Irving Wardle, one of the most distinguished theatre critics of his generation, who in recent years appeared in several theatrical productions at The Bull Theatre in High Barnet, has died at the age of 93.

Until shortly before his death last month he had been rehearsing for the part of Gonzalo in the Blue Door Theatre Company’s production of The Tempest at The Bull Theatre but had to withdraw because of ill health.

Wardle was a leading drama critic for newspapers such as The Observer and The Times during the post war revival of British theatre and he was the first to identify the significance of work by the playwright Harold Pinter with whom he became a close friend.

The two met after Wardle reviewed Pinter’s The Birthday Party in 1958, and impressed Pinter wrote to compliment him on his critical sensibility. Wardle coined the phrase “comedies of menace” for Pinter’s work.

His penultimate appearance at The Bull Theatre in February 2022 was in the Blue Door’s production of two short Pinter plays in which he played the role of the colonel (see above) in Mountain Language.

There have been tributes galore to his support and encouragement for local amateur dramatics, coupled with a profound admiration for a determination -- that continued into his late eighties and nineties – to share a lifetime’s experience in theatrical life.

“Irving was so inspirational for the younger generation,” said Susi Earnshaw, founder of the drama school at the Bull Theatre.

“He was a regular visitor to our shows and was always so keen to talk to the pupils. What was so wonderful was the way he could talk to them so easily and demonstrate the art of improvisation.”

In 2018, Wardle, who lived in New Barnet, joined the newly-formed drama group The Bull Players – whose ages range from 20s to 80s – and who meet each Wednesday to learn about drama, improvisation, script reading and theatre making.

Their first production, staged at The Bull Theatre in 2019, was Love and War – billed as an evening of “passion and laughter” – which proved to be a sell-out.

One sequence included Irving and cast member Pina Griffin in The Seagull by Anton Chekhov.

They both appeared in the group’s next production in September 2021, in the garden of the garden of Monken Hadley Church, which was the premiere of Fog and War.

With Wardle (far right) playing the role of nobleman Reginald Frowyke, are members of the local beguine, a semi-monastic community of women. (From left to right, Lisa Chattwell, Pina Griffin, Linda Ranauro and June Worton.)

Fog of War, written by budding Barnet playwright James Godwin, told the story of the beguine through the sound and fury of the 1471 Battle of Barnet, and was produced by his mother Siobhan Dunne, the Bull Players director and producer.

Ms Dunne said that when she first saw Wardle perform at The Bull in 2018, she was amazed at how later life he was still brilliant at improvisation – a skill he demonstrated to the full in his second role in Fog of War as an old man who appeared carrying two severed heads.

“Irving knew just how to respond, whether it was looking at dead bodies or filling a vital moment in a production.”

After her success with the Bull Players, Miss Dunne became artistic director of Bull’s Blue Door Theatre Company, in which Wardle became an active cast member.

He had a central role in Blue Door’s Pinter Project in February 2022 when after playing the colonel in Mountain Language, he led a live discussion on Pinter’s work, his friendship with the playwright and his 26 years as drama critic for The Times.

“Irving told us he always hankered after finding a role on stage rather than just critic so in his later years he really was a game keeper turned poacher,” said Ms Dunne.

“He trained as a classical musician, wrote his own play and then became an outstanding theatre critic, but I think inside he was always a performer, and we were so lucky to share his lifetime’s experience.”

Wardle took part in an anarchic cabaret staged by the Blue Players in July 2022 with ten extracts from plays, including a Chekhov monologue which Wardle adapted to suit the production.

“Irving had been rehearsing with us for his role as Gonzalo in The Tempest – which was performed by Blue Door at The Bull last month – and despite failing health had been hoping to appear, but unfortunately, he was taken ill over Christmas and later suffered a fall.

“We feel so privileged that we were able to share and take advantage of Irving’s vast experience,” said Ms Dunne.

Pina Griffin said she found appearing on stage with Wardle was truly inspirational.

“He was so reliable and enthusiastic and even at ninety had no difficulty remembering his lines….in fact he knew my lines as well as his own.

“He became a real friend after we appeared together on stage in a blind date performance at The Bull. He was superb to perform with, a master of improvisation, and he has left us so many wonderful memories,” said Ms Griffin.