John Antrobus
Encyclopedia
John Antrobus is an English
playwright and script writer. He has written extensively for stage, screen, TV and radio, including the epic World War II play, Crete and Sergeant Pepper at the Royal Court. He authored the children's book series Ronnie, which includes Help! I am a Prisoner in a Toothpaste Factory
His father was a Regimental Sergeant-Major in the Royal Horse Artillery, and the family was stationed at the School of Artillery in Larkhill, on the edge of Salisbury Plain. Antrobus attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
to finish his education, but rebelled and dropped out of the Army.
, Ray Galton
, Alan Simpson
and others. Antrobus states "I met Spike in 1954 or 55. I had sent a sample script to Galton and Simpson and they took me on at Associated London Scripts". Antrobus and Milligan "wrote a couple of Goon Shows
together. I wish I had done more of them with him but I wanted to be a playwright. I didn't realise they were golden times and how they gave life". The two shows were The Spon Plague, and The Great Statue Debate, both broadcast in March 1958
At ALS, Antrobus also worked with Johnny Speight
on The Frankie Howerd Show
in 1956, After contributing material to the first Carry On movie, Carry on Sergeant
(1958), he wrote his first movie screenplay: for Idle on Parade
(1959), starring Anthony Newley
. During 1960 he worked with Milligan and Eric Sykes
in the second series of Sykes and A...
(August- September 1960). He was also a contributing writer to the television series The Army Game
, in the 1958 and 1961 shows, along with Larry Stephens
, Maurice Wiltshire, and Lew Schwarz in 1958, and Brad Ashton, Barry Took
, Marty Feldman
and Wilshire in 1961. During the 1960s and 1970s, he provided scripts for television series as diverse as That Was the Week That Was
, Television Playhouse and Spike Milligan
's Milligan in... Antrobus wrote for Milligan's last radio series, The Milligan Papers
, a BBC Radio Collection released in 2002.
Antrobus' plays include The Bed-Sitting Room (1963) (co-written with Milligan) and a sequel from 1983; Cane of Honour (1965), Captain Oates' Left Sock (1969), An Apple A Day (1970) and City Delights (1978). In October 2005 Antrobus and Ray Galton (with whom he had collaborated on the 1986 sitcom Room at the Bottom
and Get Well Soon from 1997) unveiled their play Steptoe and Son
- Murder at Oil Drum Lane at the Theatre Royal, York. The Bed-Sitting Room was made into a film
in 1969. In 2010 John Antrobus and Ray Galton's production of Not Tonight Caligula, originally written for Frankie Howerd
, was recorded as a live radio play at The Leicester Square Theatre by The Wireless Theatre Company
directed by John Antrobus and starring Clive Greenwood in Frankie Howerd's role.
Although largely retired Antrobus still writes and is involved in fringe productions and talent scouting. He lives in Monaco.(Harlem News).
First published in Great Britain by Margaret & Jack Hobbs, 1970. Published by Universal-Tandem Publishing Co Ltd
, 1972. © 1970 Spike Milligan and John Antrobus.
First produced Royal Court Theatre, 1969 First produced Gate Theatre, Notting Hill, London, 1980 First produced Gate Theatre, Notting Hill, London, 1980 First produced Gate Theatre, Notting Hill, London, 1980 First produced, Mold, Clwyd, 1986.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
playwright and script writer. He has written extensively for stage, screen, TV and radio, including the epic World War II play, Crete and Sergeant Pepper at the Royal Court. He authored the children's book series Ronnie, which includes Help! I am a Prisoner in a Toothpaste Factory
Biography
John Antrobus married the former Margaret McCormick.His father was a Regimental Sergeant-Major in the Royal Horse Artillery, and the family was stationed at the School of Artillery in Larkhill, on the edge of Salisbury Plain. Antrobus attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
to finish his education, but rebelled and dropped out of the Army.
