Roger Williams (playwright)
Encyclopedia
Roger Williams is a Welsh
playwright
and screenwriter
working in both English
and Welsh
. His work often examines aspects of modern Welsh life, such as the place of minority languages, the plight of declining industrial communities and the Cardiff gay scene.
He was born at Newport
, Wales
, and brought up in Carmarthen
. He graduated in 1995 from the University of Warwick
with a degree in English and American Literature.
His theatre work includes:
In 2002, his work Tales from the Pleasure Beach
, screened on BBC Two
, was nominated for a BAFTA Award in the Best Drama Series
category. He has also written episodes of "Hollyoaks" (Channel 4), "The Story of Tracy Beaker" (BBC), "The Bench" (BBC Wales), "Citizens!" (BBC Wales) and many episodes of the daily Welsh-language soap opera Pobol y Cwm
which is broadcast on S4C
. In 2006, he became the lead writer of S4C's popular new drama series "Caerdydd".
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
working in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. His work often examines aspects of modern Welsh life, such as the place of minority languages, the plight of declining industrial communities and the Cardiff gay scene.
He was born at Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, and brought up in Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
. He graduated in 1995 from the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
with a degree in English and American Literature.
His theatre work includes:
- Surfing, Carmarthen Bay (1995)
- Love in Aberdare (1997)
- Gulp (1997)
- Calon Lân (1997)
- Saturday Night Forever (1998)
- Killing Kangaroos (1999)
- Pop (2000)
- Y Byd (A'i Brawd) (2004)
- Me, a Giant (2005)
- Mother Tongue (2005)
- "Kapow!" (2006)
In 2002, his work Tales from the Pleasure Beach
Tales from the Pleasure Beach
Tales from the Pleasure Beach was a three-part drama series broadcast on BBC Two in 2001. Each episode featured a self-contained story, against the backdrop of a seaside amusement park....
, screened on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
, was nominated for a BAFTA Award in the Best Drama Series
British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series
The British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series is one of the major categories of the British Academy Television Awards , the primary awards ceremony of the British television industry...
category. He has also written episodes of "Hollyoaks" (Channel 4), "The Story of Tracy Beaker" (BBC), "The Bench" (BBC Wales), "Citizens!" (BBC Wales) and many episodes of the daily Welsh-language soap opera Pobol y Cwm
Pobol y Cwm
Pobol y Cwm is a Welsh-language television soap opera which has been produced by the BBC since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, Pobol y Cwm was originally transmitted on BBC Wales television and later transferred to the Welsh-language station S4C when it...
which is broadcast on S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
. In 2006, he became the lead writer of S4C's popular new drama series "Caerdydd".