Debbie Horsfield (born 1955) is an English theatre and television writer and producer.

Early life and career

Horsfield was born in

Urmston Urmston is a town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, which had a population of 41,731 at the 2021 Census. Historically in Lancashire, it is 5 miles (8.04672 km) southwest of Manchester city centre. The southern boundary is the River M ...

and she attended Eccles Grammar School and Eccles College before studying at

Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick university and a mem ...

, where she gained a BA Honours degree in English Language and Literature. Horsfield worked at the Gulbenkian Studio, Newcastle (1978–1980), and for

Trevor Nunn Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is an English theatre director and lyricist. He has been the artistic director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal Haymarket. He has dir ...

at The

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 opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

(RSC), 1980–82. Her first plays ''Out on the Floor'' and ''Away from it All'' were produced at the

Theatre Royal Stratford East Stratford East (formerly known as Theatre Royal Stratford East) is a 460 seat Victorian producing theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company, famously associated with di ...

studio and ''All You Deserve'' was performed as part of an RSC Festival at the

Barbican A barbican (from ) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Europe Medieval Europeans typically b ...

. In 1983, she won the

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

Playwrights Award and became Resident Writer at the

Liverpool Playhouse The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actre ...

. There she was commissioned to write the Red Devils Trilogy (''Red Devils'', ''True Dare Kiss'', and ''Command Or Promise''). The last two of these were first performed at the National Theatre's studio, the Cottesloe, in 1985. For these plays she was nominated for the 1985 ''Evening Standard'' Awards 'Most Promising Playwright'. ''True Dare Kiss'' was later to be adapted for a TV series. In 2005, she returned to the theatre to adapt her TV series ''Sex, Chips & Rock 'n Roll'' as a musical for the

Royal Exchange, Manchester The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal Ex ...

Television career

In 1982, Horsfield adapted her stage play ''Out On The Floor'' for

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...

and wrote an episode of ''

Crown Court The Crown Court is the criminal trial court, court of first instance in England and Wales responsible for hearing all indictable offences, some Hybrid offence, either way offences and appeals of the decisions of magistrates' courts. It is ...

'' for

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend TV, ...

. From 1989 to 1991, she wrote all three series of the BBC1 factory-based drama ''

Making Out Making out is a term of American English, American origin dating back to at least 1949, and is used to refer to kissing, including extended French kissing or ''necking'' (heavy kissing of the neck, and above), or to acts of non-penetrative s ...

''. (Royal Television Society 'Best Drama Series' Nomination). 1993–94: Both series of

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...

six-part series '' The Riff Raff Element''. (

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

'Best Drama Series' Nomination, Writers Guild 'Best Drama Series' Nomination) 1997: Six-part BBC 1 serial ''

Born to Run ''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. Co- produced by Springsteen with his manager Mike Appel and the producer Jon Landau, its recordin ...

'' (Royal Television Society 'Best Drama Serial' Nomination). 1999: Six-part BBC One serial '' Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll''. 2002–2005: Four series of the BBC One hair salon-based ''

Cutting It ''Cutting It'' is a BBC television drama series set in Manchester, England, focusing on the lives and loves of the team running a hairdressing salon. It ran for four series between 2002 and 2005. The show features a number of actors who subsequ ...

'' (

"Best Drama Series" nomination, Royal Television Society 'Best Drama Series' nomination) 2007: Six-part BBC One serial ''

True Dare Kiss ''True Dare Kiss'' is a six-part British television drama series, created by screenwriter Debbie Horsfield, that first broadcast on BBC One on 28 June 2007. The series follows the reunion of four sisters and a brother following the death of the ...

''. 2009: ''

All the Small Things "All the Small Things" is a song by American rock band Blink-182. It was the second single and eighth track released from the band's third album, '' Enema of the State'' (1999). The track was composed primarily by guitarist and vocalist Tom De ...

'' (2009), BBC One, follows the trials and tribulations of a northern church choir. She has adapted the first seven novels of

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 contemp ...

's ''

Poldark ''Poldark'' is a series of historical novels by Winston Graham, initially published from 1945 to 1953 and continuing from 1973 to 2002. The first novel, '' Ross Poldark'', was named for the protagonist of the series. The novel series was ada ...

'' cycle for the BBC's '' Poldark series''. Eight episodes were broadcast on BBC One in early 2015, 10 more episodes in autumn 2016, and a further three series based on the later books were broadcast annually from 2017 to 2019. In 2018, the BBC broadcast a six-part series, ''

Age Before Beauty ''Age Before Beauty'' is a BBC television drama series by Debbie Horsfield that premiered on BBC One on 31 July 2018. The six-part series is based in Manchester, England, and stars Robson Green, Sue Johnston, Polly Walker and James Murray. Plo ...

'', which had been written and co-produced by Horsfield. 2024: '' Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale'', written and created by Horsfield, is broadcast by AMC+ Sundance Now. Horsfield has twice won BAFTA Best Drama Series award nominations, for ''The Riff Raff Element'' in 1994 and for ''Cutting It'' in 2003.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Horsfield, Debbie 1955 births Living people Alumni of Newcastle University English television producers British women television producers British television producers English television writers British women television writers People from Eccles, Greater Manchester