Sherriff, R(obert) C(edric) (1896–1975), English dramatist and novelist, who became widely known for his realistic and moving play
Journey's End (1928), the first to deal successfully in the theatre with the First World War. Originally produced on a Sunday evening by the
Stage Society, it was taken into the commercial theatre by Maurice
Browne, who played Lieutenant Raleigh, the part of Captain Stanhope, first played by Laurence
Olivier, being taken over by Colin Clive; also in the all-male cast was Robert
Speaight. Dealing with the reactions of a small group of men in a dug-out just before an attack, it made an immediate impact, and was subsequently translated and played all over the world, being first seen in New York in 1929. Among Sherriff's other plays are
Badger's Green (1930), on village cricket;
St Helena (1935; NY, 1936), written in collaboration and dealing with the last years of Napoleon;
Miss Mabel (1948); and two plays in which Ralph
Richardson gave impressive performances—
Home at Seven (1950), a study of amnesia, and
The White Carnation (1953).
The Long Sunset (1955) was set towards the end of the Roman occupation of Britain; and
The Telescope (1957) provided the basis for a musical,
Johnny the Priest, seen in 1960, in which year Sherriff's last play
A Shred of Evidence was also produced.
