Editing John Bird (actor) (section)

==Early life==
John Michael Bird was born in [[Bulwell]], Nottingham,<ref name = Coveney>{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/dec/28/john-bird-obituary|title = John Bird obituary|newspaper = [[The Guardian]]|date = 28 December 2022|accessdate = 28 December 2022|last = Coveney|first = Michael}}</ref> where his father ran a small [[Pharmacy (shop)|chemist's shop]]. He lived at 445 Perry Road in New Basford, north of the (current) Nottingham Perry Road [[Sainsbury's]].<ref>''Nottingham Guardian'' Tuesday 31 May 1955</ref><ref>''Nottingham Evening Post'' Thursday 2 June 1955, page 6</ref>

He failed his [[11-plus]], but his [[Secondary modern school|secondary modern]] headmaster managed to have him transferred, aged 12, to [[New College Nottingham|High Pavement Grammar School]]. At grammar school, he honed his acting skills in the dramatic society. In late January 1955 at the Co-operative Arts Centre (the former [[George Street Particular Baptist Church]], which is now the [[Nottingham Arts Theatre]] in the city centre), he appeared in a school production of ''[[Strife (play)|Strife]]'', by [[John Galsworthy]] (known for ''[[The Forsyte Saga]]''), where he played David Roberts; Geoffrey Braman played Simon Harness and Michael Hurworth played John Anthony. The female parts were played by girls from the [[Nottingham Girls' Academy|Manning School]], a girls grammar school, notably Angela Williams and Jacqueline Le Vick. The play was produced by a modern languages teacher, and the same group of people had taken part in a production of Julius Caesar, the year before, where he played Brutus.<ref>''Nottingham Guardian'' Monday 24 January 1955</ref><ref>''Nottingham Guardian'' Friday 28 January 1955, page 2</ref> At the Arts Centre, he appeared in many productions of the Nottingham County Theatre Company.

In 1956 he passed the entrance exam for [[King’s College, Cambridge]]; he read English literature and stayed for postgraduate studies with a thesis entitled "European Drama 1888–1914".<ref name="telegraph"/> At Cambridge in 1958, he jointly wrote a review, deliberately against the style of works by writers such as [[Julian Slade]], who he disliked. He found American politics far more interesting than British politics, in content, but realised that American politics was much more coarser and uncivilised in tone; he thought that British politics, instead, was a lot more disciplined, but possibly too disciplined and straight-laced. He took an interest in anarchy, after reading ''[[The Secret Agent]]'' by [[Joseph Conrad]].<ref>''Nottingham Guardian'' Wednesday 27 January 1965, page 6</ref>