Career
After leaving the Army, John Antrobus pursued a future writing comedy, and went to Associated London Scripts (ALS), the writers cooperative set up by Spike MilliganSpike Milligan
Terence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
, Ray Galton
Galton and Simpson
Ray Galton OBE , and Alan Simpson OBE , are British scriptwriters who met in 1948 at a tuberculosis sanatorium, the Surrey county sanatorium near Godalming, on which the sitcom Get Well Soon was based...
, Alan Simpson
Galton and Simpson
Ray Galton OBE , and Alan Simpson OBE , are British scriptwriters who met in 1948 at a tuberculosis sanatorium, the Surrey county sanatorium near Godalming, on which the sitcom Get Well Soon was based...
and others. Antrobus states "I met Spike in 1954 or 55. I had sent a sample script to Galton and Simpson and they took me on at Associated London Scripts". Antrobus and Milligan "wrote a couple of Goon Shows
The Goon Show
The Goon Show was a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme...
together. I wish I had done more of them with him but I wanted to be a playwright. I didn't realise they were golden times and how they gave life". The two shows were The Spon Plague, and The Great Statue Debate, both broadcast in March 1958
At ALS, Antrobus also worked with Johnny Speight
Johnny Speight
Johnny Speight , was a British television scriptwriter of many classic British sitcoms.He emerged in the mid 1950s. He wrote for the radio comics; Frankie Howerd, Vic Oliver, Arthur Askey, and Cyril Fletcher. For television he wrote for the Arthur Haynes Show, Morecambe & Wise, and Peter Sellers...
on The Frankie Howerd Show
Frankie Howerd
Francis Alick "Frankie" Howerd OBE was an English comedian and comic actor whose career, described by fellow comedian Barry Cryer as "a series of comebacks", spanned six decades.-Early career:...
in 1956, After contributing material to the first Carry On movie, Carry on Sergeant
Carry On Sergeant
Carry On Sergeant is the first Carry On film. Its first public screening was on 1 August 1958 at Screen One, London. Actors in this film who went on to be part of the regular team in the series were Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor and Terry Scott...
(1958), he wrote his first movie screenplay: for Idle on Parade
Idle on Parade
Idol on Parade is a 1959 youth-oriented British comedy film directed by John Gilling and starring Anthony Newly, Sid James and Lionel Jeffries. It was John Antrobus' first screenplay...
(1959), starring Anthony Newley
Anthony Newley
Anthony George Newley was an English actor, singer and songwriter. He enjoyed success as a performer in such diverse fields as rock and roll and stage and screen acting.-Early life:...
. During 1960 he worked with Milligan and Eric Sykes
Eric Sykes
Eric Sykes, CBE is an English radio, television and film writer, actor and director whose performing career has spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and/or performed with many other leading comedy performers and writers of the period, including Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, Peter...
in the second series of Sykes and A...
Sykes and A...
Sykes and a... is a black-and-white British sitcom starring Eric Sykes and Hattie Jacques that aired on BBC1 from 1960 to 1965. It was written by Eric Sykes, Johnny Speight, John Antrobus and Spike Milligan...
(August- September 1960). He was also a contributing writer to the television series The Army Game
The Army Game
The Army Game is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1957 to 1961. Made in black-and-white, it is about National Service conscription to the post-war British Army. It was created by Sid Colin...
, in the 1958 and 1961 shows, along with Larry Stephens
Larry Stephens
Larry Stephens was a professional wrestler in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions.-Career:Larry Stephens was trained by Gene Anderson and Nelson Royal in Mooresville, North Carolina and made his debut against The Midnight Express on TBS in late 1986 at 19 years old.He worked for Jim Crockett...
, Maurice Wiltshire, and Lew Schwarz in 1958, and Brad Ashton, Barry Took
Barry Took
Barry Took was an English comedian, writer and television presenter. He is best remembered in the UK for his weekly role as presenter of Points of View, a BBC TV programme in which viewers' letters criticising or praising the BBC were broadcast...
