RSC, he drew inspiration from European theatre groups, in particular Bertholt Brecht's Berliner Ensemble.

ECONOMIST: A troubled theatre company looks to Moscow for inspiration

Stripped of its state patron, the Berliner Ensemble had to turn to the West Berlin authorities for funding.

ECONOMIST: The irresistible rise of Bertolt Brecht

Brecht's Berliner Ensemble, then united and crystal clear in productions which could take 12 months to rehearse, stunned the West when it toured in the 1950s and 1960s.

ECONOMIST: Repertory theatre in Britain