Don Webb (playwright)
Encyclopedia
Don Webb is a playwright
and script writer
based in the UK. He has written for British TV and the West End
and is currently working on a novel for children.
for BBC Radio 4
by Tony Cliff in the 1980s and he attracted comment and praise for the strong industrial plays drawing on his industrial background and experience. Centre Circle and Designing Alternatives were ahead of their time and illustrated property developers preying on small town centre football clubs.
A Tentative Maybe exposed dubious industrial chemical manufacturing practices and The Chairman's Statement attacked the Thatcherite revolution and its effect on the industrial landscape, particularly in the North of England.
A change of tone produced Witch Water Green, an exploration of the Golden Bough legends and water shortages. September's here and I can't sing was a love story.
During the period in which the above plays were written, he attended the Gulbenkian Foundation/Arts Council
collaboration Theatre Course where he slept in the next bedroom to Anthony Minghella
, met actors and directors for the first time and started to learn his trade properly. At this time he met and befriended the actor/director Tamara Hinchco, who directed his play about the Troubles
, The Best Girl In Ten Streets, at the Soho Poly and later in the Cottesloe at the Royal National Theatre
.
In 1981, he won the Thames Television Theatre Writers Bursary
and became the resident writer at The Crucible Theatre
in Sheffield
, where, under Peter James and Clare Venables, he wrote Black Ball Game, winning plaudits for a “subversive comedy of racial manners and mores.” This play was later nominated for the Evening Standard new writer award after transferring and opening the refurbished Tricycle Theatre
in Kilburn.
Soon afterwards, he wrote his second theatre play, Mindrape, which drew upon experiences as a guinea pig in the now notorious series of experiments held at Porton Down
where servicemen had been exposed to L.S.D. and for which, incidentally, the Secret Intelligence Service
paid damages at the end of 2006. This was again a controversial success, transferring to the Greenwich Theatre
.
Both Black Ball Game and Mindrape were directed by the then- up-and-coming young director Andy Jordan, who also directed his next play, LadyBird. This was an anti-Thatcher comedy presented at the Liverpool Playhouse
. This play later toured throughout the country, featuring Karl Howman, Diane Keen
, Kenneth MacDonald and Lynn Turner. It was produced by Bruce Hyman, later notorious for different reasons, and Harvey Kass.
His television work started with a single play commissioned by Brenda Reid for the BBC after seeing LadyBird. Kenneth Ives
directed a cast of Omar Sharif
, Sir John Mills
and Lucy Gutteridge
in Edge Of The Wind, which was broadcast at Christmas 1983 on BBC2
. The television work that followed included Radio Phoenix, twenty odd episodes of a teen series about a radio station in Southampton, then eight episodes of Juliet Bravo
, culminating in a climactic final episode. He was employed on Rockliffe's Babies
, again for the BBC, and then created the chart topping sitcom Joint Account, starring Hannah Gordon
and Peter Egan
.
Webb also wrote many of the openeing episodes of the ground breaking children's series Byker Grove
. This led directly to his being commissioned by the BBC and Screen First to adapt Elidor
, a novel by Carnegie Medal
winner Alan Garner
, into a six part series for children. He also adapted the same story for broadcast on Radio Four Extra in April 2011.
Webb's work on The Bill
for ITV
, led to a commission from Yorkshire Television
and a pilot
, Ellington. He worked with Catherine Hewitt on Wirral2008, in conjunction with the Liverpool
Capital of Culture
project, and a teenage time travel novel, "Limehouse Jack.
His most recent work includes "Right Place, Wrong Time" for Radio Four, broadcast in 2010 and produced in Manchester by Gary Brown
. He is currently working on another commission for the same producer, "A Bobby`s Job". Also in development are "Dead Ending", a stage play and "Last Train To Nashville."
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and script writer
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
based in the UK. He has written for British TV and the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
and is currently working on a novel for children.
Biography
Don Webb started writing fairly late in life. His first ventures were into radio plays produced in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
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...
by Tony Cliff in the 1980s and he attracted comment and praise for the strong industrial plays drawing on his industrial background and experience. Centre Circle and Designing Alternatives were ahead of their time and illustrated property developers preying on small town centre football clubs.
