Sean O'Connor (born 11 February 1968 in

Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

, England) is a British producer, writer and director working in theatre, film, television and radio. He was the editor of the long-running BBC radio drama, ''

The Archers ''The Archers'' is a BBC radio drama on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural sett ...

'' from 2013 to 2016. He replaced

Dominic Treadwell-Collins Dominic Treadwell-Collins (born 26 August 1977) is a British television producer, known for his work on the soap operas ''Family Affairs'' and ''EastEnders'', creating the ''EastEnders'' spin-off series '' Kat & Alfie: Redwater'' and Executive P ...

as the executive producer of ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' in June 2016. It was revealed in June 2017 that O'Connor had left ''EastEnders'' to focus on his career in feature films.

Early life and education

O'Connor grew up on

The Wirral Wirral (; ), known locally as The Wirral, is a peninsula in North West England. The roughly rectangular peninsula is about long and wide and is bounded by the River Dee to the west (forming the boundary with Wales), the River Mersey to the ...

, where he attended a

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

, St Anselm's College, run by the Christian Brothers. He later earned a degree in English from

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

. Following his graduation, O'Connor successfully applied for a place on ITV's Regional Theatre Young Directors’ Scheme.

Film

O'Connor produced the feature film version of

Terence Rattigan Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan (10 June 191130 November 1977) was a British dramatist and screenwriter. He was one of England's most popular mid-20th-century dramatists. His plays are typically set in an upper-middle-class background.Geoffrey Wan ...

's '' The Deep Blue Sea'' directed by

Terence Davies Terence Davies (born 10 November 1945) is an English screenwriter, film director, and novelist, seen by many critics as one of the greatest British filmmakers of his times. He is best known as the writer and director of autobiographical films ...

and starring

Rachel Weisz Rachel Hannah Weisz (; born 7 March 1970 ) is an English actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, and a BAFTA Award. Weisz began acting in British stage and television in the ...

Tom Hiddleston Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is an English actor. He gained international fame portraying Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), starting with ''Thor'' in 2011 and most recently in the Disney+ series ''Loki'' in 2021 ...

and

Simon Russell Beale Sir Simon Russell Beale (born 12 January 1961) is an English actor. He is known for his appearances in film, television and theatre, and work on radio, on audiobooks and as a narrator. For his services to drama, he was knighted by Queen Eliza ...

. The film is based on Rattigan's 1952 play which had previously been filmed in 1955, starring Vivien Leigh and

Kenneth More Kenneth Gilbert More, CBE (20 September 1914 – 12 July 1982) was an English film and stage actor. Initially achieving fame in the comedy '' Genevieve'' (1953), he appeared in many roles as a carefree, happy-go-lucky gent. Films from this per ...

. Produced by Camberwell Productions and Fly Films, '' The Deep Blue Sea'' was released in the UK in 2011, the centenary of Rattigan's birth. O'Connor introduces the playtext of '' The Deep Blue Sea'' published by Nick Hern Books with notes by

Dan Rebellato Dan Rebellato (born 1968) is an English dramatist and academic born in South London. He is Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London and has written extensively for radio and the stage. He has twice been nominat ...

. O'Connor serves as a trustee of the estate of Sir Terence Rattigan.

Television and radio

In the late 1990s, O'Connor worked as producer of the long-running radio drama ''

'', storylining and directing the programme. He re-introduced several popular characters including Kenton Archer, Adam Travers-Macy and Lillian Bellamy, as well as introducing Fallon Rogers, Ed Grundy and Emma Carter. Subsequently, he was appointed as Series Producer of ''

Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside (TV series), Brookside''. Since 2005, episodes have been aired on ...

'' (C4). In 2005, O'Connor was appointed producer of the Channel 5 soap opera ''

Family Affairs ''Family Affairs'' is a British soap opera that aired on Channel 5. It debuted on 30 March 1997, the day of the launch of said channel and was the first programme broadcast on the channel. It was screened as five thirty-minute episodes per w ...

''. He planned to revamp the show but was told that the show would be axed. He appointed

, his future predecessor in ''EastEnders'' as story producer and reintroduced characters

Eileen Callan Eileen Callan (née Day) was a fictional character in the UK soap opera ''Family Affairs'', played by Rosie Rowell from 2002 until the end of the series in 2005. Storylines Eileen first arrived in Charnham, in October 2002, where her daughte ...

(

Rosie Rowell Rosie Rowell (born 29 April 1965) is a British actress, probably best known for her roles as Eileen Callan in ''Family Affairs'' (a role she played from 2002 until the series ended in 2005) and Donna Tucker in ''Soldier Soldier''. She has also ...

