William Archer

Vocation

Scottish drama critic, translator and playwright. Archer became a leader-writer on the Edinburgh Evening News in 1875, and after a year in Australia returned to Edinburgh. In 1878 he took up residence in London. In 1879 he became dramatic critic of the London Figaro, and in 1884 of the World, where he remained until 1905. In London he soon took a prominent literary place. Archer had much to do with introducing Ibsen to the English public by his translation The Pillars of Society, produced at the Gaiety Theatre, London, 1880. He also translated, alone or in collaboration, other productions of the Scandinavian stage, such as Ibsen's A Doll's House (1889). Archer was a friend and neighbour of George Bernard Shaw, and arranged for his plays to be translated into German. Archer's play, The Green Goddess, was produced by Winthrop Ames at the Booth Theatre in New York. He was one of the founders of the Simplified Spelling Society in 1908. He died on 27 December 1924. Link to Wikipedia biography