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Willy Russell Biography (1947-)

Full name, William Martin Russell; born August 23, 1947, in Whiston, Lancashire, England; son of shopkeepers; married Ann Margaret Seagroatt, 1969; children: one son, two daughters. Addresses: Office--W.R. Ltd., 43 Canning St., Liverpool L8 7NN, England.; Agent-- Margaret Ramsay Ltd., 14-A Goodwin'sCourt, London WC2N 4LL, England.

Nationality

English

Gender

Male

Birth Details

August 23, 1947

Whiston, Lancashire, England

Famous Works

• Credits; STAGE APPEARANCES
• Narrator, Blood Brothers, Liverpool, England, 1985.
• Narrator, Shirley Valentine, Liverpool, 1986.
• Credits; STAGE WORK
• Director, Educating Rita, Liverpool, 1981.
• Writings;PLAYS
• Keep Your Eyes Down, produced in Liverpool, England, 1971.
• Blind Scouse (includes Keep Your Eyes Down, Playground, and Sam O'Shanker(also see below)), produced in Liverpool, 1972.
• Tam Lin, produced in Liverpool, 1972.
• Sam O'Shanker (revised version), produced in Liverpool, 1973.
• When the Reds (adapted from Alan Plater's play The Tigers Are Coming--O.K.?), produced in Liverpool, 1973.
• Terraces, published in Second Playbill I, Hutchinson, 1973, collection published in Terraces, 1979.
• John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert, produced in Liverpool, 1974, produced on the West End, 1974.
• The Cantril Tales, produced in Liverpool, 1975.
• Breezeblock Park (produced in Liverpool, 1975, produced on the West End,1977), Samuel French, 1978.
• One for the Road (produced as Painted Veg and Parkinson, Manchester, England, 1976, produced as Dennis the Menace, Norwich, England, 1978, produced asHappy Returns, Brighton, England, 1978, produced as One for the Road, Nottingham, England, 1979), Samuel French, 1980, revised version (produced in Liverpool, 1986, and on the West End, 1987), 1985.
• Stags and Hens (also see below; produced in Liverpool, 1978, produced inLondon, 1984), Samuel French, 1985.
• Educating Rita (also see below; produced in London, 1980, produced on Broadway, 1987), Samuel French, 1981.
• Blood Brothers (also see below; produced in Liverpool, 1981, revised version produced in Liverpool and on the West End, 1983), Hutchinson, 1986.
• Our Day Out (revised from his teleplay; also see below; produced in Liverpool and London, 1983), Methuen, 1984.
• Educating Rita, Stags and Hens, and Blood Brothers, Methuen, 1986.
• Shirley Valentine (also see below), produced in Liverpool, 1986, producedin London, 1988, produced on Broadway, 1989.
• Also author of Single Spies, produced in London.
• Writings;SCREENPLAYS
• Educating Rita (based on his play), Columbia, 1983.
• (And composer of music) Shirley Valentine (based on his play), Paramount,1989.
• (And composer of music) Dancin' Thru the Dark, Palace and British Screen,1990.
• Writings;TELEPLAYS
• Break In, 1975, published in Scene Scripts 2, Longman, 1978.
• Our Day Out, 1977, published in Act 1, Hutchinson, 1979.
• Lies, 1978, published in City Life, Hutchinson, 1980.
• Politics and Terror, 1978, published in Working, Hutchinson, 1980.
• Also author of King of the Castle, 1973, The Death of a Young, Young Man,1975, The Daughters of Albion, 1979, The Boy With the Transistor Radio, 1980, and One Summer (series), 1983.
• Writings;PUBLISHED MUSIC
• I Will Be Your Love, RKO, 1974.
• OOee boppa OOee boppa, RKO, 1974.
• Dance the Night, Paternoster, 1980.
• Blood Brothers, Paternoster-Russell Music, 1983.
• The Show, Timeact-Russell Music-Paternoster, 1985.
• Mr. Love (film score), Russell Music-Warner Brothers, 1986.
• Writings;OTHER
• I Read the News Today (radio play), 1976, published in Home Truths, Longman, 1982.
• Sam O'Shanker: A Liverpool Tale (verse), Mersey Yarns (Liverpool), 1978.

Further Reference

PERIODICALS

• Drama (London), summer, 1983.