Biography
Roy Williams began writing plays in 1990 and is now arguably one of the country’s leading dramatists.
His plays include: The Death of England Trilogy (Dorfman Theatre, National Theatre (NT)), The Firm (Hampstead Theatre, Downstairs), Soul: The Untold Story of Marvin Gaye (Royal and Derngate/ Hackney Empire, Antigone (Pilot Theatre/UK Tour), Wildefire (Hampstead Theatre), Advice for the Young At Heart (Theatre Centre), an adaptation of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (Pilot Theatre/ UK Tour), Sucker Punch (Royal Court Theatre, Nominated for Olivier Award for Best Play), Kingston ‘14 (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Category B (Tricycle Theatre), Angel House (Eclipse Theatre, UK Tour), Days of Significance (RSC), Joe Guy (Tiata Fahodzi), There’s Only One Wayne Matthews (Polka Theatre), Baby Girl (NT Connections), Absolute Beginners (Lyric Hammersmith), Little Sweet Thing (Nottingham Playhouse), Slow Time (NT Education), Fallout (Royal Court Theatre), Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads (NT), Clubland (Royal Court Theatre), The Gift (Birmingham Rep/Tricycle Theatre), Local Boy (Hampstead Theatre), Souls (Theatre Centre), Lift Off (Royal Court), Starstruck (Tricycle, Winner of John Whiting Award, Alfred Fagon Award & EMMA Award for Best Play), Josie’s Boy (Red Ladder Theatre Co), and The No-Boy’s Cricket Club (Theatre Royal, Stratford East). He also contributed to the Royal Court’s Peckham: The Soap Opera.
In 2000 he was the joint-winner of The George Devine Award and in 2001 he was awarded the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright.
He was awarded the OBE for Services to Drama in the 2008 Birthday Honours List and was made a fellow of The Royal Society of Literature in 2018.
Productions
Death of England: Closing Time
Year: 2023
Staged in: National Theatre; 1963-
Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads
Year: 2002
Staged in: National Theatre; 1963-
Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, The
Year: 2012
Staged in: Pilot Theatre
Antigone
Year: 2014
Staged in: Co-production between Pilot Theatre, Derby Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East
Publications
Roy Williams Plays 1: The No Boys Cricket Club; Starstruck; Lift Off
Year: 2002
Publisher: Methuen Drama
Roy Williams Plays: v. 2: Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads; Clubland; The Gift
Year: 2004
Publisher: Methuen Drama
Williams Plays 3: Fallout; Slow Time; Days of Significance; Absolute Beginners
Year: 2008
Publisher: Methuen Drama
Williams Plays 4: Sucker Punch, Category B; Joe Guy; Baby Girl; There's Only One Wayne Matthews
Year: 2013
Publisher: Methuen Drama
Williams Plays 5: Kingston 14; The Firm; Advice for the Young at Heart; Death of England; Death of England: Delroy
Year: 2022
Publisher: Methuen Drama
Featured Content
That Black Theatre Podcast
Roy Williams chats to PhD student Nadine Deller to talk about how theatre can address the ‘state of the nation’, as explored in his plays, Sing Yer heart out for the Lads, and the Death of England trilogy (co-written with Clint Dyer). Listen to all episodes of That Black Theatre Podcast here.
Roy Williams and Clint Dyer on Death of England
Roy Williams on Days of Significance
Roy Williams talks about his play Days of Significance, first performed at the Swan Theatre, 2007.
Roy Williams on Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads
Roy Williams talks about his play Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads, first performed at the Cottesloe Theatre in 2002.
Roy Williams on Sucker Punch
Roy Williams talks about his play, Sucker Punch, first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 2010.
Roy Williams on The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
Roy Williams talks about his play The Loneliness of The Long Distance Runner, first performed at the York Theatre Royal in 2012.