Malcolm McKay
Encyclopedia
Malcolm McKay was born in Epping
, London
on the 12th of July, 1947. He studied at St Joseph's Convent primary, King Edward V1 Grammar, Chelmsford and Canley College of Education, Coventry. He qualified as a teacher in 1969 and began a career in the theatre soon after.
He has published four novels: The Path, about the personal, intellectual and spiritual inter-reaction between a group of international travelers on the Camino de Santiago; The Lack Brothers, a journey by three brothers in search of their mother through a mythologised London of the last fifty years, published by Transworld; Breaking Up, depicting the financial and interior collapse of a city trader as his domestic and professional life literally goes up in flames, published by Pegasus;Thistown, a political novel for teenagers set in a mythical town somewhere in the universe which is impossible to escape from and where no-one gets older.
He spent many years as a writer and director for television. His writing has always dealt with extreme behaviour and includes the controversial BBC
play Airbase which dealt metaphorically with drug abuse on a USAF base in England (the play achieved notoriety after it was mentioned in Parliament and the Lords after Prime Minister Thatcher
demanded a copy, the Chairman of the BBC, Marmaduke Hussey publicly apologised for the content, and media campaigner Mary Whitehouse
issued a second apologia to President Reagan
on the behalf of the British People). His work also includes the award winning A Wanted Man trilogy (Royal Television Society, best serial, Golden Chest Awards, best drama) one of the first television dramas to deal in depth with the arrest, trial and pychology of a serial killer. Several other controversial plays followed including Yellowbacks a dystopian take on the Aids epidemic. He has made three films for the BBC as writer and director, Redemption, about a child killer, Maria's Child, the graphic description of a female dancer’s decision to abort her child and the subsequent doubts and difficulties of the process, and Cruel Train, an adaptation of Emile Zola
's La Bete Humaine
. He has also directed plays by Jim Cartwright
and Jimmy McGovern
again for the BBC. Most recently he adapted Mervyn Peake
's Gormenghast
trilogy (winner New York Critics Circle award) and wrote and eight part cop show for BBC One
. His radio play Etian about a woman's recovery from rape was nominated for a Prix Italia award
.
He has written many plays for the theatre including Harry Mixture about a South London
gangster; Pistols which describes the final hours of the punk band; Renaissence, an insight into the mental collapse of a lawyer as his family breaks up around him; The People's Temple details the slow descent of the Californian cult into paranoia and mass suicide; Forgotten Voices, an adaptation of the best-selling oral history of the first world war for the Edinburgh Festival
.
He is the father of singer Nellie McKay
.
Epping
Epping is a small market town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of the County of Essex, England. It is located north-east of Loughton, south of Harlow and north-west of Brentwood....
, 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...
on the 12th of July, 1947. He studied at St Joseph's Convent primary, King Edward V1 Grammar, Chelmsford and Canley College of Education, Coventry. He qualified as a teacher in 1969 and began a career in the theatre soon after.
He has published four novels: The Path, about the personal, intellectual and spiritual inter-reaction between a group of international travelers on the Camino de Santiago; The Lack Brothers, a journey by three brothers in search of their mother through a mythologised London of the last fifty years, published by Transworld; Breaking Up, depicting the financial and interior collapse of a city trader as his domestic and professional life literally goes up in flames, published by Pegasus;Thistown, a political novel for teenagers set in a mythical town somewhere in the universe which is impossible to escape from and where no-one gets older.
He spent many years as a writer and director for television. His writing has always dealt with extreme behaviour and includes the controversial BBC
BBC
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...
play Airbase which dealt metaphorically with drug abuse on a USAF base in England (the play achieved notoriety after it was mentioned in Parliament and the Lords after Prime Minister Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
demanded a copy, the Chairman of the BBC, Marmaduke Hussey publicly apologised for the content, and media campaigner Mary Whitehouse
Mary Whitehouse
Mary Whitehouse, CBE was a British campaigner against the permissive society particularly as the media portrayed and reflected it...
issued a second apologia to President Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
on the behalf of the British People). His work also includes the award winning A Wanted Man trilogy (Royal Television Society, best serial, Golden Chest Awards, best drama) one of the first television dramas to deal in depth with the arrest, trial and pychology of a serial killer. Several other controversial plays followed including Yellowbacks a dystopian take on the Aids epidemic. He has made three films for the BBC as writer and director, Redemption, about a child killer, Maria's Child, the graphic description of a female dancer’s decision to abort her child and the subsequent doubts and difficulties of the process, and Cruel Train, an adaptation of Emile Zola
Émile Zola
Émile François Zola was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism...
's La Bete Humaine
La Bête humaine
La Bête Humaine is an 1890 novel by Émile Zola. The story has been adapted for the cinema on several occasions. It is based around the railway between Paris and Le Havre in the 19th century and is a tense, psychological thriller....
. He has also directed plays by Jim Cartwright
Jim Cartwright
Jim Cartwright is an English dramatist, born at Farnworth, Lancashire, England. Cartwright's first play, Road, won a number of awards before being adapted for TV and broadcast by the BBC....
and Jimmy McGovern
Jimmy McGovern
Jimmy McGovern is a BAFTA award-winning English television scriptwriter from Liverpool.-Early career:McGovern started his career working on Channel 4's soap opera Brookside in 1982, tackling many social issues such as unemployment.-Successes:...
again for the BBC. Most recently he adapted Mervyn Peake
Mervyn Peake
Mervyn Laurence Peake was an English writer, artist, poet and illustrator. He is best known for what are usually referred to as the Gormenghast books. They are sometimes compared to the work of his older contemporary J. R. R...
's Gormenghast
Gormenghast (novel)
Gormenghast, by Mervyn Peake, is the second novel in his Gormenghast series. It is the story of Titus Groan, 77th Earl of Groan and Lord of Gormenghast Castle, from age 7 to 17. As the story opens, Titus dreads the pre-ordained life of ritual that stretches before him...
trilogy (winner New York Critics Circle award) and wrote and eight part cop show for BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. His radio play Etian about a woman's recovery from rape was nominated for a Prix Italia award
Prix Italia
The Prix Italia is an international Italian television, radio-broadcasting and Website award. It was established in 1948 by RAI - Radiotelevisione Italiana in Capri...
.
He has written many plays for the theatre including Harry Mixture about a South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
gangster; Pistols which describes the final hours of the punk band; Renaissence, an insight into the mental collapse of a lawyer as his family breaks up around him; The People's Temple details the slow descent of the Californian cult into paranoia and mass suicide; Forgotten Voices, an adaptation of the best-selling oral history of the first world war for the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival Theatre
The Edinburgh Festival Theatre is a performing arts venue located on Nicolson Street in Edinburgh Scotland used primarily for performances of opera and ballet, large-scale musical events, and touring groups. After its most recent renovation in 1994, it seats 1,915...
.
He is the father of singer Nellie McKay
Nellie McKay
Nellie McKay , is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and former stand-up comedienne, noted for her critically acclaimed albums, and for her Broadway debut in The Threepenny Opera , for which she won a Theatre World Award...
.