Anthony Neilson
Encyclopedia
Anthony Neilson is a Scottish playwright and director commonly associated with the "in-yer-face theatre
" movement and is known for his collaborative way of writing and workshopping his plays. His work is characterised by the exploration of sex and violence. He began his career at the Finborough Theatre
, London
.
young writers' competition and won which started him on the path of becoming a writer.
He will also be partaking in the Bush Theatre
's 2011 project Sixty Six where he has written a piece based upon a chapter of the King James Bible
in 1999 which won the Fipresci (International Critics) Award at the Troia International Film Festival. As his writing work involves collaborations he has a massive directorial role in the creation of his plays but in 2007 he was credited as director of his play God in Ruins at the Soho Theatre
. At the RSC
he directed the world premiere of The Drunks by the Durnenkov Brothers in 2009. In 2010 he directed Caledonia by Alistair Beaton
at the Edinburgh Festival
.
In-yer-face theatre
In-yer-face theatre describes drama that emerged in Great Britain in the 1990s. This category coined by British theatre critic Aleks Sierz is the title of his book, In-Yer-Face Theatre, first published by Faber and Faber in March 2001...
" movement and is known for his collaborative way of writing and workshopping his plays. His work is characterised by the exploration of sex and violence. He began his career at the Finborough Theatre
Finborough Theatre
The Finborough Theatre is a fifty seat theatre in the Earls Court area of London, United Kingdom , which presents new British writing, UK and premieres of new plays, primarily from the English speaking world including North America, Canada, Scotland and Ireland, music theatre, and rarely seen...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Career
Neilson studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama but was thrown out for "insubordination", now unoccupied he entered a BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
young writers' competition and won which started him on the path of becoming a writer.
He will also be partaking in the Bush Theatre
Bush Theatre
The Bush Theatre is based in Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 above The Bush public house by Brian McDermott, and has since become one of the most celebrated new writing theatres in the world. An intimate venue renowned for its close-up...
's 2011 project Sixty Six where he has written a piece based upon a chapter of the King James Bible
Directing career
Neilson has more recently moved into directing with his first feature film The Debt CollectorThe Debt Collector
The Debt Collector is a 1999 thriller, written and directed by Scottish dramatist Anthony Neilson and starring Billy Connolly, Ken Stott and Francesca Annis....
in 1999 which won the Fipresci (International Critics) Award at the Troia International Film Festival. As his writing work involves collaborations he has a massive directorial role in the creation of his plays but in 2007 he was credited as director of his play God in Ruins at the Soho Theatre
Soho Theatre
Soho Theatre is a theatre in the eponymous Soho district of the City of Westminster. It presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret....
. At the RSC
RSC
RSC is a three-letter initialism that can stand for several things:-Science & Technology:* Chromatin Structure Remodeling Complex* Reconfigurable Supercomputing - a method of supercomputing that takes advantage of reconfigurable computing architectures * Reverse Standards Conversion - a video...
he directed the world premiere of The Drunks by the Durnenkov Brothers in 2009. In 2010 he directed Caledonia by Alistair Beaton
Alistair Beaton
Alistair Beaton is a Scottish left wing political satirist, journalist, radio presenter, novelist and television writer. At one point in his career he was also a speechwriter for Gordon Brown....
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...
.
Plays
- Sixty Six 2011 Bush TheatreBush TheatreThe Bush Theatre is based in Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 above The Bush public house by Brian McDermott, and has since become one of the most celebrated new writing theatres in the world. An intimate venue renowned for its close-up...
(short piece) - Orson Welles in the Land of the Peas 2010 HeadlongHeadlongHeadlong may refer to:* Headlong, a British theatre company* Headlong , a 1980 novel by Emlyn Williams* Headlong , a 1999 novel by Michael Frayn* Headlong , a 1999 novel by Simon Ings...
theatre company - Get Santa! 2010 at the Royal Court TheatreRoyal Court TheatreThe Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
- The Seance 2009 at the National TheatreRoyal National TheatreThe Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
as part of Connections - Relocated 2008 at the Royal Court TheatreRoyal Court TheatreThe Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
upstairs - God in Ruins 2007 at the Soho TheatreSoho TheatreSoho Theatre is a theatre in the eponymous Soho district of the City of Westminster. It presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret....
- Realism 2006 at the Edinburgh International FestivalEdinburgh International FestivalThe Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around the middle of August. By invitation from the Festival Director, the International Festival brings top class performers of music , theatre, opera...
