Charles Julian Humphrey Mitchell,
FRSL
The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, th ...
(born 1 May 1935) is an English playwright, screenwriter and occasional novelist. He is best known as the writer of the play and film ''
Another Country'', and as a screenwriter for TV, producing many original plays and series episodes, including at least ten for ''
Inspector Morse''.
Mitchell was born in
Epping,
Essex, and educated at
Winchester College, where he won the English Verse and
Duncan Reading Prizes
Duncan may refer to:
People
* Duncan (given name), various people
* Duncan (surname), various people
* Clan Duncan
* Justice Duncan (disambiguation)
Places
* Duncan Creek (disambiguation)
* Duncan River (disambiguation)
* Duncan Lake (d ...
.
[Winchester College Register 1992] He did his national service in submarines 1953-55 as a
Sub Lt RNVR. He then went to
Wadham College, Oxford and received a BA with first class honours in 1958. This was followed by a period as a
Harkness Fellow in the
USA (1959–61). He earned an M.A. in 1962 at
St. Antony's College, Oxford
St Antony's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1950 as the result of the gift of French merchant Sir Antonin Besse of Aden, St Antony's specialises in international relations, economics ...
. Since 1962 he has been a freelance writer.
In the late 1960s, Mitchell co-wrote the
teleplay ''
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)'' with
Ray Davies of
The Kinks. It was never produced, though it gave rise to the band's
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
. He recently recalled the aborted project: "''Arthur'' had a most unhappy history. It was originally meant to be a ... sort of rock opera, and we got as far as casting (excellent director and actors) and finding locations and were about to go when the producer went to a production meeting without a proper budget, tried to flannel his way through it, was immediately sussed and the production pulled. I have never been able to forgive the man."
Mitchell has written nine produced plays, including ''
Another Country'', which won the SWET (now Olivier) Award for best play of the year (1981), and ''
After Aida'' (1985), a play-with-music about composer
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
.
Mitchell has screenplay credits for five feature films. The earliest was ''
Arabesque'' (1966), which was directed by
Stanley Donen. ''
Another Country'' (1984) is based on Mitchell's own play, and directed by
Marek Kanievska. ''
Vincent & Theo'' (1990) is a biographical film about the famed painted
Vincent van Gogh and his brother
Theo, and was directed by
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New H ...
. ''
August'' (1996) was directed and starred
Anthony Hopkins, and was adapted from
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
's classic play ''
Uncle Vanya''. ''
Wilde'' (1997) is based on the life of
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
, and was directed by
Brian Gilbert.
In 2007 he wrote the BBC4 drama ''
Consenting Adults'' about
Sir John Wolfenden and his celebrated
1957 report.
Novels
*''Imaginary Toys'' (1961)
*''A Disturbing Influence'' (1962)
*''As Far as You Can Go'' (1963)
*''The White Father'' (1964) (winner of the
Somerset Maugham Award)
*''A Circle of Friends'' (1966)
*''The Undiscovered Country'' (1968)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Julian
1935 births
Living people
Alumni of St Antony's College, Oxford
English dramatists and playwrights
English television writers
English screenwriters
English male screenwriters
John Llewellyn Rhys Prize winners
Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature
People educated at Winchester College
People from Epping
Harkness Fellows
English male dramatists and playwrights
British male television writers