A Tentative Maybe exposed dubious industrial chemical manufacturing practices and The Chairman's Statement attacked the Thatcherite revolution and its effect on the industrial landscape, particularly in the North of England.
A change of tone produced Witch Water Green, an exploration of the Golden Bough legends and water shortages. September's here and I can't sing was a love story.
During the period in which the above plays were written, he attended the Gulbenkian Foundation/Arts Council
Arts Council of Great Britain
The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. The Arts Council of Great Britain was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England , the Scottish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of Wales...
collaboration Theatre Course where he slept in the next bedroom to Anthony Minghella
Anthony Minghella
Anthony Minghella, CBE was an English film director, playwright and screenwriter. He was Chairman of the Board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007....
, met actors and directors for the first time and started to learn his trade properly. At this time he met and befriended the actor/director Tamara Hinchco, who directed his play about the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
, The Best Girl In Ten Streets, at the Soho Poly and later in the Cottesloe at the Royal National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
.
In 1981, he won the Thames Television Theatre Writers Bursary
Pearson Playwrights' Scheme
In 1973, Howard Thomas, then managing director of Thames Television, launched the Thames Television Theatre Writers Scheme to support and celebrate new writing in the theatre. He believed that television owed much to the theatre for its supply of creative talent...
and became the resident writer at The Crucible Theatre
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship....
in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, where, under Peter James and Clare Venables, he wrote Black Ball Game, winning plaudits for a “subversive comedy of racial manners and mores.” This play was later nominated for the Evening Standard new writer award after transferring and opening the refurbished Tricycle Theatre
Tricycle Theatre
The Tricycle Theatre is located on Kilburn High Road in Kilburn in the London Borough of Brent, England. During the last 30 years, the Tricycle has been presenting plays reflecting the cultural diversity of its community; in particular Black, Irish, Jewish, Asian and South African works, as well as...
in Kilburn.
Soon afterwards, he wrote his second theatre play, Mindrape, which drew upon experiences as a guinea pig in the now notorious series of experiments held at Porton Down
Porton Down
Porton Down is a United Kingdom government and military science park. It is situated slightly northeast of Porton near Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. To the northwest lies the MoD Boscombe Down test range facility which is operated by QinetiQ...
where servicemen had been exposed to L.S.D. and for which, incidentally, the Secret Intelligence Service
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
paid damages at the end of 2006. This was again a controversial success, transferring to the Greenwich Theatre
Greenwich Theatre
The Greenwich Theatre is a local theatre located in Croom's Hill close to the centre of Greenwich in south-east London.-Building history:The building was originally a music hall created in 1855 as part of the neighbouring Rose and Crown public house, but the Rose and Crown Music Hall was...
.
Both Black Ball Game and Mindrape were directed by the then- up-and-coming young director Andy Jordan, who also directed his next play, LadyBird. This was an anti-Thatcher comedy presented at the Liverpool Playhouse
Liverpool Playhouse
The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actresses, some of which went on to achieve...
. This play later toured throughout the country, featuring Karl Howman, Diane Keen
Diane Keen
Diane Keen is an English actress.Keen is possibly best known for her starring roles in the British TV drama Doctors which she has been in since 2003 , and in the 1970s comedy series The Cuckoo Waltz and Rings on Their Fingers.-Personal life:Keen has one daughter, actress Melissa Greenwood, from...
, Kenneth MacDonald and Lynn Turner. It was produced by Bruce Hyman, later notorious for different reasons, and Harvey Kass.
His television work started with a single play commissioned by Brenda Reid for the BBC after seeing LadyBird. Kenneth Ives
Kenneth Ives
Kenneth Ives is a British actor turned director with a number of 1960s and 1970s television credits.As an actor he appeared in the 1968 film version of The Lion in Winter, the 1970 BBC serial Last of the Mohicans as Hawkeye, and had roles in Adam Adamant Lives! and as one of the eponymous villains...
directed a cast of Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...
