Willy Russell

Current Role

The hugely successful and long running West End production Blood Brothers is, as of 2007, the only Willy Russell production showing in London. This powerfully emotiove production has proved popular with London audiences and has been playing for over twenty years including several UK tours.

Early Life

Willy Russell was born near Liverpool into a household with a strong tradition of story telling. He left school at 15 years old with only one 'O' Level and became a women's hairdresser at his mothers suggestion, eventually managing his own shop. Russell was never satisfied with his job and spent most of his time composing songs that remained unheard until a friend urged him to sing one night in a pub.

After leaving his hairdressing job, Russell worked in several industrial jobs before he decided to return to full-time education at 20 years old. Whilst training to be a teacher at St. Catherine's College of Education he developed an interest in drama and, encouraged by his wife, began to pursue it with specialist night classes. His first play was produced in 1971 but his next play John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert, about The Beatles, was a greater success, running in Liverpool's Everyman Theatre for a then unprecedented 8 weeks before transferring to London's West End.

Willy Russell deals with working class characters, driven by his interest in what he calls "the poetry of common speech," and what he sees as a "general attempt in this country to withhold culture from them." Willy Russell continues to live and work from Liverpool.

Career Highlights

Willy Russells first play Keep Your Eyes Down was produced in 1971 though he became well known after John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert won the London Theatre Critic Award for Best Musical in 1974. He was commissioned to write a play by the RSC and the resulting Educating Rita went on to win an Olivier Award and become an Oscar nominated film. In 1983 the Willy Russell musical Blood Brothers, about two twins in Liverpool who are separated at birth, opened. His play 1988Shirley Valentine also went on to be made into an immensely successful film

Russell has been writing songs since the 1960's and wrote the score and lyrics to his hit musical Blood Brothers (currently playing at the Phoenix Theatre) along with the score for Shirley Valentine and several other plays. His first novel The Wrong Boy was published in 2000 and is currently being adapted for television.

Interesting Facts

• Willy Russell's writing began as a folk songwriter, he released his first album Hoovering The Moon in 2003.
• In 2004 Russell performed in a music group with the writer Tim Firth (TV's All Quiet On The Preston Front)

Awards

• Willy Russell has won 3 Olivier Awards, 1980's Best New Comedy for Educating Rita, 1983's Best New Musical for Blood Brothers and 1988's Best New Comedy for Shirley Valentine.
• Nominated for an Academy Award
• The Evening Standard Film Award for Best Screenplay - Shirley Vanlentine