Pam Gems (1 August 1925 – 13 May 2011) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

. The author of numerous original plays, as well as of adaptations of works by European playwrights of the past, Gems is best known for the 1978

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

'' Piaf''.

Personal life

Iris Pamela Price was born in

Bransgore Bransgore is a village and civil parish within the New Forest District, Hampshire, England. The village developed in the 19th century when a church and a school were built. It is technically classified as an urban area, although in some respects ...

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 ...

, and had her first play – a tale of goblins and elves – staged when she was eight by her fellow pupils at primary school. She studied psychology at

Manchester University , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...

from which she graduated in 1949. She was in her forties when she started to write professionally. She is best known for her 1978

''Piaf'' about French singer

Édith Piaf Édith Piaf (, , ; born Édith Giovanna Gassion, ; December 19, 1915– October 10, 1963) was a French singer, lyricist and actress. Noted as France's national chanteuse, she was one of the country's most widely known international stars. Pia ...

. She was nominated for two

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

s: for ''

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

'' (Best Play) in 1997, and for ''Marlene'' (Best Book of a Musical), starring

Siân Phillips Dame Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips (born 14 May 1933), known professionally as Siân Phillips ( ), is a Welsh actress. She has performed the title roles in Ibsen's ''Hedda Gabler'' and George Bernard Shaw's '' Saint Joan''. Early life Phi ...

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

, in 1999. Gems adapted works by dramatists ranging from

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

Federico García Lorca Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936), known as Federico García Lorca ( ), was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblemat ...

and

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 ...

Marguerite Duras Marguerite Germaine Marie Donnadieu (, 4 April 1914 – 3 March 1996), known as Marguerite Duras (), was a French novelist, playwright, screenwriter, essayist, and experimental filmmaker. Her script for the film '' Hiroshima mon amour'' (1959) e ...

Family

She married wax model manufacturer (the family firm, Gems Wax Models, established in 1885, has supplied models to

Madame Tussauds Madame Tussauds (, ) is a wax museum founded in 1835 by French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud in London, spawning similar museums in major cities around the world. While it used to be spelled as "Madame Tussaud's"; the apostrophe is no longer us ...

) and former architect Keith Gems; the couple had four children.

Filmography

List of works

Early plays (1972–1976)

:''(work, year, place first produced)'' * ''Betty's Wonderful Christmas'' (1972), Cockpit Theatre, London * ''My Warren And After Birthday'' (1973), Almost Free Theatre, London * ''Miz Venus and Wild Bill'' (1973), Almost Free Theatre, London * ''After Birthday'' (1973) * ''The Amiable Courtship Of Miz Venus And Wild Bill'' (1974), Almost Free Theatre, London * ''Go West Young Woman'' (1974),

The Roundhouse The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhouse, ...

, London * ''Up In Sweden'' (1975), Haymarket, Leicester * ''My Name Is Rosa Luxembourg'' (adaptation), (1975) * ''Up In Sweden'' (1975) * ''Rivers and Forests (adaptation)'', (1976) * ''Dead Fish'' (aka ''Dusa, Fish, Stas And Vi'', 1976), Edinburgh Festival * ''Guinevere'' (1976), Edinburgh Festival * ''The Project'' (1976), Soho Poly, London

Middle plays (1977–2000)

* ''Franz Into April'' (1977), ICA, London * ''Queen Christina'' (1977), Other Place, Stratford-on-Avon * '' Piaf'' (1978), Other Place, Stratford-on-Avon * ''Ladybird, Ladybird'' (1979), The King's Head, Islington, London * ''Sandra'' (1979), London * ''Aunt Mary'' (1982), Warehouse Theatre, London * ''The Treat'' (1982), ICA, London * ''The Cherry Orchard'' (adaptation) (1984) * ''Variety Night'' (1982), London * ''Camille'' (adaptation) (1984) * ''Loving Women'' (1984) * ''The Danton Affair'' (1986) * ''Pasionaria'' (1985), Playhouse Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne * ''Arther and Guinevere'' (1990), Edinburgh * ''

The Seagull ''The Seagull'' ( rus, Ча́йка, r=Cháyka, links=no) is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises t ...

'' (adaptation) (1991) * ''The Blue Angel'' (1991), Other Place, Stratford-on-Avon * ''Deborah's Daughter'' (1994), Manchester * ''Ghosts'' (adaptation) (1994) * ''Marlene'' (1996), Oldham * ''

'' (1996), London * ''At the Window'' (1997) * ''The Snow Palace'' (1998) * ''Ebba'' (1999)

Late plays (2000–2009)

* ''Girabaldi, Si!'' (2000) * ''Linderhof'' (2001) * ''Mrs Pat'' (2002), Theatre Royal, York * ''

Yerma ''Yerma'' is a play by the Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. It was written in 1934 and first performed that same year. García Lorca describes the play as "a tragic poem." The play tells the story of a childless woman living in rural S ...

'' (adaptation) (2003), Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester * ''Not Joan the Musical'' (2003) * ''The Lady From The Sea'' (adaptation) (2003), Almeda Theatre London * ''The Little Mermaid'' (adaptation) (2004), Greenwich Theatre, Riverside Theatre, London * ''Nelson'' (2004), Nuffield Theatre, Southampton * ''Broadway Lady'' (2007) * ''Piaf'' (2008), Donmar Warehouse, London * ''Winterlove'' (2009), The Drill Hall, London * ''Despatches'' (2009), The Drill Hall, London

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gems, Pam 1925 births 2011 deaths Alumni of the University of Manchester People from New Forest District Place of death missing British women dramatists and playwrights 20th-century British dramatists and playwrights 20th-century British women writers