) and

Melanie Costello This is a list of characters from the British soap opera ''Family Affairs'' listed in alphabetical order by the characters' surnames. A * Scarlett Anderson Scarlett Anderson was played by Cat Simmons during 2005. She seduces Les Boult ...

(

Rebecca Hunter Rebecca Hunter, sometimes credited as Becky Hunter (born 12 July 1981), is a British actress and singer. Hunter was born in Northampton, and has a diploma in acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She is best known for play ...

). O'Connor also produced the third series of ''

Footballers' Wives ''Footballers' Wives'' is a British television drama about fictional Premier League football club Earls Park F.C., its players, and their wives, broadcast on ITV from 2002 to 2006. The show initially focuses on three very different couples, but ...

'' for Shed Productions as well as the re-booted version of ''

Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...

'' starring

Shane Richie Shane Patrick Paul Roche (born 11 March 1964), known as Shane Richie, is a British actor, comedian, television presenter and singer. Following initial success as a stage and screen performer, he became best known for his portrayal of the charac ...

and Lex Shrapnel for

TalkbackThames Talkback Thames (stylised as talkbackTHAMES) was a British television production company, a division of Fremantle (part of the RTL Group, which in turn is owned by Bertelsmann). It was formed by the merger of Talkback Productions and Thames Tel ...

. On 5 August 2013, it was announced that O'Connor had been appointed editor of ''The Archers''. Of his return to the show, O'Connor commented "I'm delighted to be returning to Ambridge to work with the team in Birmingham. I'm honoured to take the reins of our national epic drama and to build on the extraordinary achievements of

Vanessa Whitburn Vanessa Victoria Whitburn OBE (born 1951) is a British radio producer, and a former editor of ''The Archers''. Early life She was born in Totnes in Devon, the daughter of Victor Whitburn and Eileen Wellington. She has a younger brother (born 19 ...

who dedicated much of her career to this unique cultural institution." In 2001, O'Connor was appointed as Series Story Producer at the BBC soap, ''

'' story-lining the award-winning Kat and

Zoe Slater Zoe Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Michelle Ryan. She made her first appearance on 18 September 2000. Zoe arrives in Walford along with her father, Charlie (Derek Martin), sisters Kat (Jessi ...

story, the domestic violence story featuring Little Mo, and

Dot Cotton Dorothy "Dot" Branning (also Cotton) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by June Brown. In a special episode entitled ''EastEnders: Dot's Story'' (2003) a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in fl ...

's marriage to

Jim Branning Jim Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by John Bardon, first appearing on 29 April 1996 and became a regular character in 1999. He remained in the series until 2011. Jim was temporarily written out ...

. He left the show in 2005. He went on to both produce and direct the show. On 18 February 2016, it was announced that O'Connor would return to ''EastEnders'' after 11 years and take over from

as Executive Producer. On his return he commented "I'm thrilled to be back in Walford and particularly delighted to work once more with many dear friends and colleagues both backstage and on screen. I loved my time working at ''EastEnders'' previously; there's nothing quite as challenging nor as rewarding." Following this, he announced he would be stepping down from ''The Archers'', saying "At the same time, it is a real wrench for me to leave Ambridge. The Archers is an extraordinary programme – a jewel at the heart of the BBC and in the hearts of the British public. Working on it, with the extraordinary cast, writers and production team in Birmingham has been an absolute privilege. The Archers has been a part of my life for much of my life - and though I’ll be away from Borsetshire, I'll continue to listen to the villagers of Ambridge, who feel to me – as they do for millions of listeners - like family." O'Connor's first episode as Executive Producer aired on 11 July 2016. Although O'Connor's first credited episode aired in July, his own creative work was not seen onscreen until late September. On 23 June 2017, it was announced that O'Connor would be leaving ''EastEnders'' after a year in the role of executive producer. O'Connor said: "I've had an amazing time at ''EastEnders.'' Working with the editorial staff, cast and crew at Elstree has been an absolute privilege ". O'Connor's final episode as Executive Producer aired on 24 November 2017.

Directing

As a graduate of the ''Regional Theatre Young Directors' Scheme'', O'Connor has worked all over the UK as a theatre director. His work has featured at Liverpool Everyman, Hornchurch, Salisbury Playhouse, Chester Gateway, Windsor, Guilford, Bath, Richmond, Chichester, Cardiff and Edinburgh. In 1995, O'Connor directed the UK premiere of

Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet, writer, critic, and satirist based in New York; she was known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. From a conflicted and unhap ...

