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Ed Harris is a playwright, radio dramatist, comedy writer, librettist, poet and performer[1] based in Brighton.

Early Life

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Ed Harris grew up in West London and attended Drayton Manor High School and Twyford Church of England School in Acton. After finishing high school, Ed worked as a bin man and later a careworker, as well as travelling and working abroad, including waiting tables in Turkey and training huskies in Kiruna, Sweden.

Ed Harris received his first theatrical commission after being ‘discovered’ at a poetry gig he performed at in Brighton in 2002. [2]

Career

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Ed Harris has written extensively for BBC Radio Drama and Comedy. His first radio play Porshia was produced in 2007 and starred Robert Webb[3].

Ed’s first play, Never Ever After was shortlisted for the Meyer-Whitworth Award in 2008[4].

Ed’s first major play Mongrel Island was commissioned by Soho Theatre[5] and opened Steve Marmion’s first season as Artistic Director in July 2011. It was later produced in Mexico City in 2014 as Perro Sin Raza [6], directed by Fernando Rozvar.

Ed’s The Cow Play was revived for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. [7]

Ed’s first play for children, What The Thunder Said won the Writers' Guild Award for Best Children’s Play 2017.[8]

Between 2011 and 2015 he won a Sony Gold Radio Academy Award for his series The Resistance Of Mrs Brown, a Writers' Guild Award for Troll[9] and a BBC Audio Drama Award for Billions[10] As well as many stand-alone plays, Harris has written numerous series, including an adaption of Franz Kafka’s The Castle[11]

Harris also wrote and starred in the semi-autobiographical play, The Slow Kapow[12]. He is also the writer of DOT[13] , a sitcom that follows the exploits of some of the female staff in the Cabinet War Rooms during the Second World War, starring Fenella Woolgar , Kate O’Flynn , Freya Parker, Jane Slavin and David Acton.

Ed Harris is also a published poet. [14]

In 2018, Ed wrote the libretto for a new opera A Shoe Full Of Stars for Opera Schmopera with composer Omar Shahryar. [15]

Awards

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WHAT THE THUNDER SAID - Writers' Guild Award for Best Children’s Play[16] (2017)

BILLIONS - BBC Audio Drama Award (2014)

THE RESISTANCE OF MRS BROWN - Radio Academy Award (2011)

TROLL - Writers' Guild Award (2011)

NEVER EVER AFTER - shortlisted Meyer-Whitworth Award (2008)

References

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