Wikipedia

Helen Edmundson

Helen EdmundsonFRSL(born 1964) is a British playwright, screenwriter and producer. She has won awards and critical acclaim both for her original writing and for her adaptations of various literary classics for the stage and screen.

Helen Edmundson
Born1964 (age 59–60)
Liverpool,England
Occupation(s)Playwright, screenwriter, producer

Early life

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Edmundson was born inLiverpool,in 1964.[1]Most of her childhood was spent on theWirraland inChester.[1]Edmundson studied drama atManchester University.[1]After her studies, Edmundson acted with Red Stockings, a female agit-prop company, for whom she wrote the musical comedyLadies in the Liftin 1988.[1]This was her first solo attempt at writing for the stage. After leaving Red Stockings, she acted throughout northwest England.[1]

Theatre

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1990s

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Edmundson's first playFlyingwas produced at theNational Theatre Studioin 1990. In 1992, her adaptation ofAnna Karenina,produced byShared Experience,won aTime OutAward and aTMA Award;the production toured nationally and internationally.[2]In 1993, Edmundson's original playThe Clearing,which won theJohn Whiting Award,was staged at theBush Theatre.[3]In 1994, her adaptation ofThe Mill on the Flosswas also produced by Shared Experience, again touring nationally and internationally; Edmundson won a Time Out Award forThe ClearingandThe Mill on the Floss.[4][2]In 1996, Shared Experience staged her adaptation ofWar and Peaceat theNational Theatre[5]in a production starringBAFTA Award-nomineeAnne-Marie Duff;the play was nominated for a Writers' Guild Award for Best Play.

2000s

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In 2002, Edmundson's playMother Teresa is Deadwas produced at theRoyal Court Theatre.In 2004, her adaptation ofGone to Earthwas produced by Shared Experience at theLyric Hammersmithand on tour; it was nominated for aTMA Award.[6]Edmundson's adaptation ofCoram Boypremiered at the National Theatre in November 2005, starringOlivier Award-winnerBertie CarvelandTony Award-nomineePaul Ritter;Edmundson received a Time Out Award and was nominated for an Olivier Award.Coram Boywas named by theEvening Standardas one of the fifty best plays of the century,[7][8][9]and became used as a set text inA-LevelDrama and Theatre Studies.[10]The play returned for a revival at the same venue a year later, again starring Carvel. Her adaptation ofOrestes,toured in the UK and played at theTricycle Theatrewith Shared Experience in 2006.[11]

Coram Boywas revived at theImperial TheatreonBroadwayin 2007, starringEmmy Award-winnerUzo Adubaand Tony Award-nomineeJan Maxwell,receiving six Tony Award nominations. In 2008, Edmundson amended her adaptation ofWar and Peace,turning it into a two-part play; this production was staged by Shared Experience and Nottingham Playhouse before touring. In the same year, her musical adaptation ofZorrowas produced at theGarrick Theatre,starring Olivier Award-winnerLesli Margheritaand Olivier Award-nomineeEmma Williams;Edmundson was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Musical.[12]In 2009, Edmundson's adaptation ofLife Is a Dreamwas produced at theDonmar Warehouse,starring BAFTA Award-winnerDominic West.[13]

2010s

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In 2010, Edmundson's musical adaptation ofSwallows and Amazonswas first produced at theBristol Old Vic,directed by Tony Award-winnerTom Morris.The next year, the show transferred to theVaudeville Theatre;the play was nominated for anEvening Standard Theatre Award.[14]Edmundson took part in theBush Theatre's 2011 projectSixty-Six Books,for which artists wrote a piece based upon a book of theKing James Bible;Edmundson wrote a piece entitledIn the night, a promise,based onZephaniah.[15]The same year, her adaptation ofCoram Boywas revived at the Bristol Old Vic. In 2012, her play aboutJuana Inés de la Cruz,The Heresy of Love,was produced by theRoyal Shakespeare Companyat theSwan TheatreinStratford-upon-Avon.[16]The same year, Edmundson's adaptation ofSwallows and Amazonswas revived for a national tour. Also in 2012, Edmundson's playMary Shelleywas produced on a nationwide tour, including the Tricycle Theatre and theLiverpool Playhouse,by Shared Experience.[17]

