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Drew Griffiths

DREW GRIFFITHS

  (1947 - 1984)
Nationality:    British
email:    n/a     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    n/a

Drew was born on January 17 1947 in Urmston, Lancashire his parents were Leonard and MonA. In 1953 his parents took over a pub, the Coach and Horses. Mona drank to excess and Leonard ignored his son. Drew spent much of his time with his aunt Ruby. When he was 14 he was sent for aversion therapy. He went to Urmston Grammar School and when he left became letters editor for the weekly newspaper "Reveille". In 1973 he moved to London and moved into a house in Balham with three friends who became the founding members of Gay Sweatshop. It was run as a collective and Drew was instrumental in getting women members in the group. He was a heavy drinker and smoker and he contracted hepatitis B whilst on tour with the play "as Time Goes By". afterwards he became erratic - he set fire to the house, compulsively bought clothes and then left for Paris to live as a tramp. He was expelled from Gay Sweatshop. He recovered and now started writing for radio and television. the stress of writing a daily soap opera led to another breakdown - he drank all day and would often burn his furniture in the garden his friends tried to get him hospitalized but they could not. He was murdered on June 18th 1984 by a man he picked up in the elephANT and Castle.

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below is a list of Drew Griffiths's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         Age Of Consent         As Time Goes By         Indiscreet         Jingleball (PArts 1 And 2)         Mister X

Age Of Consent

Synopsis:
TIe type show about the law and male homosexuals

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Gay Sweatshop

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama. - - Gay, full length

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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As Time Goes By

As Time Goes By
Set in three time periods. 1896 - Sydney arrives in London as is taken up by the proprietor of a male brothel. He and one of the other boys put on a show for two prospective clients. the clients then bid for which boy they wish to have. William, the other boy finishes with his client first and robs the owner. When Sydney has finished he is ordered out as it is suspected that he conspired in the robbery. He goes to the police and the brothel owners are arrested. 1929 - Berlin. Two cabaret drag artists. Lenny has been approached by Magnus Hirschfield, the director of Institute for Sexual Science to talk about his fantasies. Kurt meets Hans a young guy up from the country looking for work. He becomes a waiter at the cabaret and moves in with Kurt. 1933 the owner of the cabaret throws a party to celebrate Kurt and Hans' anniversary. 1934 and the Nazis are rounding up gay people. 1969 New York told in mainly monologue form a number of men in a bar talk of their lives. the Barman on how he tried to avoid the draft by telling the Draft Board he was gay but he was not believed because straight men who were trying to avoid the draft were camping it up, wearing women's clothes and lipstick. the Business Man tells how his long standing relationship with a black guy ended when his partner became a Black Panther and a white lover was inconvenient. the Student who admires his sister's involvement in the Women's Movement and wonders if he should tell her he is gay or whether she knows already. the Leather Guy he just grunts occasionally. the Man just sits and says nothing. the Drag Queen tries to get everyone to take a flower in remembrance of Judy Garland who was buried that morning, but everyone refuses. the second time the Drag Queen offers a flower they accept apart from the Man who turns out to be a police officer and he tries to arrest the Drag Queen for importuning. However, rest of the customers and Barman throw the police officer out. the place is the Stonewall Bar, Christopher Street, New York and the Stonewall Riot had begun.

Notes:
written with Noel Greig

1st Produced:
Edinburgh Festival    1977

Organisations:
Gay Sweatshop

1st Published:
Two Gay Sweatshop Plays, the Gay Men's Press, 1981   978-0907040064

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama. - - Gay, full length

Parts:
Male:  7            Female:  -            Other:  doubling; pianist

Further Reference:
-

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Indiscreet

Synopsis:
the continuing story of of Mister X: problems facing out gays

Notes:
written with Roger Baker

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Gay Sweatshop

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama. - - Gay, full length

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Jingleball (PArts 1 And 2)

Synopsis:
Feminist panto based looslely on Cinderella

Notes:
written with the Company

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Gay Sweatshop

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Pantomime. - - Gay, full length

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Mister X

Synopsis:
Homosexual self-oppression based on With Downcast Gays by Hodges and Hutter

Notes:
written with Roger Baker

1st Produced:
CHe Conference, Sheffield    1975

Organisations:
Gay Sweatshop

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama. - - Gay, full length

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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