John Osborne and Jocelyn Rickards at a rehearsal of ‘The world of Paul Slickey’

John Osborne was an anti-Establishment writer, one of the 'angry young men' and leading playwrights of England's post-war youth generation. He was also an actor that appeared in several cult British films, including 'Get Carter' (1971) and ‘Flash Gordon’ (1980).

Osborne’s ‘The world of Paul Slickey’ (1959) was his only attempt to write a musical. It was a satire on Fleet Street gossip columnists. Osborne directed it himself, with music by Christopher Whelen, choreography by Kenneth MacMillan and set design by Hugh Casson. It premiered at the Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth, 14 April 1959, and moved to the Palace Theatre in London on 5 May. It was not well received critically.

The Australia artist Jocelyn Rickards met Osborne in 1958 and they began a relationship which lasted two and a half years. Rickards designed the costumes for two films based on Osborne’s plays ‘Look back in anger’ (1958) and ‘The entertainer’ (1960). When their relationship ended, the two remained good friends. Rickards donated this photograph, along with others of her and Osborne, taken at the time of their affair, to the National Art Archive at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2004. She also donated a small group of archival records through her friend, the curator Christine France.