About Us

"The Shaw Society has proved itself a magnet for so many diverse people who have been excited and stimulated by Shaw’s ideas and his fearlessness in challenging the accepted attitudes of our time. It has led to other Shaw Societies being formed around the world. It has encouraged and promoted stagings and readings of so many of Shaw’s works, many of them pieces which the commercial theatre has ignored in favour of the more box office ones.

Three Cheers for the Shaw Society!”

The late Michael Friend

Theatre producer and former Society Vice-President of The Shaw Society

Our Supporters

The Shaw Society Is fortunate to be supported by many eminent people in the fields of Theatre, Business and Academia. We are very grateful for all the support they give to our work. The interest and encouragement they give to The Shaw Society, sharing the works of Bernard Shaw with modern audiences.

Vice-President

Dame Judi Dench

Although primarily known for her Shakespearean roles Dame Judi has appeared in Major Barbara, St Joan, Too True to be Good and Village Wooing with Richard Briers.

As well as playing Major Barbara at the Aldwych Theatre in 1970. In 1962 she starred in a live television version on ITV 'Play of the Week' with Edward Woodward and Philip Madoc..

She has also appeared in Village Wooing.

Vice-President

Dame Siân Phillips

Dame Sian Philips appeared as St Joan in 1958 in the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry with Frank Findlay and Richard Briers. In 1965 she appeared in Man and Superman at the Arts Theatre playing Ann Whitefield with Alan Badel as Jack.

In 1977 Dame Siân appeared in an acclaimed BBC television production of Heartbreak House with John Gielgud, Daniel Massey and Barbara Murray. She played Lady Britomart in the 1982 National Theatre production of Major Barbara.

Vice-President

Richenda Carey

Richenda Carey has been a longtime supporter of the Shaw Society; she has appeared in many period plays by contemporaries of Shaw such as JB Priestley's The Roundabout and appeared as Mrs Pearce in the the Sheffield Crucible 2012 production of My Fair Lady.

More recently she toured in the Terrance Rattigan Double bill Summer 1954 in Table Number Seven.

Vice-President

Professor Richard

Dietich

Professor Richard Dietrich is the founding president of the International Shaw Society.

He has written many books of Shaw notably Bernard Shaw's Novels: Portraits of the Artist as Man and Superman. He is the series editor for the Florida Bernard Shaw Series

Vice-President

Richard Digby Day

Richard Digby Day is a distinguished stage director and academic. He has directed over 30 Sahvian productions. Like Shaw he recognised the vital importance of regional theatre and was the artistic director of 5 regional theatres during his career. In addition he was the Director of the Open Air Theatre in Regents Park from 1966-74, during which time he directed many Shaw plays including Androcles and Lion, Man of Destiny and O'Flaherty VC

Vice-President

John Foley

John Foley has worked as an actor in theatres throughout the UK and US. He has published reference books and children’s stories, written and voiced more than 600 scripts for BBC World Service and Radio 4. John is also involved in numerous adaptations of works by writers such as Brecht, Ibsen and John Osborne. He has produced a number of audiobooks for Naxos and Random House.

John is a Commoner Councillor of the City of London

Vice-President

Bonnie Greer OBE

Bonnie Greer OBE is an American and British playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster, Like Shaw she is deeply interested in the exploration of power, class and inequality.

During her work as a cultural critic she has spoken about Shaw in the context of theatre history , politics and morality in drama.

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Vice-President

Harry Hadden Patton

Harry Hadden Patton played Professor Higgins in the 2018 Lincoln Center Theatre Broadway revival of My Fair Lady (based on Shaw's Pygmalion). He later reprised the role at the coliseum in London in 2022.

He has also appeared on stage in Rattigan's Flare Path and a film adaptation of the Deep Blue Sea.

Vice-President

Patricia Hodge OBE

Patricia Hodge played Lady Ariadne Utterwood in the Almeida Theatre production of Heartbreak House directed by David Hare with Richard Griffiths and Penelope Wilton in 1997.

Patricia is very well-known for her work in plays by Shaws later contemporaries such as Coward, Rattigan and Somerset Maugham.

Vice-President

Toni Kanal

Toni Kanal played Mrs O'Flaherty in Richard Digby Day acclaimed production of O'Flaherty VC at the Open Air Theatre Regents Park.

She has appeared in many productions of Shaw's contemporaries and has been a longtime supporter of the Shaw Society and it's work.

Vice-President

Hayward Morse

Hayward Morse is the son of Barry Morse former Chair of The Shaw Society. Hayward has starred in many stage shows on both sides of the Atlantic. He was in the original production of Joe Orton's What the Butler Saw with Ralph Richardson.

He appeared as 'Bosie' in the North American premiere of Bernard and Bosie: A Most Unlikely Friendship by Anthony Wynn alongside his father. a play about the friendship between Shaw and Oscar Wilde's lover Lord Alfred Douglas.

Vice-President

Michael Rosen FRSL

Michael Rosen like Shaw is an outspoken and well-known left-wing activist, socialist, and writer, sharing interests in many of the issues that Shaw found important.

He also shares Shaw's interest in language and spelling, particularly in his book Alphabetical: How Every Letter Tells a Story. He commentaries on phonics, shares a similar ethos with George Bernard Shaw’s critiques of English spelling, focusing on the illogical and playful nature of the alphabet.

Vice-President

Sam Walters

Under Artistic Director Sam Walters The Orange Tree Theatre became a key UK venue for significant Shaw revivals including; Candida, The Philanderer, You Never Can Tell and Arms and the Man. He showed that Shaw works brilliantly in intimate spaces. More importantly that Shaw was alive fast and modern.

Vice-President

Jeffrey Wei Lui

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Jeffrey Wei Liu is an admirer of Shaw's work encouraging young artists and writers worldwide to share their work through travel, cultural exchanges and translation.

Shaw's visit to China in 1933 helped encourage modern Chinese writers and poets to have their work translated and share their work worldwide.

Our team

Our Team of Trustees and Volunteers are responsible for the events, publications and communications produced by The Shaw Society - dedicated to celebrating the works and ideas of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries. We are very gratefulul for the time, funding and expertise they generously donate to enable our work..