Diane Whitley
Encyclopedia
Diane Whitley is a professional writer with over 25 years experience. She originally trained as an actor at Manchester Polytechnic
School of Theatre
following in the footsteps of the likes of Julie Walters
, David Threlfall
and Richard Griffiths
. After encouragement by her husband, Dave Simpson
, she moved into writing and producing. Her new book My Nana Is An Alien was released 30 October 2007.
, near Barnsley
, South Yorkshire
. Her father was a tool fitter and her mother a housewife. At the age of 18 she applied to various drama schools and was accepted by Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre. She embarked on a three year training course at the School. Her first professional engagement was at the Coliseum Theatre in Oldham
. She then went on to work extensively at some of the country’s leading theatres as well as in film, television and radio.
. She sold a couple of radio plays, Castlehill and Flights of Fancy, and then was accepted as a writer on the Children’s TV series Grange Hill
. Her stage play version of Castlehill was produced at Contact Theatre where she was resident writer in 1990. She also wrote on Home Farm Twins and co-wrote, with director Paul Hills, the award winning feature film Boston Kickout
.
From 1995 - 1998 she successfully combined a writing career with running her own production company, Bite-Back Productions, producing a short film Boom Boom Clap, as well as numerous plays and documentaries for BBC Radio 4
.
Between 1998 and 2004, she moved into television and worked for Granada
Kids as a series producer and writer. She produced two series of Children's Ward
, created and produced a new comedy drama series, Big Meg, Little Meg, wrote on the popular Worst Witch series and produced and wrote on two major children's series, 24Seven and the award winning 'Girls in love"
theatre award. Her children’s book, My Nana is an Alien was released and published 30 October 2007 and she is currently in the middle of shooting a pilot with Kindle Entertainment for the Nickelodeon channel. She also runs a writing course in Turkey
with her husband. She also wrote the script for the brand new television show on Nickelodeon known as House of Anubis
.
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
School of Theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
following in the footsteps of the likes of Julie Walters
Julie Walters
Julie Walters, CBE is an English actress and novelist. She came to international prominence in 1983 for Educating Rita, performing in the title role opposite Michael Caine. It was a role she had created on the West End stage and it won her BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for Best Actress...
, David Threlfall
David Threlfall
David Threlfall is an English stage, film and television actor and director best known for playing Frank Gallagher in Channel 4's Manchester-based drama series Shameless. He has also directed several episodes of the show.-Early life:...
and Richard Griffiths
Richard Griffiths
Richard Griffiths, OBE is an English actor of stage, film and television. He has received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor...
. After encouragement by her husband, Dave Simpson
Dave Simpson (writer)
Dave Simpson, full name David Colin Simpson was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. He has over 25 years experience in the professional writing industry and currently resides in Todmorden, Lancashire...
, she moved into writing and producing. Her new book My Nana Is An Alien was released 30 October 2007.
Early life
Whitley was born in WombwellWombwell
Wombwell is a small town near Barnsley, located in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 15,180.Its name's origin may mean "Womba's Well", or "well in a hollow"....
, near Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
. Her father was a tool fitter and her mother a housewife. At the age of 18 she applied to various drama schools and was accepted by Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre. She embarked on a three year training course at the School. Her first professional engagement was at the Coliseum Theatre in Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
. She then went on to work extensively at some of the country’s leading theatres as well as in film, television and radio.
Changing paths
After the birth of her daughter Becky in 1986, the lure of the repertory season started to lose some of its appeal, so she moved into writing, encouraged by her husband, the playwright Dave SimpsonDave Simpson
Dave Stewart Simpson is a former ice hockey player, now executive director of the Business Families Centre at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario and known as David Simpson....
. She sold a couple of radio plays, Castlehill and Flights of Fancy, and then was accepted as a writer on the Children’s TV series Grange Hill
Grange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
. Her stage play version of Castlehill was produced at Contact Theatre where she was resident writer in 1990. She also wrote on Home Farm Twins and co-wrote, with director Paul Hills, the award winning feature film Boston Kickout
Boston Kickout
Boston Kickout is a 1995 British drama feature film written and directed by Paul Hills. It won the Euskal Media Prize at the San Sebastián International Film Festival, Best Actor at the Cinema Jove International Film Festival in Valencia and Best Film at the Bermuda International Film...
.
From 1995 - 1998 she successfully combined a writing career with running her own production company, Bite-Back Productions, producing a short film Boom Boom Clap, as well as numerous plays and documentaries for BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
.
Between 1998 and 2004, she moved into television and worked for Granada
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
Kids as a series producer and writer. She produced two series of Children's Ward
Children's Ward
Children's Ward is a British children's television drama series produced by Granada Television and broadcast on the ITV network as part of its Children's ITV strand on weekday afternoons...
, created and produced a new comedy drama series, Big Meg, Little Meg, wrote on the popular Worst Witch series and produced and wrote on two major children's series, 24Seven and the award winning 'Girls in love"
Recent work
Most recently, Whitley’s stage-play, Vegetable, was produced at the 24/7 festival in Manchester, winning Best of the Festival and going on to be nominated for a Manchester Evening NewsManchester Evening News
The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
theatre award. Her children’s book, My Nana is an Alien was released and published 30 October 2007 and she is currently in the middle of shooting a pilot with Kindle Entertainment for the Nickelodeon channel. She also runs a writing course in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
with her husband. She also wrote the script for the brand new television show on Nickelodeon known as House of Anubis
House of Anubis
House of Anubis is a jointly American/British/Belgian produced teen mystery/drama television show based on the Belgian/Dutch television series Het Huis Anubis. The series was created by Hans Bourlon & Gert Verhulst and premiered on Nickelodeon on New Year's Day 2011 in the United States and on 25...
.