Roy Smiles

Roy Smiles (born c. 1966) is a British playwright and singer-songwriter from West London. He is also an occasional actor. Smiles is the author of twenty four produced stage plays. He has had plays staged in the UK, US, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Israel and Sweden.

As a singer-songwriter his first album Drunks & Dreamers was released by Red Admiral Records in March 2011.^[1] His second album Time's Moving On was released by Red Admiral Records in August 2012.^[2] His third album Seize The Day was released by Red Admiral Records in June 2013.^[3][4] His fourth album Autumn Song was released by Native Records in February 2014.^[5] A internet only album of 'B' sides and demos: Fools & Angels was released on Bandcamp/Grooveshark in 2013.^[6][7]

As an actor he played the character of Itzak Heller in Roman Polanski's Oscar winning film The Pianist.

His plays include Ying Tong - A Walk With The Goons,^[8] Pythonesque,^[9] Kurt & Sid,^[10] Year of The Rat,^[11] Bombing People and The Last Pilgrim.^[12]

Career

He started his career in Brighton as half of the sketch duo: Smiles & Kemp in between a variety of jobs as barman, cleaner, care assistant and club compere whilst trying to become a writer.

His first produced play Schmucks, about a fictitious meeting between Groucho Marx and Lenny Bruce, was staged at the Battersea Arts Centre in 1992. Other early plays include: Top Of The Town (Kings Head Theatre 1992), Roberto Calvi Is Alive & Well (Finborough Theatre 1992), Idiot's Waltz (Finborough Theatre 1993), Danny Boy (Etcetera Theatre 1994), The Boys Of Summer (Old Red Lion Theatre 1995), The Promised Land (Kings Head Theatre 1995), Get It While You Can - A Conversation With Janis Joplin (Etcetera Theatre 1996), The Exiles (Hen & Chickens Theatre 1997), Stand Up (Old Red Lion Theatre 1999), Bombing People (Jermyn Street Theatre 2000), Sick Dictators (Jermyn Street Theatre 2001) and Lunatics’ Tango (Hen & Chickens Theatre 2002). Winning Guinness Fringe Theatre Awards in 1995 and 1996.

During this time he supported himself with small acting roles in television shows such as Operation Good Guys, Frank Stubbs Promotes and Peak Practice. The highlight of these acting parts came with a role in Roman Polanski's Oscar winning movie The Pianist (2002) playing a Jewish collaborator.

In 1999, his Aids play: The Boys of Summer was translated into Hebrew and staged successfully in Tel Aviv. In 2000 he had a play writing attachment to the Royal National Theatre. In 2003, his play about the Enola Gay and the dropping of the atom bomb: Bombing People had its Swedish premiere at the Boras Stadsteater. In 2004, West Yorkshire Playhouse staged Ying Ting - A Walk With The Goons, his story of Spike Milligan's nervous breakdown whilst writing The Goon Show, which transferred to the New Ambassadors Theatre in London's West End in 2005, produced by Michael Codron. It was later staged in the US, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In 2006 he played the lead in his play about the London comedy circuit: The Ho-Ho Club alongside Sally Lindsay at The Kings Head Theatre.

In 2007, Good Evening (Behind The Beyond), his story of the Beyond The Fringe team, had its world premier in South Africa. In 2007 Ying Tong - A Walk With The Goons received its American premier at The Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia. In 2008 Year Of The Rat, his story of George Orwell's attempts to write Nineteen Eighty Four, had its British premier at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Again produced by Michael Codron. In 2008, Schmucks received its American premier at The Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia.

Pythonesque, his play about Graham Chapman's time in the Monty Python team, had its British premier at the 2009 Edinburgh Festival. His play about Kurt Cobain's suicide: Kurt & Sid which starred Shaun Evans as Kurt Cobain and Danny Dyer as Sid Vicious, was staged at the Trafalgar Studios in London in 2009. Backstage, his screw-ball 1930's farce, had its world premier at The Court Theatre in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2009. His play about Robert F. Kennedy's doomed attempt to run for president in 1968: The Last Pilgrim was staged at The White Bear Theatre in 2010.

His musical Burlesque, co-written with Adam Megiddo, about the 1950s Communist witch-hunts in America, was staged at the Jermyn Street Theatre in 2011.^[13] It won Best Musical at the Off West End Awards in 2012.

The Lad Himself, his play about self-destructive British radio and TV comedian Tony Hancock, was staged at the 2012 Edinburgh Festival.

Five of his plays have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4: Ying Tong - A Walk With The Goons,^[14] Good Evening (Behind The Beyond),^[15] Pythonesque,^[16] Dear Arthur - Love John^[17] and Goodnight From Him.^[18]

His book on his influences as a playwright: Funny People is published by Oberon Books.

Published works

• Ying Tong - A Walk With The Goons^[19] (Oberon Plays 2004) - ISBN 978-1840025255
• Year Of The Rat (Oberon Plays 2007) - ISBN 978-1840028447
• Pythonesque (Oberon Plays 2009) - ISBN 978-1840029413
• Kurt & Sid (Oberon Plays 2009) - ISBN 978-1840029420
• Funny People^[20] (Oberon Books 2011) - ISBN 9781849430340

MUSIC

Drunks & Dreamers (Red Admiral Records - REDADCDA576) Christ This City, St. Jude's Lament, Angel Of The North, A Land Called Home, Girls Who Ride On Trains, Raven Black, Happy, Lighthouse Keeper, I'll Give You The Sun, Drunks & Dreamers, Wooden Ship, Sea Song.^[21]

Time's Moving On (Red Admiral Records - REDAD CDA590) El Dorado, Ballad Of Moira Mooney, Bird With A Broken Wing, Ship That Died Of Shame, Shadow Of My Songs, All I Really Care About Is You, Love Of A Woman, Desperation Am, Has Anybody Here Seen A Friend, For The Love Of Vera, Girls Of Summer, Time's Moving On. ^[22]

Seize The Day (Red Admiral Records - REDAD CDA595) Dreaming Of Toronto, Angie (In The Mornings), This Summer Haze, Northern Rain, Nawal’s Song, Meet Me (In The Angel), Seize The Day, A Good Man Passing, I Shall Drink my Wine, At War (With The World), A Better Land, With Words Unspoken, Saturday's Children, Until Winter's Done. ^[23]

Autumn Song^[24] (Native Records - NTV 308) A Man Who Walks Alone, Somewhere Like Elba, Autumn Wind, Bury My Heart (In Reading Gaol), Rome Wasn't Built, Spanish City, Love Will Set Me Free, A Broken Fool, Loving You All My Days, Song For Orla, The Subways & The Sidewalks, A Miner Died Today, War With The East, Sarah Again.^[25]

Fools & Angels (Bandcamp/Grooveshark) All That I Know, Yesterday's Sun, Twisted City, Spinning Wheel, Maid Of The Morning, The Scarecrow, She Came From The City, Apostle's Song, What Fools These Mortals Be, Tomorrow Without Guns, Carnival Of Clowns, God Help The Down & Out, Girl From Devizes Fair, Arrivederci.^[26]

Plays

A complete list of Smiles' staged plays followed by the place and date of its original production is as follows:^[27]

References

External links

• Roy Smiles at the Internet Movie Database