Mark Wadlow
Encyclopedia
Mark Wadlow is an English screenwriter known for his partnership with Peter Morgan
and his work on the ITV
soap opera Coronation Street
.
, England
and attended St Francis Primary School. When he was 10, his family moved to the Hemlington
area of the town, and he attended St George's Catholic School. At the age of 19, Wadlow began studying at the University of Leeds
.
. In 1984, he and Morgan wrote a play entitled Gross, based on his summer job in a call centre
, which they took to the Edinburgh Festival
. At Edinburgh, Wadlow and Morgan were approached by a member of staff from a company that made training videos, who asked them if they would like jobs writing training films. Wadlow and Morgan accepted the job and wrote training films for many years. Wadlow and Morgan returned to Edinburgh in 1986 with the play Pax Britannica. In 1988, Wadlow and Morgan wrote additional material for Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
's script for John Schlesinger
's film Madame Sousatzka
. Morgan recalled, "We were incredibly cheap and totally exploited for six months for about five grand". In 1990, Wadlow and Morgan co-wrote Dear Rosie
, a short film directed by Peter Cattaneo
. The short was nominated in the Best Short Film
category at the 44th British Academy Film Awards
, and the Short Film (Live Action) category at the 63rd Academy Awards
.
After Wadlow and Morgan rewrote the script for the John Goodman
film King Ralph
(1991), they ended their writing partnership. Wadlow joined the writing staff of the ITV
television soap opera Coronation Street
in 1993 and has since become a senior storyliner. Throughout the rest of the 1990s, he wrote episodes of the topical comedy series The House of Windsor (1994), the soap opera Castles (1995), the sitcom Holding the Baby
(1997), and the World Cup
-themed comedy series Lost in France (1998). In 2000, he wrote an episode of the ITV prison drama Bad Girls
and in 2006 wrote an episode of the BBC series Robin Hood.
As a member of the Coronation Street writing team, Wadlow has been the recipient of two Writers' Guild of Great Britain
awards (1993 and 2009).
Film
Television
DVD film
Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan may refer to:* Peter Morgan , British sports car manufacturer* Peter Morgan , 1978 British Formula Ford champion* Peter Morgan , Wales and British lions international...
and his work on the 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...
soap opera Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
.
Early life
Wadlow was born in MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and attended St Francis Primary School. When he was 10, his family moved to the Hemlington
Hemlington
Hemlington is a settlement within the town of Middlesbrough, in the borough of Middlesbrough and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. In 2005, it had a population of approximately 4,200...
area of the town, and he attended St George's Catholic School. At the age of 19, Wadlow began studying at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
.
Writing career
At Leeds, Wadlow began writing with Peter MorganPeter Morgan
Peter Morgan may refer to:* Peter Morgan , British sports car manufacturer* Peter Morgan , 1978 British Formula Ford champion* Peter Morgan , Wales and British lions international...
. In 1984, he and Morgan wrote a play entitled Gross, based on his summer job in a call centre
Call centre
A call centre or call center is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. A call centre is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers. Outgoing calls for telemarketing,...
, which they took to the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
. At Edinburgh, Wadlow and Morgan were approached by a member of staff from a company that made training videos, who asked them if they would like jobs writing training films. Wadlow and Morgan accepted the job and wrote training films for many years. Wadlow and Morgan returned to Edinburgh in 1986 with the play Pax Britannica. In 1988, Wadlow and Morgan wrote additional material for Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, CBE is a Booker prize-winning novelist, short story writer, and two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter. She is perhaps best known for her long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions, made up of director James Ivory and the late producer Ismail Merchant...
's script for John Schlesinger
John Schlesinger
John Richard Schlesinger, CBE was an English film and stage director and actor.-Early life:Schlesinger was born in London into a middle-class Jewish family, the son of Winifred Henrietta and Bernard Edward Schlesinger, a physician...
's film Madame Sousatzka
Madame Sousatzka
Madame Sousatzka is a 1988 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. It is based upon the novel of the same name by Bernice Rubens.-Plot synopsis:...
. Morgan recalled, "We were incredibly cheap and totally exploited for six months for about five grand". In 1990, Wadlow and Morgan co-wrote Dear Rosie
Dear Rosie
Dear Rosie is a British short subject directed by Peter Cattaneo from a script by Peter Morgan and Mark Wadlow. The plot follows Rosie, played by Fiona Victory, an unsuccessful novelist who begins receiving letters from overweight people after her agent publishes her diet tips.Cattaneo directed...
, a short film directed by Peter Cattaneo
Peter Cattaneo
Peter Cattaneo was born in 1964 in Twickenham, London. He is a two-time Academy Award-nominated English filmmaker most famous for directing the hit British film The Full Monty. He also directed 2005's Opal Dream.-Filmography:-External links:...
