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Gary Mitchell#Works

{{short description|Northern Irish playwright (born 1965)}}

{{for|other people with the same name|Gary Mitchell (disambiguation)}}

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{{Infobox writer

| name = Gary Mitchell

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1965|05|03}}

| occupation = Writer

| genre = Political thriller

| notableworks = As the Beast Sleeps, The Force of Change, In a Little world of Our own

| spouse = Alison

}}

Gary Mitchell (born 3 May 1965) is a Northern Irish playwright. By the 2000s, he had become "one of the most talked about voices in European theatre ... whose political thrillers have arguably made him Northern Ireland's greatest playwright".

From a working-class, loyalist background, Mitchell's first foray into writing was for Radio 4. His first play was produced by Tinderbox but Mitchell's first major theatre success was the production (by Connall Morrison) of his In A Little World of Our Own at the Peacock, a gripping and unflinching portrayal of loyalist culture. It won The Irish Times Theatre Award for Best New Play in 1997,[http://www.irishtimes.com/events/theatreawards/winners/ The Theatre Awards: 1997]. Retrieved 19 February 2011. and it later went to Belfast as part of an Abbey Theatre tour. The following year the Peacock Theatre produced his As The Beast Sleeps.

He was writer-in-residence at the Royal National Theatre, London in 1999.

His works have also premiered at London's Royal Court Theatre. Force of Change won the Evening Standard Charles Wintour Award (£30,000) for Most Promising Playwright.

He won the prestigious Stewart Parker Award for Independent Voice; other accolades include the George Devine Award.

In November 2005, he was forced out of his home in the Belfast suburb of Rathcoole after it was attacked by loyalist paramilitaries.[https://www.theguardian.com/Northern_Ireland/Story/0,2763,1671799,00.html Loyalist paramilitaries drive playwright from his home] – The Guardian, 21 December 2005.[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1697394,00.html Playwright hits back against intimidation] – The Observer, 29 January 2006. He and his family had to live in hiding somewhere in Northern Ireland which forced Mitchell to put his career on hold for five years.[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/debateni/blogs/gary-mitchell-workingclass-protestant-boys-arent-judged-on-brains-30263767.html Interview with Gary Mitchell], The Belfast Telegraph, 12 May 2014

He has gone on to win the Aisling Award for Outstanding Achievement in Arts and Culture.

Works

;Plays

  • Pride of the Shore (2024) Mac Theatre, Belfast
  • Burnt Out (2023) Lyric Theatre, Belfast
  • Silly Moos (2023) (Primary schools) Grand Opera House, Belfast
  • Safe as Seasons (2018) Festival, Belfast
  • 1932:The People of Gallagher Street (2016) with Martin Lynch, The Mac, Belfast
  • Smiley (2016) Lyric Theatre, Belfast
  • Demented (2014) Lyric Theatre, Belfast
  • Forget Turkey (We liked it so much we're going to Phuket again) (2013) with Dan Gordon and Colin Murphy, Lyric Theatre, Belfast
  • Re-energize (2013) Playhouse, Derry
  • Forget Turkey (We're going to Phuket this Christmas) (2012) with Dan Gordon and Colin Murphy, Lyric Theatre, Belfast
  • Love Matters (2012) Aisling Ghear, Belfast
  • Suicide Blonde (2010) Old Red Lion, London
  • Remnants of Fear (2005) Dubbeljoint, Belfast
  • Loyal Women (2003) Royal Court Downstairs, London
  • The Force of Change (2000) Royal Court Upstairs/Downstairs, London
  • Marching On (2000) Lyric, Belfast
  • Holding Cell (2000) Tinderbox, Belfast
  • Energy (1999) Playhouse, Derry
  • Trust (1999) Royal Court Upstairs, London
  • Tearing the Loom (1998) Lyric, Belfast
  • As the Beast Sleeps (1998) Peacock, Dublin
  • In a Little World of Our Own (1997) Peacock, Dublin
  • Sinking (1997) Replay, Belfast
  • That Driving Ambition (1995) Replay, Belfast
  • Alternative Future (1994) Point Fields, Belfast
  • Independent Voice (1993) Tinderbox, Belfast

