Maureen Chadwick is a British screenwriter, dramatist and television producer responsible, alone and with her writing partner Ann McManus, for a number of popular award-winning and sometimes controversial British television series
[ including '' Bad Girls'' (1999–2006), '']Footballers' Wives
''Footballers' Wives'' is a British television drama about fictional Premier League football club Earls Park F.C., its players, and their wives, broadcast on ITV from 2002 to 2006. The show initially focuses on three very different couples, but ...
'' (2002–2006) and '' Waterloo Road'' (2006–2015, 2022–present). With McManus she wrote the book for the stage musical '' Bad Girls: The Musical'' (2006–2007). She was a co-founder and creative director of the independent television production company Shed Productions
Shed Productions, part of Warner Bros. Television Productions UK, was an independent UK television production company, specialising in contemporary, original drama programming and content. It was established in 1998 by Eileen Gallagher, Brian P ...
(1998–2010). She is now a freelance writer.[Professional CV for Maureen Chadwick]
MacFarlane Chard Associates Limited: Literary & Talent Agents
Early life
Chadwick was born in Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
in Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
. In her home town 'Chad' Chadwick attended East End Junior School and the all-girls Aldershot County High School where she developed an interest in art and in stage production. Deciding to be a painter, she attended the University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
, but, as this was the time the Gay Liberation Front
Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was the name of several gay liberation groups, the first of which was formed in New York City in 1969, immediately after the Stonewall riots. Similar organizations also formed in the UK and Canada. The GLF provided a ...
was being launched, she left after two months and returned home to be nearer London, joining Farnham School of Art
Farnham ( /ˈfɑːnəm/) is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a tribu ...
in nearby Farnham, Surrey
Farnham ( /ˈfɑːnəm/) is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a tribu ...
. Whilst there she visited The Gateways, a lesbian club in Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
made famous in the film ''The Killing of Sister George
''The Killing of Sister George'' is a 1964 play by Frank Marcus that was later adapted into a The Killing of Sister George (film), 1968 film directed by Robert Aldrich.
Stage version
Sister George is a beloved character in the popular radio ser ...
'' (1968), one of the earliest mainstream films to feature lesbianism. For many women, including Chadwick, a visit to the Gateways was their first introduction to lesbian life. In 1971, after her third attempt, Chadwick finally got in when she realised she had to apply for membership, having the necessary admission card sent to her at the art college she was attending rather than the parental home:[
In her early 20s Chadwick moved to Bristol and became an active member of the Women’s Liberation Movement there. She gained a post as a data-processing librarian, where, finding she had a great deal of time on her hands, she started to write scripts, eventually getting an agent and commencing her writing career.
]
Writer and producer
Chadwick's first writing commissions were for the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
''. Her first solo project was the BBC Play For Toda
in 1988. Her BBC Screen One fil
. She has also written for various other television series including the poorly-received ''
'' (1987).