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Roy Williams

1968-Present Day

Born: London, UK, 1968

Biography

Roy Williams began writing plays in 1990 and is now arguably one of the country’s leading dramatists. 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. His plays include: The Death of England Trilogy (Dorfman Theatre, National Theatre), 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.

Productions

Death of England: Closing Time

Death of England: Closing Time

Year: 2023

Staged in: National Theatre; 1963-

Baby Girl

Baby Girl

Year: 2008

Staged in: National Theatre; 1963-

Night And Day

Night And Day

Year: 1996

Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads

Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads

Year: 2002

Staged in: National Theatre; 1963-

Irish Pele

Irish Pele

Year: Unknown

Lift Off

Lift Off

Year: 1999

Staged in: National Theatre Studio

Little Sweet Thing

Little Sweet Thing

Year: 2005

Staged in: Eclipse Theatre Company; 2003

Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, The

Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, The

Year: 2012

Staged in: Pilot Theatre

Kingston 14

Kingston 14

Year: 2014

Staged in: Theatre Royal, Stratford East

Death of England: Delroy

Death of England: Delroy

Year: 2020

Staged in: National Theatre; 1963-

Death of England

Death of England

Year: 2020

Staged in: National Theatre; 1963-

Josie's Boys

Josie's Boys

Year: 1996

Staged in: Red Ladder Theatre Company

Slow Time

Slow Time

Year: 2006

Staged in: National Theatre; 1963-

Soul

Soul

Year: 2016

Souls

Souls

Year: 2001

Staged in: Theatre Centre

Starstruck

Starstruck

Year: 1998

Staged in: The Tricycle Theatre

Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch

Year: 2010

Staged in: English Stage Company

Antigone

Antigone

Year: 2014

Staged in: Co-production between Pilot Theatre, Derby Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East

The Fellowship

The Fellowship

Year: 2022

The Firm

The Firm

Year: 2017

The Life of Riley

The Life of Riley

Year: 2021

There's Only One Wayne Matthews

There's Only One Wayne Matthews

Year: 2007

Staged in: Polka Theatre

Wildefire

Wildefire

Year: 2014

Joe Guy

Joe Guy

Year: 2007

Staged in: Tiata Fahodzi

Local Boy

Local Boy

Year: 2000

Staged in: Hampstead Theatre

Fallout

Fallout

Year: 2003

Staged in: English Stage Company

Absolute Beginners

Absolute Beginners

Year: 2007

Staged in: Fuel Theatre

Gift, The

Gift, The

Year: 2000

Staged in: Birmingham Repertory Theatre; 1913

Days Of Significance

Days Of Significance

Year: 2007

Staged in: Royal Shakespeare Company

Category B

Category B

Year: 2009

Staged in: The Tricycle Theatre

Clubland

Clubland

Year: 2001

Staged in: English Stage Company

Angel House

Angel House

Year: 2008

Staged in: Eclipse Theatre Company; 2003

Advice for the Young at Heart

Advice for the Young at Heart

Year: 2013

Staged in: Theatre Centre

Publications

Roy Williams Plays 1: The No Boys Cricket Club; Starstruck; Lift Off

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

Roy Williams Plays: v. 2: Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads; Clubland; The Gift

Year: 2004

Publisher: Methuen Drama

Little Sweet Thing

Little Sweet Thing

Year: 2005

Publisher: Methuen Drama

Williams Plays 3: Fallout; Slow Time; Days of Significance; Absolute Beginners

Williams Plays 3: Fallout; Slow Time; Days of Significance; Absolute Beginners

Year: 2008

Publisher: Methuen Drama

Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch

Year: 2010

Publisher: Methuen Drama

Advice for the Young At Heart

Advice for the Young At Heart

Year: 2013

Publisher: Methuen Drama

Williams Plays 4: Sucker Punch, Category B; Joe Guy; Baby Girl; There's Only One Wayne Matthews

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

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.

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