Richard Anthony Bean (born 11 June 1956) is an English playwright.

Early years

Born in East

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

, Bean was educated at

Hull Grammar School Hull Grammar School was a secondary school in Hull, England, founded around 1330 and endowed in 1479 by the prelate John Alcock. In 1988, as part of a restructure by the Local Education Authority, the site was renamed William Gee School. Meanwh ...

, and then studied

social psychology Social psychology is the scientific study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people or by social norms. Social psychologists typically explain human behavior as a result of the ...

Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for post-nominals) is a public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university since 1966, but it dates back to 1909, when ...

, graduating with a 2:1 BSc Hons. He then worked as an occupational psychologist, having previously worked in a bread plant for a year and a half after leaving school. Between 1989 and 1994, Bean also worked as a comedian and went on to be one of the writers and performers of the sketch show ''Control Group Six'' (

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...

) which was nominated for a Writers Guild Award.

Theatre career

In 1995 he wrote the

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major li ...

for Stephen McNeff's opera ''Paradise of Fools'', which premiered at the Unicorn Theatre. His first full-length play, ''Of Rats and Men'', set in a psychology lab, was staged at the

Canal Cafe Theatre The Canal Cafe Theatre is a 60-seat fringe theatre venue in Little Venice, London, specialising in comedy performances. Location The theatre is above the Bridge House pub on the corner of Westbourne Terrace Road and Delamere Terrace, at the meet ...

in 1996 and went on to the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh F ...

. He adapted it for

, starring Anton Lesser, and it was nominated for a Sony Award.

Plays

*''Of Rats and Men'' (1996) - premiered at the

*'' Toast'' (1999) - premiered at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England ...

, directed by Richard Wilson *''Mr England'' (2000) - premiered at the

Crucible Theatre The Crucible Theatre (often referred to simply as "The Crucible") is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England which opened in 1971. Although it hosts regular theatrical performances, it is best known for hosting professional snooker's ...

Sheffield, directed by Paul Miller *'' The Mentalists'' (2002) - premiered at the National Theatre, directed by Sean Holmes *''The God Botherers'' (2003) - premiered at the

Bush Theatre The Bush Theatre is located in the Passmore Edwards Public Library, Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 as a showcase for the work of new writers. The Bush Theatre strives to create a s ...

, directed by

Will Kerley Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

*''Smack Family Robinson'' (2003) - premiered at the

Live Theatre Live Theatre, formerly Live Theatre Company, is a new writing theatre and company based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. As well as producing and presenting new plays many of which go on to tour nationally and internationally, it seeks out an ...

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

, directed by

Jeremy Herrin Jeremy Herrin is an English theatre director. He is the artistic director of Headlong Theatre. Career Having trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Herrin was an assistant director under Stephen Daldry at the Ro ...

*''Under the Whaleback'' (2003) - premiered at the

, directed by Richard Wilson *''Honeymoon Suite'' (2004) - premiered at the

, directed by Paul Miller *''Harvest'' (2005) - premiered at the

, directed by

Wilson Milam Wilson Milam is an American theatre director from Bellevue, Washington who works in the United States, UK and Ireland. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Director of a Play for Martin McDonagh's ''The Lieutenant of Inishmore'' as well as a ...

*'' The Hypochondriac'' (2005) - a new version of

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...

's play, premiered at the

Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325-seat producing house with an international reputation, which takes its name from the street on which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diver ...

, directed by

Lindsay Posner Lindsay Steven Posner (born 6 June 1959)"Lindsay Posner ...

*''Up on Roof'' (2006) - premiered at the Hull Truck Theatre, directed by Gareth Tudor Price *''In the Club'' (2007) - premiered at the Hampstead Theatre, directed by David Grindley *''The English Game'' (2008) - premiered at the

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre is a theatre located in Guildford, Surrey, England. Named after the actress Yvonne Arnaud, it presents a series of locally produced and national touring productions, including opera, ballet and pantomime. The theatre h ...

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...

