Richard Courtney, drama teacher, theatre scholar and international expert in children's drama, was born in Newmarket, England on 4 June 1927 and was educated at Culford School and the University of Leeds. Between 1948 and 1952 Courtney studied at Leeds with Shakespeare scholar G. Wilson Knight and Pirandello scholar and translator Frederick May. While there, he directed and appeared in several theatre productions and upon graduation continued this endeavor with the Arts Theatre in Leeds and the Rep Theatre in Yorkshire. On 21 December 1953, he married Rosemary Gale.