. The short was nominated in the Best Short Film
BAFTA Award for Best Short Film
This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Short Film for each year. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts , is a British organisation that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, children's film and television, and interactive media...
category at the 44th British Academy Film Awards
44th British Academy Film Awards
The 44th British Film Awards, given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1991, honoured the best films of 1990.Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas won the awards for Best Film, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Editing and Costume Design...
, and the Short Film (Live Action) category at the 63rd Academy Awards
63rd Academy Awards
The 63rd Academy Awards were presented March 25, 1991 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. The show was hosted by Billy Crystal.The prominent winner was Dances with Wolves which earned seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Joe Pesci winning Best Supporting Actor...
.
After Wadlow and Morgan rewrote the script for the John Goodman
John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Dan Conner on the television series Roseanne for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award in 1993, and for appearances in the films of the Coen brothers, with prominent roles in Raising...
film King Ralph
King Ralph
King Ralph is a 1991 American comedy film starring John Goodman in the title role of Ralph Jones. The movie also stars Peter O'Toole as the King's private secretary, Sir Cedric Willingham, Camille Coduri as Ralph's girlfriend Miranda Greene, and John Hurt as the British peer Percival Graves, who...
(1991), they ended their writing partnership. Wadlow joined the writing staff of the 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...
television soap opera Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
in 1993 and has since become a senior storyliner. Throughout the rest of the 1990s, he wrote episodes of the topical comedy series The House of Windsor (1994), the soap opera Castles (1995), the sitcom Holding the Baby
Holding the Baby
Holding the Baby was a 1997 UK sitcom television series produced by Granada Television. It lasted for two seasons. The series' average audience in 1997 was 6.85 million viewers, making it the 16th-highest rated British sitcom that year....
(1997), and the World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
-themed comedy series Lost in France (1998). In 2000, he wrote an episode of the ITV prison drama Bad Girls
Bad Girls (TV series)
Bad Girls is an award-winning British television drama series that was broadcast on ITV from 1999 to 2006. It is produced by Shed Productions, the company which later produced Footballers' Wives and Waterloo Road...
and in 2006 wrote an episode of the BBC series Robin Hood.
As a member of the Coronation Street writing team, Wadlow has been the recipient of two Writers' Guild of Great Britain
Writers' Guild of Great Britain
The Writers' Guild of Great Britain, established in 1959, is a trade union for professional writers. It is affiliated with both the Trades Union Congress and the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds .-Activities:...
awards (1993 and 2009).
List of works
Theatre- Gross (1984, co-writer)
- Pax Britannica (1986, co-writer)
Film
- Madame SousatzkaMadame SousatzkaMadame Sousatzka is a 1988 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. It is based upon the novel of the same name by Bernice Rubens.-Plot synopsis:...
(1988, co-writer) - Dear RosieDear RosieDear Rosie is a British short subject directed by Peter Cattaneo from a script by Peter Morgan and Mark Wadlow. The plot follows Rosie, played by Fiona Victory, an unsuccessful novelist who begins receiving letters from overweight people after her agent publishes her diet tips.Cattaneo directed...
(1990, co-writer) - King RalphKing RalphKing Ralph is a 1991 American comedy film starring John Goodman in the title role of Ralph Jones. The movie also stars Peter O'Toole as the King's private secretary, Sir Cedric Willingham, Camille Coduri as Ralph's girlfriend Miranda Greene, and John Hurt as the British peer Percival Graves, who...
(1991, co-writer, rewrites) - The Silent Touch (1992, co-writer)
Television
- Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(1993—, 230+ episodes) - The House of Windsor (1994, 6 episodes)
- Castles (1995, 2 episodes)
- Holding the BabyHolding the BabyHolding the Baby was a 1997 UK sitcom television series produced by Granada Television. It lasted for two seasons. The series' average audience in 1997 was 6.85 million viewers, making it the 16th-highest rated British sitcom that year....
(1997, 5 episodes) - Lost in France (1998, 12 episodes)
- Bad GirlsBad Girls (TV series)Bad Girls is an award-winning British television drama series that was broadcast on ITV from 1999 to 2006. It is produced by Shed Productions, the company which later produced Footballers' Wives and Waterloo Road...
(2000, 1 episode) - Robin Hood (2006, 1 episode)
DVD film
- Coronation Street: Out of AfricaCoronation Street: Out of AfricaCoronation Street: Out of Africa is a 2008 film set in sun and seaside resort of Sun City, South Africa. Cilla Battersby, the mother from hell, brought her son and other "son" over to Africa to win a competition for $500,000- Plot :...
(2008, co-writer)