My friend Richard Wortley, who has died aged 89, specialised in directing radio plays that were, in his words, “cutting-edge political or comedial”. Indeed the playwrights he commissioned – including Howard Barker, Howard Brenton, David Hare and Nick Dear – were often deliberate disturbers of listeners’ peace. But he ranged widely, directing plays by Alan Bennett, Wole Soyinka and Caryl Phillips.
In the early 1980s Richard commissioned me to make a radio adaptation of my stage play The British Empire, Part One. He deftly marshalled a huge cast and a rich variety of sound effects, but not content with such a large canvas, he then insisted that I write Parts Two and Three.
Richard’s way with an author was gentle but firm. He was a consummate editor and treated his technical staff with the same friendly respect as his authors. He was equally good at easing actors into their parts. He would rise with difficulty from his seat, take his stick, for he was very lame, and hobble into the studio, smiling, encouraging, obliquely correcting the cast. The roll-call of actors who came to Richard’s summons included Peggy Ashcroft, Judi Dench, Harriet Walter, John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins.
Richard was born in Northampton and raised in St Albans. His father, Hugh Wortley, taught history at St Albans school. His mother, Grace (nee Howard), was a local clergyman’s daughter. He attended St Albans school, where he was a notable sportsman and became head boy. After national service in Germany he read modern history at Exeter College, Oxford.
Richard had been a keen amateur actor but in his own words “all that evaporated the day I met a professional”. After teacher training he joined BBC schools radio in 1959 and became a producer in the drama department in 1970. His output was prolific. He helped to pioneer location recording in the late 70s and in 1985 won the Prix Italia for the radio version of Barker’s play Scenes From An Execution, with Glenda Jackson in the leading role.
After his retirement from the BBC in 1994, he continued working as a director with independent production companies, notably Pier Productions, for a further 10 years.
Richard had two children, Christopher and Julia, with his first wife, Caroline, and a third, William, with his second wife, Cherry, a fellow producer in BBC radio. His first two marriages ended in divorce. He met Rosamund Mason, a studio manager at the BBC, in 1989 and they were married in 2016.
He is survived by Rosamund, his children, three grandsons and his sister Brenda.
