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Michael Abbensetts

1938-2016

Born: Guyana, 1938

Biography

Born in Guyana, Michael Abbensetts moved to London in 1963, and began his career writing short stories. Inspired after seeing a performance of John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger he turned to playwriting and his first play Sweet Talk premiered at the Royal Court in 1973, receiving the George Devine Award in the same year. Sweet Talk is the most widely performed of Abbensett’s plays with productions staged in New York, Canada, Nigeria, Guyana, and Jamaica. In 1974 Abbensetts became the Resident Dramatist at the Royal Court and during the 1970s and 80s a number of his plays were produced for the London stage.

Productions

Lion, The

Lion, The

Year: 1993

Staged in: Talawa Theatre Company; 1986

Outlaw, The

Outlaw, The

Year: 1983

Staged in: Carib Theatre Company; 1980

In The Mood

In The Mood

Year: 1981

Staged in: Hampstead Theatre

El Dorado

El Dorado

Year: 1984

Staged in: Theatre Royal, Stratford East

Samba

Samba

Year: 1980

Staged in: The Tricycle Theatre

Sweet Talk

Sweet Talk

Year: 1973

Staged in: English Stage Company

Alterations

Alterations

Year: 1978

Staged in: New End Theatre

Publications

Four Plays: Sweet Talk; Alterations; In the Mood; El Dorado

Four Plays: Sweet Talk; Alterations; In the Mood; El Dorado

Year: 2001

Publisher: Oberon Modern Playwrights

Samba

Samba

Year: 1980

Publisher: Eyre Methuen

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