;Radio plays

  • Tubes (2022) RTE Radio 1
  • Fighting Cowardice (2014) RTÉ Radio 1
  • Ulster Volunteers (2014) RTÉ Radio 1
  • Loves Worst Day (2013) BBC Radio 4
  • Babies (2012) RTÉ Radio 1
  • Freedom of Poverty (2011) RTÉ Radio 1
  • Ian Really Likes Mary (2010) RTÉ Radio 1
  • Echoes of War (2009) BBC Radio 3
  • Forgotten People Part Two (2009) RTÉ Radio 1
  • Forgotten People Part One (2009) RTÉ Radio 1
  • Just 'Cause (2008) RTÉ Radio 1
  • Loyal Women (2003) BBC Radio 4
  • The Force of Change (2002) BBC Radio 4
  • As the Beast Sleeps (2001) BBC Radio 4
  • At the Base of the Pyramid (1997) BBC Radio 4
  • Drumcree (1996) BBC Radio 4
  • Dividing Force Episode Three: Useless Tools (1995) BBC Radio 4
  • Dividing Force Episode Two: Raising the Standard (1995) BBC Radio 4
  • Dividing Force Episode One: Above the Law (1995) BBC Radio 4
  • Stranded (1995) BBC Radio 3
  • Mandarin Lime (1995) with Jimmy Murphy BBC Radio 3
  • Poison Hearts (1994) BBC Radio 4
  • Independent Voice (1993) BBC Radio 4
  • A Tearful of Dreams (1993) BBC Radio 4
  • The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1991) BBC Radio 4

;Television

  • Eight Days That Made Rome (episodes) (2017) Channel 5 (UK)

;Films

  • Suffering (2003) Writer/director
  • As the Beast Sleeps (2002) BBC 2
  • An Officer From France (1998) RTÉ 1
  • Made in Heaven (1996) BBC Education

;Published Plays

  • Burnt Out (2023)
  • Loyal Women (2003)
  • As the Beast Sleeps (2001)
  • The Force of Change (2000)
  • Trust (1999)
  • Tearing the Loom (1998)
  • In a Little World of Our Own (1998)

Awards

;Theatre awards

  • Aisling Award for Outstanding Achievement in Arts and Culture (2006) Remnants of Fear
  • Evening Standard Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright (2000) The Force of Change
  • Joint winner George Divine Award (2000) The Force of Change
  • Pearson Best New Play Award (1999) Trust
  • Belfast Arts Drama Award (1998) Sinking
  • Belfast Arts Drama Award (1998) In a Little World of Our Own
  • Irish Times Best New Play Award (1997) In a Little World of Our Own

;Film awards

  • Belfast Arts Award for Best Film (2002) As the Beast Sleeps
  • Best Short Film, Belfast Film Festival (2003) Suffering

See also

References

{{Reflist|2}}

External links

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20140814084659/http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article.aspx?art_id=749 Profile at Culture Northern Ireland.com] Retrieved 23 August 2013
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20110124055153/http://www.rte.ie/radio1/stagetostreet/ From Stage To Street] – The final edition of this radio series featured Mitchell in Feb. 2011
  • [https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2003/apr/05/theatre.politicaltheatre "Gary Mitchell asks why plays about Ulster Protestants are so often accused of bias"] in The Guardian, 5 April 2003
  • Colin Murphy, [http://mondediplo.com/2011/03/17mitchell The John le Carré of Ulster loyalism], Le monde diplomatique, March 2011.

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Category:Male dramatists and playwrights from Northern Ireland

Category:1965 births

Category:Living people

Category:Screenwriters from Northern Ireland

Category:Male novelists from Northern Ireland

Category:20th-century novelists from Northern Ireland

Category:21st-century novelists from Northern Ireland

Category:Television writers from Northern Ireland

Category:20th-century British male writers

Category:21st-century British male writers

Category:British male television writers