Michael Frayn

Date of Birth:
8th September 1933 in London

Show History:

• Donkeys Years

Current Role

Michael Frayn recently enjoyed the revival of his West End farce, Donkeys' Years which played to huge acclaim. He currently has no further productions showing in London's West End.

Early Life

Michael Frayn was born in the suburbs of London and initially attended a private school as a child until, when he was only 12 years old, his mother died and his father, an asbestos salesman, was unable to pay the bills and Michael was placed in a cheaper public school in which he thrived with a talent for music and poetry, knowing by his teens that he wanted to be a writer of some kind. For his National Service Frayn learnt Russian and served as a translator for two years then attended Cambridge University, graduating in 1957.

Frayn's writing career began as a reporter for the Guardian and Observer where he distinguished himself with a series of hilarious columns, collections of which would later be released, during which time he also had several novels published. Though his first play, produced in 1970, was not received well he continued to write for the theatre and his plays have continued to gain applause. Frayn is married to the critic and biographer Claire Tomalin and lives in Richmond.

Career Highlights

Michael Frayn's first novel The Tin Men was published in 1965, while he was still working for the Observer, and won a Somerset Maugham Award. Frayn continues to write novels and his latest, Spies was published in 2002 and won the Whitbread Award and Commonwealth Writers Prize. His first play, written for an evening of one-acts was rejected by it's producer, Frayn decided write more pieces for 2 actors and to produce an evening of them himself thought it was attacked by critics and poorly received by the audience. Undeterred Frayn continued to write for the theatre and his next play Alphabetical Order was widely acclaimed and won the Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy of The Year.

Frayn's theatre success continued with 1976's Donkeys Years and 1980's Make or Break which also won the Evening Standard Award. Other successes include Noies Off which was made into a film by Disney, Benefactors, Headlong and Copenhagen. Michael Frayn also wrote the screenplay for the film Clockwise which starred John Cleese.

Interesting Facts

• Audiences were so unimpressed with Frayn's first production The Two of Us that they spat on him in the street
• After learning Russian during his National Service, Michael Frayn translates Chekhov plays for the stage

Awards

• Michael Frayn is alleged to have declined a CBE in 1989 and a Knighthood in 2003