Registered Charity in England and Wales number 1200279
The origins of the society
The Shaw Society is the only Shaw society that dates from Shaw’s lifetime. It was founded by Dr Fritz Loewenstein, a Jewish refugee from Germany in the 1930s, who, in November 1941, finally wore down Shaw’s opposition to his plan for a society to promote Shavian ideas. He called the inaugural meeting, putting back the official date of its foundation to Shaw’s 85th birthday, 26 July 1941.
“Despite Shaw’s somewhat grudging agreement to having a society in his name, 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.”
Theatre producer and former Society Vice-President, the late Michael Friend
HONORARY PRESIDENT
Sir Michael Holroyd
HONORARY VICE – PRESIDENTS
Dame Judi Dench – Michael Rosen – Harry Hadden-Paton – Richard Digby-Day – Bonnie Greer OBE – Toni Kanal – Nicholas Barter – Hayward Morse – Sam Walters – Richard Dietrich – Richenda Carey
Trustees & Officers
CHAIR – Maureen Clark-Darby FRSA
VICE-CHAIR – Murray Rosenthal
SECRETARY – Esme Chandler
TREASURER – Eoin O’Callaghan
CREATIVE DIRECTOR & SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER – Jonas Cemm FRSA
ADDITIONAL TRUSTEES – Dame Sian Phillips, Patricia Hodge OBE, Ivan Wise,
John Foley, Christine Stevenson, David Grapes, Ryan Cormack
Volunteers
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY – Evelyn Ellis
ACADEMIC ADVISER & EDITOR OF THE SHAVIAN – Dr Anne Wright CBE
PRODUCTION EDITOR & MEDIA PRODUCER – Professor Emeritus Martin Wright FRSA
Join today to be part of our international community of academics, theatre professionals and enthusiasts.
We are also pleased to receive added support to extend our outreach activities , bringing the theatre and writings of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries to a wider more diverse audience. Help the society by donating today.
