Roy Williams OBE

Visiting Professor of Playwriting

Key details

Roy Williams

Visiting Professor of Playwriting


Roy Williams is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning writer whose plays have been produced in theatre such as the National Theatre, Royal Court and Lyric Hammersmith. He has also written for Television and Film with companies such as Channel 4, BBC and Sky.

Roy’s work include an adaptation of The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner
(Pilot Theatre/UK tour); Sucker Punch (Royal Court) Category B (Tricycle); Angel House
(Eclipse Theatre/UK tour); Days of Significance (RSC); Joe Guy (Soho Theatre/Tiata Fahodzi); There's Only One Wayne Matthews (Polka Theatre); Baby Girl (National Theatre Connections); Wildefire (Hampstead Theatre) Absolute Beginners (Lyric Hammersmith); Little Sweet Thing (Nottingham Playhouse/Eclipse Theatre UK tour); Slow Time (National Theatre Education); Fallout (Royal Court); Sing Yer Heart Out For the Lads (National Theatre); Clubland (Royal Court); The Gift (Birmingham Rep/Tricycle); Local Boy (Hampstead Theatre); Lift Off (Royal Court); Starstruck (Tricycle - Winner of John Whiting Award, Alfred Fagon Award, 1997); The No-Boys Cricket Club and Kingston 14 (both Theatre Royal, Stratford East) and an adaptation of Antigone (Pilot Theatre/UK tour). Soul: The Untold Story of Marvin Gaye (Royal & Derngate Northampton/Hackney Empire co-production) The Firm (Hampstead Theatre Downstairs) Death Of England (National Theatre) Death Of England: Delroy (National Theatre) Out West Trilogy (Lyric Theatre Hammersmith) NW trilogy (Kiln Theatre) The Fellowship (Hampstead Theatre) Heather (Lyric Theatre Hammersmith)

Radio work includes adaptations of ER Braithwaite's A Choice of Straws and To Sir with Love, John Wyndham’s The Midwich Cuckoos, The Likes of Us (Radio 3), as well as eight series’ of The Interrogation for BBC Radio 4.

TV and film work includes Fallout (Channel 4), Babyfather (BBC) Offside (BBC), Let It Snow (Sky One), Soon Gone: The Windrush Chronicles (BBC), Fast Girls (DJ Films) Death of England: Face to Face (Sky Arts).

Responsibilities within the university

Visiting Professor of Playwriting within the Drama, Theatre and Performance Research Group

Awards

1997 First recipient of The Alfred Fagon Award for Starstruck, 1997.

2000 John Whiting Award for promising playwright for Starstruck.

2000 Joint-winner of the George Devine Award for Lift Off

2001 Awarded the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright.

2002 Received a BAFTA award for Offside (Best Schools drama)

2004 Received an honorary doctorate from Rose Bruford College

2008 Awarded an OBE for services to drama in the 20008 Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

2010 Joint Winner of The Alfred Fagon Award for Sucker Punch.

2011 Winner of Writers Guild Award for Best play For Sucker Punch

2011 Olivier Award nomination for Best Play for Sucker Punch.

2014 Received an honorary doctorate from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

2018 Made a fellow of The Royal Society of Literature.

2021 Received a best Drama Writer nomination at Royal Society Television awards & received a BAFTA nomination for best short form drama both for Soon Gone: Windrush Chronicle

Research / Scholarly interests

Roy has written for theatre, film, television and radio.

Recent publications

Roy Williams plays 1 published by Methuen 2002

Roy Williams plays 2 published by Methuen 2004

Roy Williams Plays 3 published by Methuen 2008

Roy Williams plays 4 published by Methuen 2013

Roy Williams plays 5 published by Methuen 2022