2021 Literary and Dramatic 60th anniversaries
Annals Britannica, a comprehensive review and timeline of British history, records the 60th anniversary of some notable artistic ventures which happened in 1961.
The satirical magazine Private Eye was first published in 1961. It became noted for humorous but wounding lampoons of leading figures in public life and also frequently appeared in the law courts as defendant against charges brought by persons subjected to some of its investigative journalism.
In 1961 Sir Peter Hall founded The Royal Shakespeare Company, a resident company of actors, directors and designers performing modern as well as the classic plays at the Royal Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford on Avon. The company soon began to perform in London theatres in addition to Stratford, beginning with the Aldwych Theatre.
The first Comedy Playhouse TV series was broadcast, a launch pad for many classic BBC humorous sit-coms.
Annals Britannica records that the following novels were first published in 1961: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark, A House for Mr Biswas by V. S. Naipaul, The Old Men at the Zoo by Angus Wilson.
