Biography of Willy Russell

Willy Russell - Earlier Life

Willy Russell was born in Whitson, near to Liverpool, in 1947. He grew up in a post-war, left-wing household and left school at the age of 15 with one O-level in English.

Willy Russell was raised by the women of his family while the men of the family were working in the factories after the war. He then worked as a women's hairdresser when he left school at 15. Willy Russell believes that spending so much time around women in his younger years shaped his ideas and opinions.

In his early 20s Willy Russell decided to complete his education and went to college to gain better qualifications. After college, Willy Russell became a schoolteacher and met his wife, Annie. They began attending plays together and she encouraged his ambition to write.

Willy Russell claims that his ambition to become a writer was further fueled when he saw a production of Unruly Elements by John McGrath in 1971. Russell was inspired by the 'poetry of common speech' and this has become a strong feature in his own work.

Willy Russell is currently living in Liverpool and continues to work on a number of writing projects.

Career - Willy Rusell

Willy Russell has had a diverse career to date. He has written hugely successful plays, novels, screenplays and scores. He has also had a successful career in folk music and songwriting.

Plays by Willy Russell

Keep Your Eyes Down - Willy Russell's first play was produced in 1971. It was fairly successful but was nothing compared to the success of hgis most famous plays - Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine.

His most famous plays include Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine, both of which featured strong female protagonists. These plays were both made into successful films for which Willy Russell wrote the screenplays. These two Willy Russell plays share the common theme of escape - the protagonists in both plays wanted an escape from their own lives.

Willy Russell was inspired to write Educating Rita after his own experience of returning to education in his 20s and recognises education as a means of escaping from one's own circumstances.

Musicals by Willy Russell

John, Paul, Ringo, George...and Bert was an original musical about the Beatles. This musical was commissioned by Liverpool's Everyman Theatre and ran for eight weeks before moving to the West End. This was Willy Russell's first commercial musical and opened the doors for his future success.

Willy Russell's most recognised and famous theatrical success has been 'Blood Brothers'. Russell has described this musical as a 'Liverpudlian folk opera' which tells the story of twin boys separated at birth and raised in totally different environments.

'Blood Brothers' continues to enjoy a successful run of over 20 years in the West End as well as a touring production. This musical also played for two years on Broadway and can be seen in touring productions worldwide. 'Blood Brothers' has been a GCSE drama text for a number of years studied by thousands of students each year.

Other Work by Willy Russell

Willy Russell's writing work has extended to include writing plays for television. His most famous television play was 'Our Day Out' which followed a group of Liverpool schoolchildren and their two teachers on a coach outing.

Willy Russell's first novel was published in 2000 to widespread critical acclaim. 'The Wrong Boy' has now been translated into a number of languages and looks set to be adapted for the television.

Willy Russell released his first album in 2003. 'Hoovering the Moon' was a step away from his writing career and showcased, for the first time in years, his musical talent. The album was given full commercial release in 2004 and Willy Russell followed this with a successful UK tour.

Awards

Blood Brothers
7 Tony Award nominations
Laurence Olivier Award - Musical of the Year (1983)
Laurence Olivier Award - Best Actress - Barbara Dickson (1983)
Laurence Olivier Award - Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Musical Con O'Neil (1988)

John, Paul, George, Ringo...and Bert
Evening Standard Award for Best Musical of 1974
London Theatre Critics Award for Best Musical of 1974

Educating Rita
Oscar Nomination for Best Screenplay
Oscar Nomination for Best Actress (Julie Walters)
BAFTA - Best Film
BAFTA - Best Actor & Best Actress
Golden Globe - Best Actor & Best Actress

Shirley Valentine
Oscar Nomination for Best Actress (Pauline Collins)

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Biography Of Willy Russell