, Sir John Mills
John Mills
Sir John Mills CBE , born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills, was an English actor who made more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades.-Life and career:...
and Lucy Gutteridge
Lucy Gutteridge
Lucy Karima Gutteridge is an English actress.Gutteridge was born in London, the eldest daughter of Bernard Hugh Gutteridge by his marriage to Nabila Farah Karima Halim, the daughter of Prince Muhammad Said Bey Halim of Egypt and his British second wife, Nabila Malika...
in Edge Of The Wind, which was broadcast at Christmas 1983 on BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. The television work that followed included Radio Phoenix, twenty odd episodes of a teen series about a radio station in Southampton, then eight episodes of Juliet Bravo
Juliet Bravo
Juliet Bravo is a British television series, which ran on BBC1 between 1980 and 1985. The theme of the series concerned a female police inspector who took over control of a police station in the fictional town of Hartley in Lancashire.-Programme name:...
, culminating in a climactic final episode. He was employed on Rockliffe's Babies
Rockliffe's Babies
Rockliffe's Babies was a British television drama produced by the BBC which ran for two series between 1987 and 1988. The series was devised by Richard O`Keeffe and produced by Leonard Lewis. Writers included Richard O`Keeffe, Don Webb, Charlie Humphreys and Nick Perry...
, again for the BBC, and then created the chart topping sitcom Joint Account, starring Hannah Gordon
Hannah Gordon
Hannah Cambell Grant Gordon is a Scottish actress who is well known in the United Kingdom for her television work, including Upstairs, Downstairs, Telford's Change, My Wife Next Door, Joint Account and an appearance in the final episode of One Foot in the Grave.-Early life:Gordon was born in...
and Peter Egan
Peter Egan
Peter Egan is a British actor known for playing smooth neighbour Paul Ryman in 1980s sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles. He is married to retired actress Myra Frances.-Early life:...
.
Webb also wrote many of the openeing episodes of the ground breaking children's series Byker Grove
Byker Grove
Byker Grove was a British television series which aired between 1989 and 2006 and was created by Adele Rose. The show was broadcast at 5.10pm after Newsround on CBBC on BBC One...
. This led directly to his being commissioned by the BBC and Screen First to adapt Elidor
Elidor
-Plot introduction:Originally written as a short radio play, the book concerns the adventures of a group of young teenagers as they struggle to hold back a terrible darkness by fulfilling a prophecy from another world...
, a novel by Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
winner Alan Garner
Alan Garner
With his first book published, Garner abandoned his work as a labourer and gained a job as a freelance television reporter, living a "hand to mouth" lifestyle on a "shoestring" budget...
, into a six part series for children. He also adapted the same story for broadcast on Radio Four Extra in April 2011.
Webb's work on The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, led to a commission from Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
and a pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
, Ellington. He worked with Catherine Hewitt on Wirral2008, in conjunction with the Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
project, and a teenage time travel novel, "Limehouse Jack.
His most recent work includes "Right Place, Wrong Time" for Radio Four, broadcast in 2010 and produced in Manchester by Gary Brown
Gary Brown
Gary Leroy Brown is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Houston Oilers in the eighth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He is currently the running backs coach for the Cleveland Browns. A 5'11", 230-lb...
. He is currently working on another commission for the same producer, "A Bobby`s Job". Also in development are "Dead Ending", a stage play and "Last Train To Nashville."
Television shows
- Juliet BravoJuliet BravoJuliet Bravo is a British television series, which ran on BBC1 between 1980 and 1985. The theme of the series concerned a female police inspector who took over control of a police station in the fictional town of Hartley in Lancashire.-Programme name:...
- Rockliffe's BabiesRockliffe's BabiesRockliffe's Babies was a British television drama produced by the BBC which ran for two series between 1987 and 1988. The series was devised by Richard O`Keeffe and produced by Leonard Lewis. Writers included Richard O`Keeffe, Don Webb, Charlie Humphreys and Nick Perry...
- Byker GroveByker GroveByker Grove was a British television series which aired between 1989 and 2006 and was created by Adele Rose. The show was broadcast at 5.10pm after Newsround on CBBC on BBC One...
(26 episodes) - The BillThe BillThe Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
- Edge of The Wind
- Ellington
- Radio Phoenix (26 episodes)
- Sharing Time
- Elidor
External links
- Crime fiction review site by Don Webb http://www.hardboiledbooks.co.uk
- Site of the book Limehouse Jack http://www.limehousejack.com