's drama, ''The Ladies of the Corridor'' (1953) at the

Finborough Theatre The Finborough Theatre is a fifty-seat theatre in the West Brompton area of London (part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) under artistic director Neil McPherson. The theatre presents new British writing, as well as UK and world p ...

and the first London revival of

Christa Winsloe Christa Winsloe (23 December 1888 – 10 June 1944), formerly Baroness Christa von Hatvany-Deutsch, was a German-Hungarian novelist, playwright and sculptor, best known for her play ''Gestern und heute'' (known under several titles, see below), ...

's ''Children in Uniform'' (1931) ''( Madchen in Uniform)'' at

Battersea Arts Centre The Battersea Arts Centre ("BAC") is a performance space specialising in theatre productions. Located near Clapham Junction railway station in Battersea, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, it was formerly Battersea Town Hall. It is a Grade ...

. He is also a graduate of the BBC Drama Directors' Course.

Writing

''Handsome Brute'' , a study of the murders of

Neville Heath Neville George Clevely Heath (6 June 1917 – 16 October 1946) was an English murderer who killed two young women in the summer of 1946. He was executed in Pentonville Prison, London, in October 1946. Early life and career Neville Heath was bor ...

in the 1940s, was published in 2013 by

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...

. O'Connor has made a study of 20th Century drama, particularly neglected or forgotten works. In 1997, he published ''Straight Acting; Popular Gay Drama from Wilde to Rattigan'', examining the work of British gay playwrights who dominated the West End in the 20th Century. Dartmouth's Professor of Gender Studies, Michael Bronski, praised the book, claiming that it "almost single-handedly reinvents what we think of as the history of modern gay theater".Straight-Acting: Popular Gay Dramatists from Wilde to Rattigan (Lesbian & gay studies): Sean O'Connor: 9780304328642: Amazon.com: Books
/ref> The same year, he adapted and directed the play ''Vertigo'' based on the novel ''D'Entre Les Morts'' by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, which was the inspiration for

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's film of 1958. This, the first stage adaptation of the story, retained the original French wartime setting of the novel. The play first appeared at Chester Gateway Theatre featuring

Marcus D'Amico Marcus D'Amico (4 December 1965 – 16 December 2020) was a film, television, and stage actor best known for his role as Michael "Mouse" Tolliver in the 1993 ''Tales of the City'' miniseries. Born in Germany to an American father and a British ...

, but was subsequently produced by Bill Kenwright at the Theatre Royal Windsor starring

Martin Shaw Martin Shaw (born 21 January 1945) is an English actor. He came to national recognition as Doyle in ITV (TV network), ITV crime-action television drama series ''The Professionals (TV series), The Professionals'' (1977–1983). Further notable ...

and

Jenny Seagrove Jennifer Ann Seagrove (born 4 July 1957) is an English actress. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and first came to attention playing the lead in a television dramatisation of Barbara Taylor Bradford's '' A Woman of Substance'' ...

. A revival at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford starred Anthony Andrews in the central role, replacing Martin Shaw. In 2001, O'Connor adapted

Winston Graham Winston Mawdsley Graham OBE, born Winston Grime (30 June 1908 – 10 July 2003), was an English novelist best known for the Poldark series of historical novels set in Cornwall, though he also wrote numerous other works, including contemporary ...

's 1960 novel ''

Marnie ''Marnie'' is an English crime novel, written by Winston Graham and first published in 1961. It has been adapted as a film, a stage play and an opera. Plot ''Marnie'' is about a young woman who makes a living by embezzling her employers' funds, ...

'' for the stage which played at Chester Gateway Theatre and The Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke. The adaptation returned the story to Graham's original post-war British setting and preserved Graham's bleak ending. In 2010, O'Connor adapted

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'' as ''Juliet and Her Romeo'' which played at

Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a f ...

, directed by Tom Morris and starring

Siân Phillips Dame Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips (born 14 May 1933), known professionally as Siân Phillips ( ), is a Welsh actress. She has performed the title roles in Ibsen's ''Hedda Gabler'' and George Bernard Shaw's '' Saint Joan''. Early life Phi ...

, Michael Byrne and Dudley Sutton. The sensational murder trial of

Alma Rattenbury Alma Victoria Rattenbury ( Wolfe, also Clarke, Dolling and Pakenham; 1897/8–1935) was an English-Canadian songwriter and accused murderer. Born and educated in Canada, she was a talented musician and played with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. S ...

provides the subject for O'Connor's 2019 non-fiction work ''The Fatal Passion of Alma Rattenbury ''.

References

External links

*
Broadcastnow.co.uk
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnor, Sean 1968 births 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English male writers Living people Alumni of University College London BBC television producers British film producers British people of Irish descent British radio producers British Roman Catholics British television producers British theatre directors British writers English male dramatists and playwrights British gay writers LGBT dramatists and playwrights People educated at St. Anselm's College People from Birkenhead Soap opera producers