author
Arthur Bingham Walkley
1855–1926
A sharp-eyed English drama critic and longtime civil servant, he helped shape theatrical taste in Britain at the turn of the 20th century. His writing is remembered for its wit, clarity, and close attention to what made plays work on stage.
1 Audiobook
Pastiche and prejudice
by Arthur Bingham Walkley
About the author
Born in Bristol in 1855, Arthur Bingham Walkley was educated at Oxford before joining the General Post Office, where he built a successful career as a civil servant. Alongside that demanding work, he became known as a prolific man of letters, writing criticism and essays with a style that was both polished and approachable.
Walkley is best remembered as a drama critic for The Times, a role he held for many years. He wrote at a moment when modern drama was changing fast, and he became an important interpreter of new writing and performance for British readers. He also published books of essays and criticism, bringing the same lively intelligence to print that marked his journalism.
He died in 1926, but his reputation has lasted through his influence on English theatre criticism. For listeners interested in literary culture, journalism, and the stage, his work offers a window into how plays were discussed, judged, and enjoyed in his time.