- The Wonderful World of DissociaThe Wonderful World of DissociaThe Wonderful World of Dissocia is a play written and directed by Anthony Neilson about a young woman suffering from dissociative disorder. The idea was originally workshopped with a group of students at LAMDA in 2002 but was later re-written and produced for the National Theatre of Scotland at the...
2004 at the Royal Lyceum TheatreRoyal Lyceum TheatreThe Royal Lyceum Theatre is a 658 seat theatre in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, named after the Theatre Royal Lyceum and English Opera House, the residence at the time of legendary Shakespearean actor Henry Irving. It was built in 1883 by architect C. J. Phipps at a cost of UK£17,000 on behalf... - Twisted 2003 at the Theatre WorkshopTheatre WorkshopTheatre Workshop is a theatre group noted for their director, Joan Littlewood. Many actors of the 1950s and 1960s received their training and first exposure with the company...
at the Edinburgh FringeEdinburgh FringeThe Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August... - The Lying Kind 2002 at the Royal Court TheatreRoyal Court TheatreThe Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
downstairs - Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness 2002 at the Drum TheatreDrum TheatreDrum Theatre were a British pop group, active in the mid 1980s. The band released four singles and one album, after which they disbanded.-Singles:* "Eldorado" - European number 1, UK #44 ITA#2* "Living in the Past" - UK #67 ITA#25...
- Stitching 2002 at the Traverse TheatreTraverse TheatreThe Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1963.The Traverse Theatre commissions and develops new plays or adaptations from contemporary playwrights. It also presents a large number of productions from visiting companies from across the UK. These include new plays,...
- The Censor 1997 at the Finborough TheatreFinborough TheatreThe Finborough Theatre is a fifty seat theatre in the Earls Court area of London, United Kingdom , which presents new British writing, UK and premieres of new plays, primarily from the English speaking world including North America, Canada, Scotland and Ireland, music theatre, and rarely seen...
- Hoover Bag 1996 at the Young Vic Theatre
- Hereditary 1995 at the Royal Court TheatreRoyal Court TheatreThe Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
- The Night Before Christmas 1995 at the Finborough TheatreFinborough TheatreThe Finborough Theatre is a fifty seat theatre in the Earls Court area of London, United Kingdom , which presents new British writing, UK and premieres of new plays, primarily from the English speaking world including North America, Canada, Scotland and Ireland, music theatre, and rarely seen...
- The Year of the Family 1994 at the Finborough TheatreFinborough TheatreThe Finborough Theatre is a fifty seat theatre in the Earls Court area of London, United Kingdom , which presents new British writing, UK and premieres of new plays, primarily from the English speaking world including North America, Canada, Scotland and Ireland, music theatre, and rarely seen...
- PenetratorPenetrator (play)Penetrator is a 1993 play by Scottish playwright Anthony Neilson. The play was first staged in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is considered one of the earliest examples of In-yer-face theatre.-Plot:...
1993 at the Traverse TheatreTraverse TheatreThe Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1963.The Traverse Theatre commissions and develops new plays or adaptations from contemporary playwrights. It also presents a large number of productions from visiting companies from across the UK. These include new plays,... - Normal: The Düsseldorf RipperNormal: The Düsseldorf RipperPlaywright Anthony Neilson's 1991 work Normal: The Düsseldorf Ripper is a fictional account of Peter Kürten's life, told from the point of view of his defense lawyer. Published in Neilson Plays 1: Normal, Penetrator, Year of the Family, Night Before Christmas, Censor, Methuen Drama 1998, ISBN...
1991 at the Edinburgh Theatre Festival made into a film Angels GoneAngels GoneNormal is a film adaptation of playwright Anthony Neilson's 1991 work Normal: The Düsseldorf Ripper, a fictional account of serial killer Peter Kürten's life, told from the point of view of his defense lawyer. With Milan Kňažko as Kürten, Dagmar Veškrnová as his wife and Pavel Gajdoš as his lawyer... - Welfare My Lovely 1990 at the Traverse TheatreTraverse TheatreThe Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1963.The Traverse Theatre commissions and develops new plays or adaptations from contemporary playwrights. It also presents a large number of productions from visiting companies from across the UK. These include new plays,...
Radio Plays
- The Colours Of The King's Rose (radio play)
- A Fluttering of Wings (radio play)
- Twisted (radio play)
Filmography
- Deeper Still (short film)
- The Debt CollectorThe Debt CollectorThe Debt Collector is a 1999 thriller, written and directed by Scottish dramatist Anthony Neilson and starring Billy Connolly, Ken Stott and Francesca Annis....
1999 with Film 4 both writer and director