Willy Russell

William Russell (born 23 August 1947 in Whiston, Merseyside) is a British playwright, screenwriter, author, lyricist, and composer.

Life

Russell comes from a working class background. After leaving school with one O-level in English, he first became a ladies hairdresser and ran his own salon. Russell then undertook a variety of jobs, also writing songs which were performed in local folk clubs. He also contributed songs and sketches to local radio programmes. At 20 years of age, he returned to college and became a teacher in Toxteth. Around this time he met his later wife, Annie, and became interested in writing drama.

Work

His first success was a play about The Beatles called "John, Paul, George, Ringo and Bert" commissioned for the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool and transferring to the West End in 1974. Three of his later plays became outstanding successes. One was "Educating Rita", about a working-class female hairdresser and her Open University teacher. The semi-autobiographical "Educating Rita" was made into a film in 1983 starring Michael Caine and Julie Walters. The second was the musical "Blood Brothers" for which Russell also composed the music. It was produced in 1983; first opening in Liverpool and then transferring to London, where it was highly successful and recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary (April 2007), performing at the Phoenix Theatre. Bill Kenwright opened a new production in 1988, and the show also opened on Broadway in 1993. The third play was "Shirley Valentine", which first opened in Liverpool in 1986 before a new production opened in London in 1988 starring Pauline Collins. It was also made into a successful film in 1989, again with Collins in the title role. Russell received BAFTA and Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay for both Educating Rita" and "Shirley Valentine".

Russell has also received acclaim for his work on television, including the one-off drama, Our Day Out, which aired in 1977. He penned another television drama, One Summer, which aired as a five-part series on Channel 4 in 1983, starring a young David Morrissey.

In 2000, Russell published his first novel "The Wrong Boy". In epistolary form, main character Raymond Marks, a 19-year old from Manchester, tells the story of his life in letters to his hero Morrissey.

Willy Russell has written songs since the early 1960s, and has written the music to most of his plays and musicals. He also penned "The Show", which was the theme song to the 1985 ITV drama series "Connie" and which became a top 30 hit for vocalist Rebecca Storm. His first album, "Hoovering the Moon", was released in 2003.

List of plays, novels, musicals, and films (incomplete)

* "Keep Your Eyes Down" (play 1971)
* "Sam O'Shanker" (Play 1972, musical 1973)
* "Blind Scouse" (1972)
* "John, Paul, George, Ringo ...and Bert" (musical 1974)
* "Death of a Young Man (play 1974)
* "Breezeblock Park" (play 1975)
* "Our Day Out" (made-for-TV film 1976)
* "One for the Road" (play 1976)
* "Stags and Hens" (1978 play and film)
* "Educating Rita" (play 1980, film 1983)
* "One Summer" (TV series 1983)
* "Blood Brothers" (musical 1983) still running
* "Shirley Valentine" (play 1988, film 1989)
* "Terraces" (film 1993)
* "The Wrong Boy" (debut)
* "I Read The News Today" (Radio Play)

Albums

* "Hoovering The Moon" (2003)

Awards and nominations

* In 1980 he won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy for his play "Educating Rita".
* In 1983 he won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical for the musical "Blood Brothers".
* In 1984 he gained a BAFTA nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for "Educating Rita".
* In 1984 he gained an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for "Educating Rita"
* In 1984 he gained a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Screenplay for "Educating Rita".
* In 1988 he won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy for his play "Shirley Valentine".
* In 1990 he won the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Screenplay for "Shirley Valentine".
* In 1990 he gained a BAFTA nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for "Shirley Valentine".
* Has twice been nominated for Broadway's Tony Award: in 1989 as author of Best Play nominee "Shirley Valentine" and in 1993 as Best Book (Musical) for "Blood Brothers".

The Willy Russell Centre

The Willy Russell Centre for Children and Adults Who Stammer, opened in 1995 in Liverpool. The centre took Russell's name because his writing in many of his plays puts forward the philosophy that anyone is capable of change whatever obstacles may be in their path, one shared by the centre.

External links

* [http://www.willyrussell.com/ Willy Russell Homepage]
* [http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=authC2D9C28A1b0d427AD6wHp42AD1AF Willy Russell at ContemporaryWriters]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751516/ Russell at IMDb]