Anthony Page, who has died at the age of 90, was a pivotal figure in the development of British theatre during the 1950s and 1960s. He was part of a group of visionary directors who helped found the English Stage Company at London's Royal Court Theatre. Led by George Devine and Tony Richardson, the company became a hub for innovative and influential playwriting, with works by John Osborne, Samuel Beckett, Bertolt Brecht, and others. Page joined the Royal Court in 1958 as an assistant director and quickly rose to prominence, becoming the ideal collaborator for Osborne after Richardson directed Osborne’s groundbreaking play Look Back in Anger (1956). Over the years, Page directed several of Osborne’s most notable works, including Inadmissible Evidence (1964), A Patriot for Me (1965), and Hotel in Amsterdam (1968), all of which showcased his deep respect for the integrity of the written word. Page was known for his refined taste, strong sense of rhythm, and ability to bring out the best in actors. He was particularly adept at handling the challenging styles of playwrights like Tennessee Williams and Edward Albee, whose works required a deep understanding of emotional complexity and poetic language. Born in what is now Bengaluru, India, to a British military family, Page was educated in England before traveling to Canada and then New York, where he studied at the Neighbourhood Playhouse School. There, he became fascinated with method acting, particularly the technique developed by Sanford Meisner, which emphasized the actor’s ability to respond truthfully in the moment. This approach influenced his later work in theatre workshops and shaped his collaborations with future stars like Albert Finney, Maggie Smith, and Alfred Lynch. Page’s early career at the Royal Court included directing Harold Pinter’s The Room (1960), a play that marked the beginning of his influential trajectory in British theatre. He later worked at the Dundee Repertory Theatre, where he directed plays by John Osborne and others, and later took on leadership roles at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. His career spanned both stage and screen, with notable television projects in the 1980s and 1990s, including a critically acclaimed revival of Rodney Ackland’s Absolute Hell with Judi Dench. Throughout his life, Page remained committed to the author’s vision, ensuring that each production was a faithful and compelling interpretation of the original text. In his later years, Page continued to direct in both the West End and on Broadway, earning acclaim for his 1996 Tony Award-winning production of A Doll’s House with Janet McTeer. He also directed Maggie Smith in several of her most celebrated performances, including Three Tall Women and A Delicate Balance. His final stage production was a critically acclaimed revival of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot in New York in 2009. Page is survived by his husband, Ken Butler, an artist, with whom he shared a 40-year partnership that was formalized through a civil partnership in 2006 and a marriage in 2014. His legacy lives on in the many actors, playwrights, and theatres he inspired and supported throughout his career.