D'Arcy, Margaretta (1934–)
D'Arcy, Margaretta (1934–)
Irish actress, critic and playwright. Name variations: Margaretta Arden; Margaretta Ruth D'Arcy. Born June 14, 1934, in London, England, of Irish parentage; dau. of Joseph D'Arcy (who fought with the Dublin Brigade in Irish War for Independence) and Marie Billig D'Arcy (Russian-Jewish dau. of immigrants); grew up in Dublin, Ireland; m. John Arden (playwright), 1957; children: 4 sons.
Controversial playwright, whose work and activism often address England-Ireland relations; moved to London (1953); became a member of a special acting group at Royal Court Theatre (1958); wrote most plays with husband John Arden, including The Happy Haven (1960), Friday's Hiding (1966), My Old Man's a Tory (1971), The Island of the Mighty: A Play on a Traditional British Theme (1972), The Non-Stop Connolly Show: A Dramatic Cycle of Continuous Struggle in Six Parts (1975), No Room at the Inn (1976), The Making of Muswell Hill (1984) and The Eleanor Mary Show (1991); also wrote Tell Them Everything: A Sojourn in the Prison of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Art Macha (Armagh) (1981).