Shirley Valentine
Extras
Willy Russell
Willy Russell was born in Whiston near Liverpool and left school at fifteen. He went through a succession of jobs before, at the age of twenty, he decided to take O' and A' levels and become a teacher. At about the same time he saw John McGrath's play Unruly Elements at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, and decided he wanted to become a playwright.
Russell's work for the stage includes:
- Blind Scouse (Edinburgh Festival, 1972)
- John, Paul, George, Ringo... and Bert (Everyman, Liverpool; Lyric Theatre, London; winner of the Evening Standard's and the London Theatre Critic's award for Best Musical, 1974)
- Breezeblock Park (Everyman, Liverpool; Mermaid, London, 1975)
- One for the Road (On tour 1976, Contact Theatre, Manchester, 1986, and revised for the Lyric, London, 1988)
- Stags and Hens (Liverpool Playhouse, 1978, adapted as screenplay Dancing through the Dark, 1990)
- Educating Rita (RSC Warehouse, Piccadilly Theatre, 1980; RSC tour, 1982; winner of the Society of West End Theatres' award for Best Comedy, 1980; made into a film, for which Russell wrote the screenplay, directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Michael Caine and Julie Walters, 1983)
- Blood Brothers (Liverpool Playhouse; Lyric, London, 1983; Albery Theatre, London 1988; Broadway 1993) for which Russell wrote the music, lyrics and book.
- Shirley Valentine (Everyman, Liverpool, 1986; Vauderville Theatre, London, 1988; and screenplay starring Pauline Collins in 1989)
His television work includes:
- King of the Castle (BBC Television 'Second City Firsts, 1973)
- Break-In (BBC Television Play for Schools, 1974)
- Death of a Young Man (BBC Television Play for Today, 1974)
- Our Day Out (BBC Television Play for Today, 1976; subsequently adapted for the stage and seen at the Everyman, Liverpool, 1983)
- The Daughters of Albion (Yorkshire Television, 1978)
- Terraces (BBC Schools Television, 1992) In June 1983 the Open University awarded Willy Russell an Honorary M.A. in recognition of his work as a playwright.
