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Willy Russell

WILLY RUSSELL

  (1947 - )
Nationality:    English
email:    n/a     Website:    Click here

Literary Agent:    Casarotto Ramsay and Associates Ltd  

Willy Russell was born in Liverpool in 1947. He became a hairdresser on leaving school, then undertook a variety of jobs, also writing songs which were performed in local folk clubs. He also wrote songs and sketches for local radio programmes. At 20 years of age, he returned to college and became a teacher in Toxteth, after which he began to become interested in writing Drama. His first play, Keep your Eyes Down, was produced in 1971, and he became well-known after his musical about the Beatles, John, Paul, George, Ringo & and Bert, ran for eight weeks at Liverpool Everyman Theatre. It was transferred to the West End and won the Evening Standard and London Theatre Critic Award for best musical in 1974. Since then he has written several plays, including Educating Rita (1981), about a working-class woman who decides to study English with the Open University and Shirley Valentine (1988), a housewife who becomes transformed after a holiday in Greece. Both plays were made into films from Willy Russells own screenplays starring Julie Walters and Pauline Collins respectively, each winning an Oscar nomination, as did the author for best screenplay. He has also written plays for television, including the well-received Our Day Out (1984). Willy Russell has continued to write songs since the early 1960s. He wrote the lyrics and score for his popular musical Blood Brothers (1986), about a pair of twins separated at birth. the show has been playing in the West End since 1983 and won 3 Best Music Award and one Best Actress Award at the Laurence Olivier Awards. He also wrote the score for Shirley Valentine, and for several other television series and plays. His first album, Hoovering the Moon, was released in 2003. In 2000, Willy Russell published his first novel, the Wrong Boy. It is currently being adapted for television. He lives and works in Liverpool.

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

         Blind Scouse         Blood Brothers         Boy With the Transistor Radio, The         Breezeblock Park         Cantril Tales, The         Educating Rita         I Read the News Today         John, Paul, George and Bert         Keep Your Eyes Down         One For the Road         Our Day Out         Our Day Out - the Musical         Politics And Terror         Shirley Valentine         Stags and Hens         Tam Lin         Terraces         When the Reds

Blind Scouse

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
includes Keep Your Eyes Down, Playground, Sam O'shanker

1st Produced:
Liverpool    1972

Organisations:
-

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

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Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Blood Brothers

Synopsis:
A Liverpudlian West Side Story: twin brothers are separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them both. She gives one of them away to wealthy Mrs Lyons and they grow up as friends in ignorance of their fraternity until the inevitable quarrel unleashes a blood-bath.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Stanley Thorne Ltd
French, London, 1985
Methuen Drama, London   978-0748701827

Music:
Original cast recording: Castle (CLACD 270)

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Genre:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  5            Other:  extras

Further Reference:
-

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Boy With the Transistor Radio, The

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Stanley Thornes, 1987   -

Music:
-

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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

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Genre:
Childrens 1 Act Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  7            Female:  3            Other:  extras

Further Reference:
-

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Breezeblock Park

Synopsis:
Three married couples, 'superior' council-house dwellers, regard themselves as a close-knit family, a team, despite their generally concealed jealousies. When one of their daughters, Sandra, announces she is pregnant and intends to live unmarried with her student lover, Tim, the news explodes like an atom bomb. Tim himself is unhappy about the arrangement and tries to make Sandra realise she now has responsibilities, but she walks out on them all.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Liverpool    1975

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1978   -

Music:
-

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Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Cantril Tales, The

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
written with Others

1st Produced:
Liverpool    1975

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

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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

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Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Educating Rita

Synopsis:
Pygmalion-style Drama about a hairdresser's literary quest.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Warehouse, Covent Garden, London    16 Jun 1980

Organisations:
RSC

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1981   -

Music:
-

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Genre:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:

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I Read the News Today

Synopsis:
a gunman is loose in a local radio station

Notes:
1st written for radio

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1987   -

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

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Genre:
Childrens Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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John, Paul, George and Bert

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Liverpool    1974

Organisations:
-

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:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Keep Your Eyes Down

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Liverpool    1971

Organisations:
-

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

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Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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One For the Road

Synopsis:
the vandalisation of suburbia causes more than consternation when perpetrator is exposed to his friends

Notes:
aka Painted Veg And Parkinson; Happy Returns; Dennis the Menace

1st Produced:
Manchester    1976

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1980   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Our Day Out

Synopsis:
Mrs Kay's "progress class" on a day out to Wales. Mr Briggs, the stern authoritarian, goes along to try and keep order.

Notes:
An adaptation for the stage of Willy Russell's 1977 BBC Play For Today, with songs by Bob Eaton, Willy Russell and Chris Mellor.

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Everyman Theatre Liverpool

1st Published:
in "Act I", Hutchinson, London, 1979
Heinemann   978-0435233013

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

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Genre:
Childrens musical play Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  3            Other:  20c

Further Reference:
-

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Our Day Out - the Musical

Synopsis:
Mrs Kay's Progress Class are off to Alton Towers - until Mr Briggs gets on board. . . the destination might have changed but there is no stopping the fun on a trip for the class that always gets left behind. the show is packed full of big dance numbers and fantastic songs that had the Royal Court rocking for weeks.

Notes:
by Willy Russell based on his play with songs by Willy Russell And Bob Eaton

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Royal Court Liverpool

1st Published:
Methuen Drama 2011   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  5            Other:  17 young actors

Further Reference:
-

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Politics And Terror

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in "Wordplays 1" Hutchinson, London, 1982   -

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

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Genre:
One Act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Shirley Valentine

Synopsis:
A holiday in Greece refreshes an unhappy middle aged Liverpool housewife in more ways than one

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Liverpool    1986

Organisations:
-

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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Stags and Hens

Synopsis:
study of working class misogyny as separate stag and hens parties converge

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1985   -

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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Tam Lin

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
music by Russell

1st Produced:
Liverpool    1972

Organisations:
-

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:
Childrens Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Terraces

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in Second Playbill I, Hutchinson, London, 1973   -

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:
Childrens Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  6            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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When the Reds

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
from the Tigers Are Coming - O.K.? by Alan Plater

1st Produced:
Liverpool    1973

Organisations:
-

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:
Adaptation

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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