Willy Russell

Willy Russell was born in Whiston, Lancashire, 1946. Before he was a famous playwright Russell at the age of 15 was working as a ladies’ hairdresser and by the age of 20 was running his own salon before deciding to return to college and qualifying as a teacher. During these years Russell also worked on his singing, writing and performed in local folk clubs.

Once at college was when he began writing drama and, in 1971, wrote his first play ‘Keep Your Eyes Down’, which was then performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The following year Russell had two one act plays performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. From this point on Russell was recommended to the Liverpool Everyman by fellow writer John McGrath. They commissioned Russell’s first professional work for the theatre, ‘When The Reds…’.

Not only did Russell become a successful playwright but he also had success in writing musicals. In 1974 Russell wrote ‘John, Paul, George, Ringo … and Bert’ a musical about The Beatles. This ran for an amazing eight weeks at the Liverpool Everyman Theatre before transferring to the West End. At the West End the musical was performed in the Lyric Theatre and received both the Evening Standard and the London Theatre Critics award for Best Musical 1974.

Russell’s further stage works include: ‘One for the Road’ (1976), ‘Stags and Hens’ (1978) and ‘Educating Rita’ (1980). Russell’s works did not stop there after writing both plays and musicals, he now turned his hand to television films. These included: ‘Death of A Young Young Man’ (1975, BBC 1), ‘Daughter Of Albion’ (1979), ‘Our Day Out’ (1977), and a five-part series ‘One Summer’ in 1983.

One of Russell’s most well-known works is ‘Educating Rita’. This was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and was performed both at the Warehouse, London and on the West End in the Piccadilly Theatre 1980. The plays first run lasted for two years into June 1982. Nonetheless, since its premiere in 1980 ‘Educating Rita’ has been translated and produced all over the globe, achieving multiple awards for both Russell and many of the actors playing the titular roles of ‘Rita’ and

‘Frank’.

It is not without notice that Willy Russell has based nearly all of his productions in Liverpool, where he was born. Russell has wanted to showcase and explore Liverpool and its history to the world. Both the city’s beauty and hardship, he highlights all the different sides of Liverpool form its famous musicians, to the poor in its streets and council housing. Liverpool itself could be said to be its own character in many of his works. It can be said that all of Russell’s works are some what of a homage to Liverpool.

Liverpool