Constance Cox (25 October 1912 – 8 July 1998) was a British script writer and playwright, born in
Sutton, Surrey
Sutton is a town in the London Borough of Sutton in South London, England. It is the administrative headquarters of the Outer London borough, on the lower slopes of the North Downs. It is south-southwest of Charing Cross, one of the fourteen ...
.
Life and career
Cox was born Constance Shaw in Sutton, Surrey, in 1912. She married Norman Cox, a fighter pilot, who was killed in 1942. She had been a postmistress in Shoreham-by-sea, and moved to Brighton where she took up writing full-time after the end of the war.
Cox specialised in adaptations of books by
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
and other classic literature. Her
1962 adaptation of
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
' ''
Oliver Twist
''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. The story follows the titular orphan, who, ...
'' led to viewer complaints over the murder of
Nancy by
Bill Sikes
William Sikes is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists (alongside Monks) in the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. Sikes is a malicious criminal in Fagin's gang, and a vicious robber and murderer. Throughout much o ...
and questions asked in
Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
about the suitability of such content for family audiences.
In 1957 she adapted the
J.B. Priestley
John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator.
His Yorkshire background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in ''The Good Compa ...
novel ''
Angel Pavement
''Angel Pavement'' is a novel by J. B. Priestley, published in 1930 after the enormous success of ''The Good Companions'' (1929).
It is a social panorama of the city of London, seen largely through the eyes of the employees of the firm Twigg & ...
'' into a BBC
series of the same title.
She also was a prolific playwright. She was a member of the Brighton Little Theatre from the early 1950s and directed her own and others' work there for many years.
Selected works and adaptations
* ''
The Romance of David Garrick'' (1942)
* ''
Vanity Fair'' (1946)
* ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'': A Play in Two Acts Adapted from Oscar Wilde's Novel 1948 (The Fortune Press)
* ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' 1950 (The Fortune Press)
* ''Northanger Abbey'' : a comedy in three acts, based upon Jane Austen's novel 1950 (The Fortune Press)
* ''Spring at Marino'': A comedy in three acts; suggested by Turgenev's ''Fathers and son'' 1951 (
Samuel French Ltd
Samuel French, Inc. is an American company founded by Samuel French and Thomas Hailes Lacy, who formed a partnership to combine their interests in London and New York City. It publishes plays, represents authors, and sells scripts from its Lo ...
)
* ''
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime'' (1952)
* ''Three Knaves of Normandy'': Play 1958 (Evans Bros.)
* ''Jane Eyre'': Play 1959 based on the novel by Charlotte Brontë (J Garnet Miller Ltd)
* ''
Bleak House
''Bleak House'' is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, first published as a 20-episode Serial (literature), serial between 12 March 1852 and 12 September 1853. The novel has many characters and several subplots, and is told partly by th ...
'':
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
television adaptation (1959)
* ''Caliph's Minstrel'': Play 1961 (Evans Bros.)
* ''
Oliver Twist
''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. The story follows the titular orphan, who, ...
'':
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
television adaptation (1962)
* ''Lord Arthur Savile's Crime'': A comedy in three acts (Acting Edition S.) 1963 (from Oscar Wilde's short story) (
Samuel French Ltd
Samuel French, Inc. is an American company founded by Samuel French and Thomas Hailes Lacy, who formed a partnership to combine their interests in London and New York City. It publishes plays, represents authors, and sells scripts from its Lo ...
)
* ''Miniature Beggar's Opera'': Play (1964) (Evans Bros)
* ''Everyman'': A new version of the morality play (Acting Edition S.) 1967 (
Samuel French Ltd
Samuel French, Inc. is an American company founded by Samuel French and Thomas Hailes Lacy, who formed a partnership to combine their interests in London and New York City. It publishes plays, represents authors, and sells scripts from its Lo ...
)
* ''Christmas Carol'' 1968 (Evans Bros.)
* ''Miss Letitia'' (Acting Edition S.) 1970 (
Samuel French Ltd
Samuel French, Inc. is an American company founded by Samuel French and Thomas Hailes Lacy, who formed a partnership to combine their interests in London and New York City. It publishes plays, represents authors, and sells scripts from its Lo ...
)
* ''Maria Marten'' (Acting Edition S.) 1970 (
Samuel French Ltd
Samuel French, Inc. is an American company founded by Samuel French and Thomas Hailes Lacy, who formed a partnership to combine their interests in London and New York City. It publishes plays, represents authors, and sells scripts from its Lo ...
)
* ''Pride and Prejudice'': Play 1972 (J Garnet Miller Ltd)
* ''Murder Game'' (Acting Edition S.) 1976 (
Samuel French Ltd
Samuel French, Inc. is an American company founded by Samuel French and Thomas Hailes Lacy, who formed a partnership to combine their interests in London and New York City. It publishes plays, represents authors, and sells scripts from its Lo ...
)
* ''Lady Audley's Secret (Acting Edition S.)'' 1976 (
Samuel French Ltd
Samuel French, Inc. is an American company founded by Samuel French and Thomas Hailes Lacy, who formed a partnership to combine their interests in London and New York City. It publishes plays, represents authors, and sells scripts from its Lo ...
)
* ''Vampire, or the Bride of Death'' 1978 (
Samuel French Ltd
Samuel French, Inc. is an American company founded by Samuel French and Thomas Hailes Lacy, who formed a partnership to combine their interests in London and New York City. It publishes plays, represents authors, and sells scripts from its Lo ...
)
* ''
Micah Clarke'' 1985
* ''A Time for Loving'' (Acting Edition S.) 1986 (
Samuel French Ltd
Samuel French, Inc. is an American company founded by Samuel French and Thomas Hailes Lacy, who formed a partnership to combine their interests in London and New York City. It publishes plays, represents authors, and sells scripts from its Lo ...
)
* ''Because of the Lockwoods'': Play (Acting Edition S.) Constance Cox and Dorothy Whipple 1991 (
Samuel French Ltd
Samuel French, Inc. is an American company founded by Samuel French and Thomas Hailes Lacy, who formed a partnership to combine their interests in London and New York City. It publishes plays, represents authors, and sells scripts from its Lo ...
)
* ''Return of the Church to an East Anglian Parish'' 1996 (Honeyhill Studio)
* ''Wuthering Heights'' 1997 (New Theatre Publications)
* ''Mansfield Park'' Jane Austen and Constance Cox 1997 (Hub Publications)
* ''The Woman in White'': Play (French's Acting Editions S.) 2005 (
Samuel French Ltd
Samuel French, Inc. is an American company founded by Samuel French and Thomas Hailes Lacy, who formed a partnership to combine their interests in London and New York City. It publishes plays, represents authors, and sells scripts from its Lo ...
)
References
External links
Her Name is Constance*
1912 births
1998 deaths
20th-century British dramatists and playwrights
British women screenwriters
British women television writers
{{UK-playwright-stub