Dr John Cooper Clarke
I saw Clarke perform twice when a teenager and he left an indelible mark on me. I wanted to ooze cool like the man. His work is expertly crafted and could be described as social realism, but with a comic tilt. He’s now getting the mainstream recognition he deserves after four decades.
Alan Bennett
I am in love with Alan Bennett’s ability to capture the minutiae of real life. Moreover, he is tender, emotive, hilarious and provocative. His Talking Heads plays I listen to a number of times, every year. They are inch perfect.
Ben Elton
I am a comedy nerd and Ben Elton is one of the most important comedians of his generation. He takes swipes at those truly deserving of burlesque. Elton is not an elite, nor esteemed writer, but his work has an instrumental force which has helped to shape my world view.
Stephen King
King is much maligned, but he is a master storyteller. His readership is enormous and incredibly loyal Few writers have had such an impact upon contemporary pop culture. I love the way he finds the horror in the mundane. No need for gothic architecture when he can scare you with boilers and hose-pipes. Subsequently, his writing is accessible, which for me, is most appealing.
Willy Russell
Russell served as my introduction to drama at high school. He wrote in a language that I understood, about places I had been to, and people I knew. He possesses a wit like Bennett and is both is wise and acerbic. He deals with issues of class and the desire for a better a life and his work has the ability to evoke a pity and sadness in it’s reeader as powerfully as any other writer I know.
Alan Parry is a Published poet and playwright from Merseyside, England. LGBTQIA+ ally. Comedy nerd. Interested in dirty realism and work which is politically charged.