Roy Smiles

Roy Smiles
Born	London, England
Occupation	Dramatist, playwright, songwriter
Years active	1987–present
Website
http://roysmiles.bandcamp.com/

Roy Smiles (born c. 1966) is an English playwright and singer-songwriter from West London, of Geordie parents. He is also an occasional actor. Smiles is the author of 26 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 in March 2011.^[1] His second album Time's Moving On was released in August 2012.^[2] His third album Seize The Day was released in June 2013.^[3][4] His fourth album Autumn Song was released in February 2014.^[5] A fifth album Bremen was released in August 2014.^[6][7] A sixth album The Trains & The Rain was released in January 2015.^[8]

Three compilations of his music: London Hymns, Exile In Blue and Clancy's Song were released on I-Tunes in March 2015.

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,^[9] Pythonesque,^[10] Kurt & Sid,^[11] Year of The Rat,^[12] Bombing People and The Last Pilgrim.^[13]

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). He won 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. In 2002 he played the role of Itzak Heller, a Jewish collaborator, in Roman Polanski's Oscar-winning movie The Pianist.

The Boys of Summer , his play set in an Aids ward, was translated into Hebrew and staged successfully in Tel Aviv in 1999.

He had a playwriting attachment to the Royal National Theatre in 2000.

Bombing People, about the Enola Gay and the dropping of the atom bomb, had its Swedish premiere at the Boras Stadsteater in 2003.

Ying Tong - A Walk With The Goons, the story of Spike Milligan's nervous breakdown whilst writing The Goon Show, was staged at West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2004, transferring the following year to the New Ambassadors Theatre in London's West End, produced by Michael Codron. It was later staged in the US, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.^[14]

The Ho-Ho Club, Smiles’ play about the London Comedy Circuit, was staged at the Kings Head Theatre in 2006, starring Sally Lindsay.^[15]

Good Evening (Behind The Beyond), the story of the Beyond The Fringe team, had its world premiere in South Africa in 2007.^[16]

Ying Tong - A Walk With The Goons received its American premiere at the Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia in 2007.^[17]

Year Of The Rat, the story of George Orwell's attempts to write Nineteen Eighty Four, had its British premiere at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2008. Again produced by Michael Codron. It had three further productions in New Zealand.^[18]

Schmucks received its American premiere at the Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia in 2008.^[19]

Pythonesque, an account of Graham Chapman's alcoholism and time in the Monty Python team, had its British premiere at the 2009 Edinburgh Festival.^[20]

Kurt & Sid, about Kurt Cobain's suicide, which starred Shaun Evans as Kurt Cobain and Danny Dyer as Sid Vicious, was staged at the Trafalgar Studios in London in 2009.^[21]

Backstage, Smiles’ screw-ball 1930s farce, had its world premiere at the Court Theatre in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2009.^[22]

The Last Pilgrim, about Robert F. Kennedy's doomed bid for the US presidency in 1968, was staged at The White Bear Theatre in 2010.^[23]

Burlesque, a musical co-written with Adam Megiddo and dealing with the anti-communist witch-hunts in 1950s America, was staged at the Jermyn Street Theatre in 2011. It won Best Musical at the Off West End Awards in 2012.^[24]

The Lad Himself, about self-destructive British radio and TV comedian Tony Hancock, was staged at the 2012 Edinburgh Festival.^[25]

Plum, a play about PG Wodehouse's infamous Berlin Broadcasts, had its world premiere at the Court Theatre in New Zealand in August 2014.^[26][27]

Reno, a two-hander about the implosion of the marriage between Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller during the making of the film The Misfits, had its UK premiere at The Rialto Theatre, Brighton, in December 2014. Monroe was played by Lauren Varnfield, and Miller by Robert Cohen.

Six of Smiles’ plays have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4: Ying Tong - A Walk With The Goons,^[28] Good Evening (Behind The Beyond),^[29] Pythonesque,^[30] Dear Arthur - Love John,^[31]Goodnight From Him ^[32] and Memories Of A Cad.^[33]

Funny People, Smiles’ book on his playwriting influences, was published by Oberon Books in 2010.