, directed by Sean Holmes *''Pub Quiz Is Life'' (2009) - premiered at the Hull Truck Theatre, directed by Gareth Tudor Price *''

England People Very Nice ''England People Very Nice'' is a play by Richard Bean. It opened at the National Theatre in February 2009. The play, directed by Nicholas Hytner, is about four waves of immigrants - French Huguenot, Irish, Jewish and Bangladeshi - that have ar ...

'' (2009) - premiered at the National Theatre, directed by

Nicholas Hytner Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner (; born 7 May 1956) is an English theatre director, film director, and film producer. He was previously the Artistic Director of London's National Theatre. His major successes as director include '' Miss Saigon'', ''T ...

*''House of Games'' (2010) - an adaptation of the film by

David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and '' Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first gained cri ...

, premiered at the

, directed by

Lindsay Posner Lindsay Steven Posner (born 6 June 1959)"Lindsay Posner ...

*'' The Big Fellah'' (2010) - premiered at the Lyric Hammersmith, directed by Max Stafford-Clark *'' The Heretic'' (2011) - premiered at the

, directed by

*'' One Man, Two Guvnors'' (2011) - premiered at the National Theatre, directed by

*''

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

'' (2014) - premiered at the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

, directed by

*''

Pitcairn The Pitcairn Islands (; Pitkern: '), officially the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, is a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the sole British Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean. The four i ...

'' (2014) - premiered at the

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...

, directed by Max Stafford-Clark *''

Made in Dagenham ''Made in Dagenham'' is a 2010 British comedy-drama film directed by Nigel Cole and starring Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, Miranda Richardson, Geraldine James, Rosamund Pike, Andrea Riseborough, Jaime Winstone, Daniel Mays and Richard Schiff. It ...

'' (2014) - premiered at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receivin ...

, directed by Rupert Goold *''The Nap'' (2016) - premiered at the

- directed by Richard Wilson *''Kiss Me'' (2016) - premiered at the Hampstead Theatre, directed by Anna Ledwich *''The Hypocrite'' (2017) - premiered at Hull Truck Theatre and

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

, directed by Phillip Breen *''

Young Marx The correct place of Karl Marx's early writings within his system as a whole has been a matter of great controversy. Some believe there is a ''break'' in Marx's development that divides his thought into two periods: the "Young Marx" is said to be ...

'' (2017) - with Clive Coleman, premiered at the Bridge Theatre, directed by

*'' Jack Absolute Flies Again'' (2020) - with Oliver Chris, premiered at the National Theatre, directed by Emily Burns *'' 71 Coltman Street'' (2022) - premiered at the Hull Truck Theatre, directed by Mark BabychSamuel Sims
"KHull Truck marks its 50th anniversary with a lively, surreal show that is part history lesson and part love letter"
''The Stage'', 28 February 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.

Awards

* Pearson Award 2002: Best New Play: ''Honeymoon Suite'' * George Devine Award 2002: Best New Play: ''Under the Whaleback'' *

Olivier Awards The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

2005: Best New Play nomination for ''Harvest'' *

Evening Standard Awards The ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Awards, established in 1955, are the oldest theatrical awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. They are presented annually for outstanding achievements in London Theatre, and are organised by the ''Evening Standar ...

2005: Best New Play nomination for ''Harvest'' *

Critics' Circle Theatre Awards The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, originally called ''Drama'' Theatre Awards up to 1990, are British theatrical awards presented annually for the closing year's theatrical achievements. The winners, from theatre throughout the United Kingdom, ar ...

2005: Best New Play: ''Harvest'' * TMA Awards 2006: Best New Play nomination for ''Up on Roof'' * Evening Standard Awards 2011: Best New Play '' The Heretic'' and '' One Man, Two Guvnors'' (both plays joint winners) * Critics' Circle Theatre Awards 2011: Best New Play ''One Man, Two Guvnors''

References

External links

* Theatre Record and its annual indexes *British Theatre Guide for reviews and background information
"Richard Bean: Hot new playwright"
British Theatre Guide interview 2001
"Richard Bean: Blurred Boundaries"
(The English Game), ''The Daily Telegraph'', 10 May 2008. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bean, Richard English dramatists and playwrights 1956 births Living people Writers from Kingston upon Hull Alumni of Loughborough University English male dramatists and playwrights