Heinz Bernard

Who was Heinz Bernard?

Heinz Bernhard Löwenstein was a British actor and director and theatre manager. Of Jewish origin, he also lived and worked in Israel from 1971 to 1981. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, graduating in 1951.

After graduation he worked in the Peter Allan Theatre, possibly the last group of travelling players to operate in the British Isles, performing every night in different towns and villages in the British countryside. He went on to become the manager of the famous leftist Unity Theatre, London. As manager of Unity theatre he staged the first professional British production of a Brecht play, the Visions of Simone Marchard. Lionel Bart, who later gained fame as the author of the musical Oliver!, designed the poster.

Heinz Bernard also acted and directed in the travelling Century Theatre and taught at RADA, where he was director of admissions.

Heinz's name at birth was Heinz Messinger. He was adopted as a baby by a family called Löwenstein. After leaving RADA he worked under the professional name Harry Bernard, eventually dropping the Harry and becoming simply Heinz Bernard.