Peter Richard Nichols (31 July 1927 – 7 September 2019) was an English playwright, screenwriter, director and journalist.

Life and career

Born in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city i ...

, England, he was educated at

Bristol Grammar School Bristol Grammar School (BGS) is a 4–18 mixed, independent day school in Bristol, England. It was founded in 1532 by Royal Charter for the teaching of 'good manners and literature', endowed by wealthy Bristol merchants Robert and Nicholas Thorn ...

, and served his compulsory National Service as a clerk in Calcutta and later in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

's Combined Services Entertainment Unit in Singapore where he entertained the troops alongside

John Schlesinger John Richard Schlesinger (; 16 February 1926 – 25 July 2003) was an English film and stage director. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for '' Midnight Cowboy'', and was nominated for the same award for two other films (''Darling'' an ...

Stanley Baxter Stanley Livingstone Baxter (born 24 May 1926) is a Scottish actor, comedian, impressionist and author. Baxter began his career as a child actor on BBC Scotland and later became known for his British television comedy shows '' The Stanley Baxte ...

Peter Vaughan Peter Vaughan (born Peter Ewart Ohm; 4 April 1923 – 6 December 2016) was an English character actor known for many supporting roles in British film and television productions. He also acted extensively on the stage. He is perhaps best known ...

and

Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was an English actor of Welsh heritage. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 '' ...

, before going on to study acting at the

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is a drama school in Bristol, England. The institution provides training in acting and production for careers in film, television and theatre. BOVTS is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. ...

. He later claimed to have studied acting because there were no dedicated courses for playwrights. While working as a teacher, he began to write television plays that achieved notice. His first play for the stage was ''The Hooded Terror'', part of a season of new plays at the Little Theatre in Bristol. He later wrote ''

A Day in the Death of Joe Egg A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''ae ...

'' for the stage. ''A Day in the Death of Joe Egg'' is a one-set drama in music hall style. '' The National Health'' is a fantasy farce, also interrupted by

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic compositio ...

. '' Privates on Parade'' is a

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

, partly inspired by Nichols's own experiences in the Combined Services Entertainments Unit. ''

Poppy A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, ''Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug o ...

'' takes the form of a Christmas

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speakin ...

. Despite the comic style, Nichols' plays deal with the most serious of themes. In ''A Day in the Death of Joe Egg'' the burden of raising a hopelessly

handicapped Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...

child shatters a couple's marriage. The patients of ''The National Health'' suffer and die, as do the singing soldiers of ''Privates on Parade''. In ''Poppy'', a pantomime take on the Chinese

opium wars The Opium Wars () were two conflicts waged between China and Western powers during the mid-19th century. The First Opium War was fought from 1839 to 1842 between China and the United Kingdom, and was triggered by the Chinese government's ...

Dick Whittington Richard Whittington (c. 1354–1423) of the parish of St Michael Paternoster Royal, City of London, was an English merchant and a politician of the late medieval period. He is also the real-life inspiration for the English folk tale ''Di ...

's girlfriend becomes a drug addict. '' Passion Play'' (known as ''Passion'' in the United States) focuses on adultery and betrayal. In '' Blue Murder'', a comic satire about play censorship, a constable investigates a death. Nichols is often considered an especially autobiographical playwright, and chronicled much of the background to his plays in his published autobiography and diaries. ''Joe Egg'' is based on Nichols' own experiences of raising a handicapped child, ''The National Health'' draws on a hospital stay of his own, while ''Privates on Parade'' draws on his own military experiences. Nichols was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(CBE) in the

2018 New Year Honours The 2018 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...

for services to drama. He died on 7 September 2019 in Oxford, survived by his wife Thelma and three children.

Plays

His plays include: * ''Promenade'', an original play for television (

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the 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 but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was it ...

, 1959) * ''Ben Spray'', an original play for television (Granada Television, 1960) * '' The Hooded Terror (Rehearsed Reading)'' (Little Theatre, Bristol, 1964) * ''

'' (

Citizens Theatre The Citizens Theatre, in what was the Royal Princess's Theatre, is the creation of James Bridie and is based in Glasgow, Scotland as a principal producing theatre. The theatre includes a 500-seat Main Auditorium, and has also included various ...