, Marty Feldman
Marty Feldman
Martin Alan "Marty" Feldman was an English comedy writer, comedian and actor who starred in a series of British television comedy shows, including At Last the 1948 Show, and Marty, which won two BAFTA awards and was the first Saturn Award winner for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Young...
and Wilshire in 1961. During the 1960s and 1970s, he provided scripts for television series as diverse as That Was the Week That Was
That Was The Week That Was
That Was The Week That Was, also known as TW3, is a satirical television comedy programme that was shown on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced and directed by Ned Sherrin and presented by David Frost...
, Television Playhouse and Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
's Milligan in... Antrobus wrote for Milligan's last radio series, The Milligan Papers
The Milligan Papers
The Milligan Papers was a BBC radio comedy show, written by John Antrobus and starring Spike Milligan. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1987, it also featured Chris Langham, John Bluthal, and Antrobus, and is sometimes referred to as A Goon Show for the '80s. It was produced by Paul Spencer...
, a BBC Radio Collection released in 2002.
Antrobus' plays include The Bed-Sitting Room (1963) (co-written with Milligan) and a sequel from 1983; Cane of Honour (1965), Captain Oates' Left Sock (1969), An Apple A Day (1970) and City Delights (1978). In October 2005 Antrobus and Ray Galton (with whom he had collaborated on the 1986 sitcom Room at the Bottom
Room at the Bottom
-Synopsis:Room at the Bottom is the 17th adapted radio episode of Dad's Army. The synopsis remains virtually unchanged from the TV episode, although there are a few minor changes in terms of actions performed by certain characters.-Plot:...
and Get Well Soon from 1997) unveiled their play Steptoe and Son
Steptoe and Son
Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC from 1962 to 1965, followed by a second run from 1970 to 1974. Its theme tune, "Old...
- Murder at Oil Drum Lane at the Theatre Royal, York. The Bed-Sitting Room was made into a film
The Bed-Sitting Room (film)
The Bed-Sitting Room is a 1969 British comedy film directed by Richard Lester and based on the play of the same name. It was entered into the 19th Berlin International Film Festival.-Plot:...
in 1969. In 2010 John Antrobus and Ray Galton's production of Not Tonight Caligula, originally written for Frankie Howerd
Frankie Howerd
Francis Alick "Frankie" Howerd OBE was an English comedian and comic actor whose career, described by fellow comedian Barry Cryer as "a series of comebacks", spanned six decades.-Early career:...
, was recorded as a live radio play at The Leicester Square Theatre by The Wireless Theatre Company
Wireless Theatre Company
The Wireless Theatre Company is a not-for-profit online audio theatre company, founded in July 2007 by Mariele Runacre Temple, daughter of actress Jenny Runacre, the company produces radio plays, audio comedy and short stories for free download...
directed by John Antrobus and starring Clive Greenwood in Frankie Howerd's role.
Although largely retired Antrobus still writes and is involved in fringe productions and talent scouting. He lives in Monaco.(Harlem News).
Publications
First produced Edinburgh, 1964. First produced Royal Court Theatre, London, 1968. Televised 1971. First produced, Almost Free, London, 1968First published in Great Britain by Margaret & Jack Hobbs, 1970. Published by Universal-Tandem Publishing Co Ltd
Universal-Tandem Publishing Co Ltd
Universal-Tandem Publishing Co Ltd was a United Kingdom paperback publishing company established in the early 1960s as Tandem Books. Its principal imprint was Tandem. The hyphenated name Universal-Tandem was adopted as a corporate identity in 1968 after Tandem Books was bought by the American group...
, 1972. © 1970 Spike Milligan and John Antrobus.
First produced Royal Court Theatre, 1969 First produced Gate Theatre, Notting Hill, London, 1980 First produced Gate Theatre, Notting Hill, London, 1980 First produced Gate Theatre, Notting Hill, London, 1980 First produced, Mold, Clwyd, 1986.