Tim Firth
Encyclopedia
Tim Firth is an English
dramatist, screenwriter
and songwriter
.
Tim Firth was born, and has lived all his life in, the North West of England on the border of Cheshire
and Lancashire
. He spent most of his time at his Warrington comprehensive school writing songs and it was only a couple of months before going to Cambridge to read English that he attended an Arvon Foundation
course in West Yorkshire. This was run by Willy Russell and whilst on it, Tim had to write dialogue. He wrote about the only thing he knew - two sixteen year olds trying to write a song. Another course participant optioned it for his production company and Tim decided to become a writer.
On leaving Cambridge, he was invited to meet Alan Ayckbourn
in Scarborough and commissioned to write a play for the studio theatre for the Stephen Joseph Theatre
. His one-act play Man Of Letters was a success and led to the commissioning of a full-length play from Ayckbourn, Neville's Island, which later transferred to the West End and has been seen in translation all round the world and has been in almost continuous production since its premier.
In 2004 Tim released a solo album, Harmless Flirting, completing a tour of words and music with fellow playwright Willy Russell which won wonderful reviews at the Edinburgh Festival
.
During two successive Christmas runs, the stage version of The Flint Street Nativity at the Liverpool Playhouse
became the most successful production in the theatre's history, breaking box office records.
Calendar Girls, the stage comedy, found favour with audiences across the UK during its 2008/09 tour, and in the process broke the all time British box office record for a play and also continued to sell out during its West End residency. In 2010, the hit comedy embarked on a UK country wide tour, one of the largest ever for a play. Calendar Girls is also a success across the globe, playing in Athens, Oslo and Buenos Aires, plus a tour of major cities across Australia is currently underway (April 2010).
In March 2010, Tim was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Literature by the University of Chester
.
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...
dramatist, screenwriter
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:...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
.
Tim Firth was born, and has lived all his life in, the North West of England on the border of Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
and Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. He spent most of his time at his Warrington comprehensive school writing songs and it was only a couple of months before going to Cambridge to read English that he attended an Arvon Foundation
Arvon Foundation
The Arvon Foundation is a charitable organisation in the United Kingdom which promotes creative writing. It is based in the Free Word Centre for literature, literacy and free expression in London.-History:...
course in West Yorkshire. This was run by Willy Russell and whilst on it, Tim had to write dialogue. He wrote about the only thing he knew - two sixteen year olds trying to write a song. Another course participant optioned it for his production company and Tim decided to become a writer.
On leaving Cambridge, he was invited to meet Alan Ayckbourn
Alan Ayckbourn
Sir Alan Ayckbourn CBE is a prolific English playwright. He has written and produced seventy-three full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, where all but four of his plays have received their...
in Scarborough and commissioned to write a play for the studio theatre for the Stephen Joseph Theatre
Stephen Joseph Theatre
The Stephen Joseph Theatre is a theatre in the round in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England that was founded by Stephen Joseph and was the first theatre in the round in Britain....
. His one-act play Man Of Letters was a success and led to the commissioning of a full-length play from Ayckbourn, Neville's Island, which later transferred to the West End and has been seen in translation all round the world and has been in almost continuous production since its premier.
In 2004 Tim released a solo album, Harmless Flirting, completing a tour of words and music with fellow playwright Willy Russell which won wonderful reviews at 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...
.
During two successive Christmas runs, the stage version of The Flint Street Nativity 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...
became the most successful production in the theatre's history, breaking box office records.
Calendar Girls, the stage comedy, found favour with audiences across the UK during its 2008/09 tour, and in the process broke the all time British box office record for a play and also continued to sell out during its West End residency. In 2010, the hit comedy embarked on a UK country wide tour, one of the largest ever for a play. Calendar Girls is also a success across the globe, playing in Athens, Oslo and Buenos Aires, plus a tour of major cities across Australia is currently underway (April 2010).
In March 2010, Tim was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Literature by the University of Chester
University of Chester
The University of Chester is a public research university located in Chester, United Kingdom. The University, based on a main campus in Chester and a smaller campus in Warrington, offers a range of foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as undertaking academic research.Chester...
.
External links
- Tim Firth's website
- Tim Firth at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...