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RAY WILLIAMS

  
Nationality:    Welsh
email:    n/a     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    n/a

Ray Williams was born and bred in Clydach near SwanseA. He attended Ystalyfera Grammar School where he was awarded the Henry Rees Medal for being an outstanding pupil. After doing his two years service in the RAF, he went to Trinity College Carmarthen to train to be a teacher. During his teaching career in Leicester he had many short stories published by Pan Books. When he retired from teaching he returned, with his wife Sara and daughter Rhian, to live in Ammanford. However, on his return to Wales a relative challenged him to write a one - act play for the "Play-Offs" competition at the Dylan Thomas Centre, SwanseA. This he did and was delighted when his play, 'to Whom It May Concern', actually won the competition and was later staged by FluEllen at both the Dylan Thomas Centre and the Grand Theatre Arts Wing, SwanseA. When Ray Williams entered 'to Whom It May Concern' in a short play competition - the popular 'Play offs at the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea - he did so more in hope than expectation. After all, he hadn't written a play before and, often what looks good on the page doesn't always work on the stage. To his amazement the play won first prize. A professional playwright, who had been sitting in the audience that night, brought it to the attention of Peter Richards, the Artistic Director of FluEllen Theatre Company. Peter read it and immediately saw it was a perfect play to include in a season of Lunchtime plays that were to be performed in the Dylan Thomas Centre in 2007. the show was an immediate hit with both the critics and the large audiences that came to see it, and when FluEllen was asked to stage a series of lunchtime plays at the Swansea Grand Theatre, Peter has no hesitation in receiving in reviving it with the same cast. Again it played to large and appreciative audiences. Peter asked Ray for another play, to be performed in the second season at the Grand. Ray duly obliged with 'Ole! Mrs Roberts' which, again, delighted both audiences and critics. Since then FluEllen has premiered many more of Ray's plays at the Grand, including - 'Dai the Spy', 'What a Racket and 'A Grotto Too Far' which feature the fictional, but hilariously believable, Welsh National Army [Clydach Branch]. When discussions commenced last year between FluEllen and the De Valence about staging a summer season of comedy, the idea arose of banding 'to Whom It May Concern' and 'Ole! Mrs Roberts' together in a double - bill titled 'you're Having a Laugh!' which featured Top Welsh comedian 'Kevin Johns' in the leading roles for both plays. the latest of Ray's one act plays to be performed at the Grand are 'Jenkins the Shrink' and 'Close the Lid, Igor!' His first two act play 'Funny Business' with 'Kevin Johns' playing the lead role is due to be performed in the Grand Pavilion Theatre in Porthcawl.

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

        Dai the Spy         Ole! Mrs Roberts         To Whom It May Concern         What A Racket