Published works

• Ying Tong - A Walk With The Goons^[34] (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^[35] (Oberon Books 2011) - ISBN 9781849430340

MUSIC

Drunks & Dreamers (Red Admiral Records - REDADCDA576)^[36] 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, All That I Know, Sea Song.^[37]

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, Twisted City, Desperation Am, Has Anybody Here Seen A Friend, For The Love Of Vera, Girls Of Summer, Time's Moving On. ^[38]

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. ^[39]

Autumn Song^[40] (Tunecore - 859714100670) 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, Jean (The Ocean Is Calling), God Help The Down & Out.^[41]

Bremen (Tunecore - 859714100038) Clancy, Go Gently, (Just A) German Girl, A Spinning Wheel, Lorna Doone, Maid Of The Morning, Oslo (Through Her Eyes), Devizes Fair, Fallen King, Tomorrow Without Guns, The Lorelei, Yesterday's Sun, What Fools These Mortals Be, Magpie, Bremen.^[42]

The Trains & The Rain (Tunecore - 859714100281) A London Room, Empty Nest, Benefits Street, Carnival Of Clowns, Bedford Falls, Love Knows My Name, Clapham Girls, One Year, Make It On Through, Winter Is Coming, Chav City, Clean For A Day, Vera (In Autumn), Ahab's Song, London Loves Me.^[43]

London Hymns (Best Of) (Tunecore - 859714392181) Christ This City, War With The East, Seize The Day, Lorna Doone, I'll Give You The Sun, Clancy, A Land Called Home, Magpie, Drunks & Dreamers, Girls Of Summer, The Subways & The Sidewalks, Vera (In Autumn), Bremen, Time's Moving On, A Better Land, El Dorado, A Man Who Walks Alone, Lighthouse Keeper, Ship That Died Of Shame, Dreaming Of Toronto.

Exile In Blue (Best Of II) (Tunecore - 859714392570) Angel Of The North, (Just A) German Girl, Raven Black, Sea Song (Above Us The Stars), Bury My Heart (In Reading Gaol), This Summer Haze, Bird With A Broken Wing, Go Gently, Fallen King, Shadow Of My Songs, Chav City, Maid Of The Morning, For The Love Of Vera, Has Anybody Here Seen A Friend?, Wooden Ship, A London Room, Love Knows My Name, A Broken Fool, A Good Man Passing, Northern Rain.

Clancy's Song (Best Of III) (Tunecore - 859714393379) Nawal's Song, Ballad Of Moira Mooney, With Words Unspoken, Girls Who Ride On Trains, Spanish City, St Jude's Lament, Song For Orla, Rome Wasn't Built, Devizes Fair, Spinning Wheel, Angie (In The Mornings), Somewhere Like Elba, Meet Me (In The Angel), Desperation AM, Love Will Set Me Free, Autumn Wind, Clapham Girls, Loving You All My Days, I Shall Drink My Wine, All I Really Care About (Is You).

Plays

A complete list of Smiles’ staged plays, followed by the place and date of their original productions:^[44]

Schmucks[45] - Battersea Arts Centre, London, 8 July 1992 Roberto Calvi Is Alive & Well - Finborough Theatre, London, 14 October 1992 Top of the Town - Kings Head Theatre, London, 1992 Idiot's Waltz - Finborough Theatre, London, 9 September 1993 The Court Jester - Warehouse Theatre, Croydon, London, 13 December 1994 Danny Boy - Etcetera Theatre, London, 1994 The Boys of Summer - Old Red Lion Theatre, London, 11 July 1995 Dinner with the Borgias - Warehouse Theatre, Croydon, London, 8 December 1995 The Promised Land - Kings Head Theatre, London 1995 Get It While You Can, A Conversation With Janis Joplin - Etcetera Theatre, London, 3 November 1996 The Exiles (or Highgate Shuffle) - Hen and Chickens Theatre, London, 30 November 1997 Stand-Up - Old Red Lion Theatre, London, 23 March 1999 Bombing People - Jermyn Street Theatre, London, 22 August 2000

Sick Dictators - Jermyn Street Theatre, London, 31 July 2001 Lunatic's Tango - Hen and Chickens Theatre, London, 26 April 2002 Ying Tong: A Walk with the Goons[46] - West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, 22 October 2004 The Ho Ho Club (formerly Stand Up)[47] - Kings Head Theatre, Islington, London, 26 June 2006 Good Evening - Theatre-on-the-Bay, South Africa, 2007 Year Of The Rat[48] - The Forge at The Court Theatre, Christchurch, New Zealand, 19 October 2007 Pythonesque[49] - Theatre-on-the-Bay, South Africa, 2008 Kurt and Sid[50] - Trafalgar Studios, London 9 September 2009 Backstage[51] - The Forge at The Court Theatre, Christchurch, New Zealand, 30 October 2009 The Last Pilgrim[52] - The White Bear Theatre, London, 28 September 2010 Burlesque - A Musical[53] (co-written with Adam Megiddo) - Jermyn Street Theatre, 9 November 2011. The Lad Himself[54] - The Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh Festival, 1 August 2012. Plum - The Court Theatre, Christchurch, New Zealand, 9 August 2014.[55] Reno - The Rialto Theatre, Brighton, 16 December 2015.

References

External links

• Roy Smiles at the Internet Movie Database

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