In 2013, her adaptation ofMephistowas produced at theAltonaer TheaterinHamburg.[18]In 2014, Edmundson's adaptation of the novelThérèse Raquinwas produced at theTheatre Royal, Bath,starring Olivier Award-winnersAlison SteadmanandDesmond Barrit.In 2015,The Heresy of Lovewas revived for a run atShakespeare's Globe.[19]Edmundson's adaptation ofThérèse Raquinwas produced byRoundabout Theatre CompanyatStudio 54on Broadway from 2015 to 2016, starringAcademy Award-nomineeKeira Knightleyand Tony Award-winnerJudith Light;the play was nominated for Outstanding New Broadway Play at the 2016Outer Critics Circle Awards.[20][21][22]Simultaneously, the RSC premiered her playQueen Annein Stratford.[23]In 2017, the RSC producedQueen Anneat theTheatre Royal Haymarket,starringGolden Globe-winnerRomola Garai.[24][25]In 2019, Edmundson's adaptation ofSmall Islandwas produced at the National Theatre, directed by its artistic director, Olivier Award-nomineeRufus Norris.[26]The Guardiancalled the play one of the top two theatre shows of 2019.[27]

2020s

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In February 2021, Edmundson's adaptation of Anna Karenina was revived at Sheffield Theatres' Crucible Theatre. In March 2022, Edmundson's adaptation ofSmall Islandwas revived at the National Theatre.[28]

Film and television

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Edmundson has written two short films for television:One Day,broadcast onBBC Twoin July 1991,[29]andStellaforChannel 4.In 2015, she wrote two episodes ofITVdramaThe Suspicions of Mr Whicher,Beyond the PaleandThe Ties that Bind,starringBAFTA Award-winnersPaddy ConsidineandTim Pigott-Smith.In September of the same year, Edmundson's feature-length adaptation ofAn Inspector Calls,starring BAFTA Award-winnersDavid ThewlisandMiranda Richardson,was broadcast onBBC One;[30]the programme won the 2016Broadcasting Press GuildAward for Best Single Drama[31]and was nominated for two 2016British Academy Television Craft Awards.[32]In 2018, Edmundson wrote the filmMary Magdalene,which was directed by Emmy Award-nomineeGarth Davisand starred Academy Award-nomineesRooney MaraandJoaquin Phoenix.[33]She is adapting the novelThe Awkward Age,to be broadcast by theBBC.[34]She wrote the first two series of crime dramaDalgliesh,executive producingthe second.Dalglieshwas first broadcast onChannel 5andAcorn TVand starsBertie Carvelasthe title character.[35][36]She is currently working as showrunner, writer and executive producer ofBelgravia: The Next Chapter,to be broadcast in 2024.[37][38]

Radio

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Edmundson has adapted numerous literary classics forBBC Radio 4,includingThe Voyage Outin 2006,[39]The Mayor of Casterbridgein 2008,[40]Anna of the Five Townsin 2011[41]andSense and Sensibilityin 2013.[42]

Awards and honours

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Edmundson has been a Fellow of theRoyal Society of Literaturesince 2015.[43]

