Gary Mitchell (born 3 May 1965) is a

Northern Irish Northern Irish people is a demonym for all people born in Northern Ireland or people who are entitled to reside in Northern Ireland without any restriction on their period of residence. Most Northern Irish people either identify as Northern ...

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 Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

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 ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'' Theatre Award for Best New Play in 1997, and it later went to

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

as part of an

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the pu ...

tour. The following year the

Peacock Theatre The Peacock Theatre (previously the Royalty Theatre) is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Portugal Street, near Aldwych. The 999-seat house is owned by, and comprises part of the London School of Economics and Politica ...

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 The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...

. ''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

suburb of Rathcoole after it was attacked by loyalist paramilitaries.Loyalist paramilitaries drive playwright from his home
– ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', 21 December 2005. 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.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 * ''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, Londonderry * ''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, Londonderry * ''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 * ''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

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''

References

External links

Profile at Culture Northern Ireland.com
Retrieved 23 August 2013
''From Stage To Street''
– The final edition of this radio series featured Mitchell in Feb. 2011
"Gary Mitchell asks why plays about Ulster Protestants are so often accused of bias"
in ''

'', 5 April 2003 * Colin Murphy
The John le Carré of Ulster loyalism
Le monde diplomatique, March 2011. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Gary Male dramatists and playwrights from Northern Ireland 1965 births Living people Screenwriters from Northern Ireland Male novelists from Northern Ireland 20th-century novelists from Northern Ireland 21st-century novelists from Northern Ireland Television writers from Northern Ireland 20th-century British male writers 21st-century British male writers British male television writers

Works

Awards

See also

References

External links