King’s Head founder Crawford dies

Dan Crawford, the founder and artistic director of the King's Head Theatre in north London has died aged 62. There's a brief obituary by Jeremy Austin in The Stage.

The eccentric, maverick personality is thought of by many as the father of the capital city's fringe theatre scene. The Islington venue became the first pub theatre when it was set up in 1970. It became an important first step in the careers of many of todayÂ’s finest performers - John Sessions, Hugh Grant, Victoria Wood and various members of the Monty Python team all performed there early on in their careers.

Under Crawford's guiding hand, the venue has won numerous awards and has transferred more than 30 productions to the West End, eight national tours and six Broadway transfers - meaning more than one in ten shows transfers.