John Northam
Encyclopedia
John Richard Northam was a professor emeritus of literature and drama, ranked among the foremost Ibsen
scholars in the world.
Northam entered Clare College, Cambridge
to read Classics
from 1941 to 1942, then English
between 1946 and 1948. In 1950 he was made a Fellow of Clare College, where he supervised Norman Podhoretz, the American who went on to become a notable writer. In 1953 Northam was awarded a Ph.D. and a lectureship in the Faculty of English at Cambridge. In 1972 he left Cambridge to become a Professor of Modern and Comparative Drama at the University of Bristol
.
His books Ibsen’s Dramatic Method (1953), in which he notably outlines the hidden visual suggestions and parallel characterisations used by the playwright, and Ibsen: A Critical Study (1973), are still counted as standard works. He has been celebrated for capturing the poetry, humour and wisdom of Ibsen's Poems (1871) and verse drama Peer Gynt
(1867); for his remarkable translations of the Epic Brand, a long epic poem unfinished from the playwright’s hand, and also the dramatic 1866 play Brand
. He also provided composer and producer Kjell-Ole Haune
with a translation of Ibsen's poem Terje Vigen
that was developed into a multi media musical in 2006. This translation was published in 2006.
His son is the award-winning actor Jeremy Northam
, who played Ivor Novello
in Robert Altman
's Gosford Park
.
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
scholars in the world.
Northam entered Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
to read Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
from 1941 to 1942, then English
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
between 1946 and 1948. In 1950 he was made a Fellow of Clare College, where he supervised Norman Podhoretz, the American who went on to become a notable writer. In 1953 Northam was awarded a Ph.D. and a lectureship in the Faculty of English at Cambridge. In 1972 he left Cambridge to become a Professor of Modern and Comparative Drama at the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
.
His books Ibsen’s Dramatic Method (1953), in which he notably outlines the hidden visual suggestions and parallel characterisations used by the playwright, and Ibsen: A Critical Study (1973), are still counted as standard works. He has been celebrated for capturing the poetry, humour and wisdom of Ibsen's Poems (1871) and verse drama Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, loosely based on the fairy tale Per Gynt. It is the most widely performed Norwegian play. According to Klaus Van Den Berg, the "cinematic script blends poetry with social satire and realistic scenes with surreal ones"...
(1867); for his remarkable translations of the Epic Brand, a long epic poem unfinished from the playwright’s hand, and also the dramatic 1866 play Brand
Brand (play)
Brand is a play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It is a verse tragedy, written in 1865 and first performed in Stockholm on 24 March 1867. Brand was an intellectual play that provoked much original thought....
. He also provided composer and producer Kjell-Ole Haune
Kjell-Ole Haune
Kjell-Ole Haune born in Norway 1976, is a composer and producer.Best known for composing and producing Terje Vigen-The Musical, which is based on a poem by Henrik Ibsen, and the musical TONIGHT, for which he wrote the story, lyrics and music...
with a translation of Ibsen's poem Terje Vigen
Terje Vigen
Terje Vigen is a poem written by Henrik Ibsen, published in 1862. Much of the story and setting is from the area around the town of Grimstad in southern Norway where Ibsen lived for a few years in his youth...
that was developed into a multi media musical in 2006. This translation was published in 2006.
His son is the award-winning actor Jeremy Northam
Jeremy Northam
Jeremy Philip Northam is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Ivor Novello in the 2001 film Gosford Park, as Dean Martin in the 2002 television movie Martin and Lewis, and as Thomas More on the Showtime series The Tudors...
, who played Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello
David Ivor Davies , better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. Born into a musical family, his first successes were as a songwriter...
in Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
's Gosford Park
Gosford Park
Gosford Park is a 2001 British-American mystery comedy-drama film directed by Robert Altman and written by Julian Fellowes. The film stars an ensemble cast, which includes Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins, Alan Bates, and Michael Gambon...
.
Translations
- Ibsen’s Poems. Scandinavian University Press. Oslo 1986. ISBN 82-00-07455-2.
- Peer Gynt. A Dramatic Poem. Scandinavian University Press. Oslo 1995. ISBN 82-00-22496-1.
- Terje Vigen by Henrik Ibsen. KOH Ltd, London 2006 ISBN 9780955230608
External links
- The Collected Poems of Henrik Ibsen in John Northam’s translation, or rather recreation.