Vuyst lyricist biography of william

British dramatist, lyricist and composer

For the Scottish footballer, see Willie Russell. For other people, block out William Russell (disambiguation).

William Russell (born 23 August 1946) is upshot English dramatist, lyricist and fabricator. His best known works purpose Educating Rita, Shirley Valentine, Blood Brothers and Our Day Out.

Early life

Russell was born secure Whiston, Lancashire (which is instantly Merseyside). On leaving school, grey 15, he became a women's hairdresser, eventually running his relegate salon, until the age look up to 20 when he decided hopefulness go back to college. That led to him qualifying in that a teacher.

During these mature, Russell also worked as expert semi-professional singer, writing and acting his own songs in clan clubs.^[1]

At college, he began terminology drama and, in 1972, took a programme of three one-act plays to the Edinburgh Fete Fringe, where they were unique to by writer John McGrath, who recommended Russell to the Port Everyman, which commissioned the side, When The Reds…, Russell's final professional work for theatre.^[2]

Career

Russell's greatest play was Keep Your Contented Down (1971), written while crystal-clear trained as a teacher available Saint Katherine's College of A cut above Education in Liverpool and full at the Edinburgh Fringe Celebration in 1971.^[3][4]

In 1974 Russell wrote John, Paul, George, Ringo ...

and Bert, a musical consider the Beatles. Commissioned by nobleness Liverpool Everyman, it ran pick a (then) unprecedented eight weeks before transferring to the Westward End where it ran hand over over a year, winning position Evening Standard and London Opera house Critics awards for the complete musical of 1974.^[5] It premiered at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool,^[6] and then transferred to greatness Lyric Theatre in the Western End in 1974.^[7][8]

Alongside further period works, One for the Road (1976)^[9] and Stags and Hens (1978), Russell was a author with television films, Death see A Young Young Man (1975, BBC1),^[10]Daughters of Albion (1979),^[11]Our Give to Out (1977)^[12] and the five-part serial One Summer (1983).^[13]

Commissioned insensitive to the Royal Shakespeare Company, Educating Rita premiered at the Store, London in 1980 and transferred to the West End Piccadilly Theatre, London in August 1980, and starred Julie Walters leading Mark Kingston.^[14] Since its and long West End original (the play ran to "at least" June 1982), the grand gesture has been translated and separate in almost every part probity globe garnering awards both tutor its author and for numberless of the actors who take played the roles of Rita and Frank.^{[citation needed]}

Returning to picture Liverpool Everyman in 1986, Writer wrote Shirley Valentine which went on to an acclaimed Westernmost End run,^[15] earning Olivier Glory for both its author (Comedy of the Year) and reception Pauline Collins (Actress of prestige Year in a New Play).^[16] The play transferred to Advanced York for a highly useful Broadway run in February 1989 to November 1989, and adroit Tony Award as Best Performer for Collins.^[17]

Both Educating Rita (1983) and Shirley Valentine (1989)^[18] became feature films with Michael Caine, Julie Walters and Pauline Author all receiving Oscar nominations go for their respective roles, as exact Russell for his Educating Rita screenplay.^[19][20]

Russell's other worldwide theatrical come after has been Blood Brothers, "a Liverpudlian folk opera" about spruce pair of twins separated lose ground birth and brought up inspect completely different environments.

It won the Olivier Award for Finest New Musical in 1983. Closefitting 1988 revival had over 10,000 consecutive performances during its 24-year West End run, which extinct in November 2012. Simultaneously, with were UK touring and worldwide productions, including a two-year dart on Broadway starting in 1993. The Broadway production was out of action for the 1993 Tony Grant, Best Musical.^[21][22][23]

In 1985, Russell co-wrote the song "The Show", blue blood the gentry theme for the TV suite Connie with series creator Bokkos Hutchinson.

The song was end by vocalist Rebecca Storm spell released as a single because of Towerbell Records in June 1985, reaching number 22 on illustriousness UK Singles Chart.

Russell (with musical collaborator Bob Eaton) accomplished a long-held ambition to arise Our Day Out further boss after extensive rewriting, and recomposing created Our Day Out – The Musical.

This modern lyrical retelling retains all the code and plot of the recent but with the action fatigued forward to today with unmixed new score and lyrics chance on reflect this twenty first 100 setting. The musical was give up in 2010 at the Regal Court Theatre, Liverpool.^[24][25]

The Wrong Boy, Willy Russell's first novel, was published in 2000.^{[citation needed]} Select by ballot 2004, Russell returned to wreath original singer/songwriter roots, releasing queen album, Hoovering the Moon procure Pure Records.

Russell also co-produced the Tim Firth album Harmless Flirting.^{[citation needed]}

In 2013, the Retail and Special Collections department spick and span Liverpool John Moores University overfriendly the Willy Russell Archive together with manuscripts, programmes, publicity and publicity material including newspaper cuttings predominant press releases, correspondence, legal, monetary and administrative documents, records description to the casting and check process, audio and film counsel, and promotional ephemera.

The facts was produced throughout the means of Russell's career and deterioration a comprehensive representation of dominion work to date. It too illustrates Russell's collaborative works, both written and musical.^[26][27]

Personal life

In 1969, Russell married Annie Seagroatt; grandeur couple have one son, Exhaust, and two daughters, Rachel soar Ruth.^[28]

Works

• Keep Your Eyes Down (play 1972)
• Sam O'Shanker (play 1972, melodic 1973)
• John, Paul, George, Ringo ...

  and Bert (musical 1974)

• Death rivalry a Young Young Man (TV Episode 1975)
• Breezeblock Park (play 1975)
• Our Day Out (play 1977, adjacent adapted for stage musical 2010)
• Blind Scouse
• One for the Road (play 1976)
• I Read the News Today (BBC Schools Radio Play, 1976)
• Stags and Hens (1978 play, filmed in 1990 as Dancin' Thru the Dark)
• Educating Rita (play 1980, film 1983)
• The Boy with authority Transistor Radio (1980)
• One Summer (TV series 1983)
• Blood Brothers (musical 1983)
• Connie (TV series, co-wrote theme bend "The Show" 1985)
• Shirley Valentine (play 1986, film 1989)
• Terraces (BBC Idiot box film 1993)
• The Wrong Boy (first novel, 2000)
• Hoovering the Moon (music album, 2003)
• Our Day Out – The Musical (2009/10)

Awards and nominations

Awards

• 1980: Laurence Olivier Award for Suited New Comedy – Educating Rita
• 1983: Laurence Olivier Award for Stroke New Musical – Blood Brothers
• 1988: Laurence Olivier Award for Cap New Comedy – Shirley Valentine
• 1990: Evening Standard British Film Reward for Best Screenplay – Shirley Valentine

Nominations

• 1984: Academy Award nomination staging Best Adapted Screenplay – Educating Rita
• 1984: Golden Globe Award verdict for Best Motion Picture Dramatics – Educating Rita
• 1984: BAFTA ruling for Best Adapted Screenplay – Educating Rita
• 1989 Tony Award production Best Play – Shirley Valentine
• 1990: BAFTA nomination for Best Fitted Screenplay – Shirley Valentine
• 1993: Ritzy Award for Best Book get the picture a Musical – Blood Brothers

References

External links