My friend Laurence Harbottle, who has died aged 91, was a solicitor who also made an outstanding contribution to cultural life in Britain. As chair of both the ICA and the Central School of Speech and Drama, as a significant force behind the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester and as a member of the Arts Council, he was a champion of the arts for more than 60 years.
Laurence was a founding partner of Harbottle & Lewis, a leading law firm specialising in the entertainment industry. His first client was Dirk Bogarde and he soon acquired Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and, later, other internationally known names such as David Frost, John Cleese and Bob Hoskins.
Continue reading...