MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT
Tim F rth Firth was born in Frodsham, England and spent much of his time at school writing songs. But shortly before going off to Cambridge, he took a course where he was required to write dialogue. That’s when he decided to become a writer. After Cambridge, Firth was invited to meet Alan Ayckbourn and was commissioned to write a play. His one-act play was a success and led to the commissioning of a full-length play from Ayckbourn, Neville’s Island, which later transferred to London’s renowned West End. The play has been seen around the world and has been in almost continuous production since its premiere. Along with his father, Gordon, Firth created a children’s audio book that later became a hugely successful TV series subsequently named one of the Greatest Children’s TV Shows of All Time. And the stage version of Firth’s TV movie The Flint Street Nativity became hugely successful.
Calendar Girls, adapted by Firth from his own film, found favor with audiences across the UK during its 2008/09 tour, and in the process broke the all-time British box office record for a play and continued to sell out during its West End residency. In 2010, the hit comedy embarked on a UK tour and has since been produced worldwide.
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TNP BACKSTAGE
WINTER 2020
