Jonathan Miller has died at age 85

Jonathan Miller, a longtime presence in the world of British letters and the stage died today at 85. Trained as a physician specializing in neurology, he was a prolific writer of texts on human physiology and medicine, but also had wide-ranging interests that led to titles on art and theater; he had a longtime and noteworthy career directing productions in theater and opera, most notably helping to create new visions of Shakespearian classics and various classical opera repertoire that revolutionized staged productions of these works. His theatrical career began with the famous Beyond the Fringe review, that introduced, along with Miller, comic performers Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, as well as the still active and prolific writer Alan Bennett. This collection of skits was instrumental in shaping the face of 'new' British comedy and was the basis and inspiration for later comedic sketch work such as Monty Python and Not the Nine O'Clock News. A major cultural figure who spanned decades, Miller will be much missed.