Diana Devlin read English at Cambridge and has a Doctorate in Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota. Her mother was a musician, her father a Shakespearean actor. Her grandmother was Sybil Thorndike, one of the greatest actors of the 20th century. Her grandfather, Lewis Casson, was an eminent actor, director and manager. Her biography of him, A Speaking Part: Lewis Casson and the Theatre of his time (Hodder and Stoughton, 1982) was well received.
Diana has spent her most of her career in the theatre, primarily as a teacher, director and deviser of plays for many generations of students in the UK and USA. She has written numerous articles and reviews, and several educational books on theatre.
In 2011 she retired as Head of Drama Studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, leaving her free to pursue her passionate interest in the history of her grandfather’s family.
Diana’s Story
In Marrying Mr Casson, Diana Devlin recounts the lives of three women in her family from the late 18th to the early 20th century. Mainly based in Wales, the action is also based in the Lake District, Birmingham, Liverpool, Cheshire and London.
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