Mervyn Garfield Thompson (1935-92) can be seen as a heroic figure, in some ways flawed and damaged, yet heroic all the same, for his dynamic roles in the development of New Zealand drama and localised theatre. He occupied a unique place in this development, in that he was himself affirmatively working-class, in contexts in which everyone around him were middle-class, and that his stance as a left-wing radical, in his own plays and in those he chose to direct, or workshop, was based upon his own identity and experiences. He worked extremely hard, as a playwright, actor, director, and dramaturg (and latterly as a university teacher), to help bring into being modes of New Zealand drama compatible with his own aims and values. His other legacy is a small but significant corpus of plays,…
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Citation: Ross, John C.. "Mervyn Thompson". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 April 2019 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4384, accessed 21 November 2024.]
