Playwright...

During the 2010's...

Whilst we still have the majority of the 2010 decade ahead of us, Willy Russell's Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine enjoyed a highly successful season at London's Menier Chocolate Factory and will continue when both plays transfer to the Trafalgar Studios in July.  Our Day Out - The Musical is penciled in for a repeat of it's sell out production at Liverpool's Royal Court.  Willy continues to write and has several projects in the pipeline which we'll annnounce here at WillyRussell.com in due course.

2010
WILLY RUSSELL SEASON IN LONDON
The Menier Chocolate Factory revives Willy Russell's award winning plays Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine, starring Meera Syal, Larry Lamb and Laura Dos Santos. Shirley Valentine, was directed by Glen Walford, who commissioned and directed the original 1986 Liverpool Everyman production and Educating Rita, directed by Jeremy Sams. 2010 marks the 30th anniversary of Educating Rita which was originally commissioned by the RSC in 1980. After their sell out at the Chocolate Factory, both plays move to the Trafalgar Studios in July 2010. REVIEWS & MORE INFO HERE

OUR DAY OUT - THE MUSICAL
2010 also sees the new musical (premiered in September last year) return to Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre. Originally written for television in 1976, Willy together with director Bob Eaton have created a new, improved, all singing, all dancing Our Day Out - their third collaboration on the seminal school tale in 25 years. “One of the very very best theatrical experiences of my life – I can’t wait to do it again”. Willy Russell.
The musical sold out last year and is surely set to do likewise during its run from 27th August to 9th October 2010.

2012
EDUCATING RITA
Following a hugely successful run in 2010 both at the Menier Chocolate Factory and in London's West End, EDUCATING RITA returns to Southwark Street for three weeks only, prior to a UK tour. Matthew Kelly and Claire Sweeney star in Willy Russell’s modern classic, directed by Tamara Harvey.

DANCIN' THRU THE DARK on DVD
The DVD of Dancin' Thru The Dark is now available twenty odd years after it was first released. A BBC & Formost Films Production, directed by Mike Ockrent, and produced by Annie Russell and Andree Molyneux. The film starred Claire Hackett, Con O'Neill, Simon O'Brien, Angela Clarke, Julia Deakin, Mark Womack, Louise Duprey, Colin Welland, Conrad Nelson, Andrew Naylor, Peter Watts and Sandy Hendrickse. The Evening Standard said, " Sharply-observed, full of humour, it just reeks truth."

ONE FOR THE ROAD
Olivier Award winning actor (and Tony nominated) – Con O’Neill – featured in Willy Russell’s comedy play OneFor The Road, produced by Northampton’s Royal & Derngate theatre at the beginning of February 2013. Con plays Dennis, a role previously covered by Alun Armstrong, Russ Abbot and Drew Schofield, on the eve of his birthday and trying to desperately to ditch his middle class lifestyle. The hugely funny play also stars Matthew Wait (Casualty & Holby), Michelle Butterly (Benidorm)and Nicola Stephenson (Brookside & Homefront).

2013
WILLY RUSSELL'S PERSONAL ARCHIVE COLLECTION IS DONATED TO THE LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY 
"It has always been my intention that if ever my papers and manuscripts were to be deposited, then it would be with a Liverpool institute.   I'm delighted to have come to this arrangement with Liverpool John Moores University...", writes Willy Russell.
Playwright Willy Russell’s personal archive collection is now available for access at Liverpool John Moores University’s Special Collections and Archives department. 
The archive collection is a comprehensive representation of Willy Russell’s work to date; it contains material relating to each of his theatrical works, and also to his early work writing for television, his multiple tours and performances as a musician and songwriter, and his novel, published in 2000. The collection contains manuscripts, programmes, publicity material including newspaper cuttings and press releases, correspondence, legal, financial and administrative documents, material relating to the casting and audition process, administrative material, audio and film material, and promotional ephemera.