References

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  1. ^abcdeEdmundson, Helen (2002).The Clearing.London: Nick Hern Books.ISBN1854592815.
  2. ^ab"Nick Hern Books | About Helen Edmundson".Nick Hern Books.Archivedfrom the original on 26 May 2019.Retrieved9 October2019.
  3. ^"THEATRE / Civil strife: Paul Taylor reviews Helen Edmundson's The".Archivedfrom the original on 6 November 2021.Retrieved29 August2017.
  4. ^abc"Helen Edmundson".Archivedfrom the original on 29 October 2018.Retrieved21 December2020.
  5. ^"War of the words".The Independent.23 October 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 1 October 2017.Retrieved21 December2020.
  6. ^ab"TMA Theatre Awards 2004 nominations announced".8 June 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 8 December 2004.Retrieved28 May2016.
  7. ^Michael Billington(16 November 2005)."Coram Boy".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 20 September 2014.Retrieved6 May2011.
  8. ^ab"Olivier Winners 2006".Olivier Awards.Archivedfrom the original on 5 December 2020.Retrieved21 December2020.
  9. ^"The 50 best plays of the 21st century".29 January 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 6 February 2021.Retrieved7 February2021.
  10. ^"Stage Talk TV: Episode Six - 'Meet the Playwright' with Helen Edmundson".YouTube.
  11. ^"Nick Hern Books | Orestes: Blood and Light, By Helen EdmundsonOriginal author Euripides".Nick Hern Books.Archivedfrom the original on 20 October 2020.Retrieved21 December2020.
  12. ^ab"Olivier Awards Winners 2009 -Official London Theatre".Olivier Awards.Archivedfrom the original on 5 December 2020.Retrieved21 December2020.
  13. ^"Theatre review: Life Is a Dream, Donmar Warehouse, London".The Guardian.15 October 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 25 January 2021.Retrieved21 December2020.
  14. ^ab"Evening Standard Theatre Awards: Adrian Lester and his writer wife".Evening Standard.12 November 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 26 November 2020.Retrieved21 December2020.
  15. ^"Bush Theatre".Archived fromthe originalon 4 July 2011.Retrieved19 June2012.
  16. ^The Heresy of LoveArchived2014-04-14 at theWayback Machine,RSC.
  17. ^"Shared Experience - Productions - Mary Shelley".sharedexperience.org.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 24 September 2015.Retrieved18 September2015.
  18. ^"Edmundson, Helen - Drama Online".dramaonlinelibrary.Archivedfrom the original on 26 May 2019.Retrieved9 October2019.
  19. ^"The Heresy of Love".Shakespeare's Globe.2015.Archivedfrom the original on 20 September 2018.Retrieved20 September2018..Written by Helen Edmundson and directed by John Dove.
  20. ^"Thérèse Raquin - Theater in New York".29 October 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 2 November 2015.Retrieved17 April2020.
  21. ^McKinley, Jesse (21 October 2015)."Keira Knightley, Making Her Broadway Debut, Is Not Afraid of the Dark".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 21 October 2015.Retrieved21 October2015.
  22. ^"2016 Outer Critics Circle Nominees Announced - Playbill".Playbill.19 April 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 1 October 2017.Retrieved24 April2016.
  23. ^Matthew Hemley,"RSC unveils winter 2015 season and Antony Sher as Lear"Archived2015-02-09 at theWayback Machine,The Stage.
  24. ^"Romola Garai takes on aristocratic role".BBC News.1 February 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 20 September 2018.Retrieved19 September2018.
  25. ^Kennedy, Maev (1 February 2017)."Royal Shakespeare Company to stage Robert Harris's Cicero trilogy".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 20 September 2018.Retrieved27 January2019.
  26. ^Brown, Mark (3 October 2018)."Andrea Levy's Small Island novel to be staged next year".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 29 August 2019.Retrieved9 October2019– via theguardian.
  27. ^"Top 10 theatre shows of 2019".The Guardian.17 December 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 8 December 2020.Retrieved21 December2020.
  28. ^"Small Island review – enthralling Windrush drama makes stylish return".TheGuardian.4 March 2022.
  29. ^"BBC Two England - 25 July 1991 - BBC Genome".genome.ch.bbc.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 31 May 2016.Retrieved24 April2016.
  30. ^Plunkett, John (14 September 2015)."BBC's An Inspector Calls arrests nearly 6 million viewers".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 8 September 2018.Retrieved27 January2019.
  31. ^"2016".12 March 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 12 May 2016.Retrieved24 April2016.
  32. ^"Television Craft in 2016 - BAFTA Awards".awards.bafta.org.Archivedfrom the original on 19 May 2016.Retrieved24 April2016.
  33. ^Child, Ben (21 January 2016)."Mary Magdalene biopic to be made by King's Speech producer".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 8 September 2018.Retrieved27 January2019.
  34. ^White, Peter (12 February 2018)."'Downton Abbey' Producer Carnival Films Adapting 'The Awkward Age' For The BBC ".Archivedfrom the original on 15 June 2020.Retrieved17 April2020.
  35. ^"Pop Stars Little Mix to Host MTV Europe Music Awards – Global Bulletin".20 October 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 1 November 2020.Retrieved9 November2020.
  36. ^"Detective Drama 'Dalgliesh' Gets Second and Third Season Order from AMC Networks' Acorn TV, Channel 5".6 July 2022.
  37. ^"Epix & Julian Fellowes reunite for 'Belgravia' sequel series".28 September 2022.
  38. ^"Belgravia: The Next Chapter: Everything you need to know about show's season two".5 November 2023.
  39. ^"BBC Radio 4 FM - 20 March 2006 - BBC Genome".genome.ch.bbc.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 4 January 2018.Retrieved18 September2017.
  40. ^"The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Classic Serial - BBC Radio 4".BBC.Archivedfrom the original on 30 October 2018.Retrieved19 September2018.
  41. ^"Anna of the Five Towns".Archivedfrom the original on 6 November 2021.Retrieved10 May2020.
  42. ^"Sense and Sensibility, Classic Serial - BBC Radio 4".BBC.Archivedfrom the original on 2 November 2018.Retrieved19 September2018.
  43. ^"Royal Society of Literature » Current RSL Fellows".rsliterature.org.Archivedfrom the original on 29 July 2017.Retrieved24 April2016.
  44. ^"Prize Citation for Helen Edmundson".Windham–Campbell Literature Prize. 24 February 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 26 February 2015.Retrieved25 February2015.
  45. ^"2016".12 March 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 25 March 2018.Retrieved20 March2018.
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