THE STORY OF IWAN WILLIAMS

Following story appeared in The Herald. It addresses also the filantropist attitude of Sting.
Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure with a cast including Judi Dench, Edward Woodward and Ronald Magill. The jazz setting that Williams provided, although not partic-ularly revolutionary (John Dankworth and Cleo Laine had already set Shakespeare in swingtime), at first discomfited The Guardian’s drama critic of the time. By the end, however, the critic had been won over and was particularly taken with Williams’ bluesy adaptation of the Bard’s Take, Oh, Take Those Lips Away and the additional lyrics that gave Williams the kudos of co-writing with England’s greatest playwright. After Nottingham, Williams moved to Leatherhead, where he won praise for works including Maudie – which was based on Osbert Lancaster’s cartoon character, Maud – and then to Newcastle, where he gave early leg-ups to one Gordon Sumner, who as Sting repaid these by recalling William’s contribution to his career in his autobiography.