 she became a member of the Community Theatre Committee of British Drama League and in 1926 became its Secretary. In the early 1930's she became Honorary Research Secretary for the London Old Vic, supporting the work of Tyrone Guthrie - attending rehearsals, advising on textual obscurities and writing programme notes, whilst he was Director. On her death her personal papers were passed to her niece, Sylvia Legge,
The collection contains her published and her unpublished plays, including source material for her work, including detailed research for her play Florence Nightingale. There are some production photographs and press reviews, and there is an interesting collection of correspondence from people including Tyrone Guthrie, George Bernard Shaw, Harley Granville-Barker, Laurence Housmann, J Fisher White, John Galsworthy, Edward Gordon Craig, Helen Hayes and Flora Robson.
View a list of the contents of the Margaret Macnamara Archive
and a list of Published Plays
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