, Glasgow, 1967) * '' The Gorge'', a play in ''

The Wednesday Play ''The Wednesday Play'' is an anthology series of British television plays which ran on BBC1 for six seasons from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually original works written for television, although dramatic adaptations of fiction ...

'' series (BBC, 1968) * '' The National Health'' ( National Theatre Company at the Old Vic, 1969) * ''

Forget-me-not Lane ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-n ...

'' (

Greenwich Theatre Greenwich Theatre is a local theatre located in Croom's Hill close to the centre of Greenwich in south-east London. Theatre first came to Greenwich at the beginning of the 19th century during the famous Eastertide Greenwich Fair at which the ...

, 1971) * '' Chez Nous'' (

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and ...

, 1974) * '' Harding's Luck'' (Greenwich Theatre, 1974) * ''The Freeway'' (National Theatre Company at the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, M ...

, 1976) * '' Privates on Parade'' ( Royal Shakespeare Company at the

Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in the ...

, 1977) * ''

Born in the Gardens ''Born In The Gardens'' is a comedy play by Bristol-born playwright Peter Nichols. Nichols wrote the play in 1979, after his now famous drama ''Privates On Parade'' was rejected by the Bristol Old Vic for being too controversial. ''Born In The G ...

'' (

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 ...

, 1970; Globe Theatre, London, 1980) * '' Passion Play'' ( Royal Shakespeare Company at the

1981; Adelphi, London, 1982) * ''

'' ( Royal Shakespeare Company at the

Barbican Theatre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exh ...

, 1982) * '' A Piece of My Mind'' ( Nuffield Theatre, Southampton, 1987; Apollo London, London, 1987) * '' Blue Murder'' ( Show of Strength Theatre Company, Bristol, 1995) * '' So Long Life'' ( Show of Strength Theatre Company, Bristol, 2000) * '' Nicholodeon'' ( Show of Strength Theatre Company, Bristol, 2000) * ''Lingua Franca'' (

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 pr ...

, London, 2010)

Books

*''Feeling You're Behind'', an autobiography by Peter Nichols (

Weidenfeld & Nicolson Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd (established 1949), often shortened to W&N or Weidenfeld, is a British publisher of fiction and reference books. It has been a division of the French-owned Orion Publishing Group since 1991. History George Weidenfeld ...

, 1984) 'Whatever interest my life may have had must have been exhausted. Yet there were better reasons than vanity – I needed the advance the publishers offered, which was far more generous than any given to me for a play; the theatre itself, once so alluring, now seemed past its best, the wrinkles showing, the kisses dry and dutiful; it would be a bitter pleasure to describe my disenchantment and blame the people who'd done me down; and if I didn't write a book about me, it was clear no one else would." Peter Nichols' preface, page xi. *''Peter Nichols: Diaries 1969–1977'' by Peter Nichols (Nick Hern Books, 2000) "Did you know that

Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (born 28 December 1934) is an English actress. With an extensive career on screen and stage beginning in the mid-1950s, Smith has appeared in more than sixty films and seventy plays. She is one of the few performer ...

once accused

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage o ...

of having "a tin ear and two left feet"? That's one of many enjoyably acerbic snippets in ''Peter Nichols' Diaries 1969–77'', a period that stretches from the composition of his '' The National Health'' to the conception of his masterpiece, '' Passion Play''....Nichols tends to be touchy, crusty, disappointed with himself....yet wonderfully observant, honest and likeable." Benedict Nightingale, ''The Times'' 13 December 2000.

Sources

*''

Theatre Record ''Theatre Record'' is a periodical that reprints reviews, production photographs, and other information about the British theatre. Overview ''Theatre Record'' was founded in 1981 by Ian Herbert and has been published fortnightly since January ...

'' and its annual indexes *''London Stage in the 20th Century'' by

Robert Tanitch Robert Tanitch is a British playwright, author, biographer, lecturer, theatre and film critic. The first professional production of one of his plays was while he was still at Oxford University. His comedies include ''Call It Love?'', with musica ...

, Haus Books (2007) *''The National: The Theatre and its work 1963–1997'' by

Simon Callow Simon Phillip Hugh Callow (born 15 June 1949) is an English film, television and voice actor, director, narrator and writer. He was twice nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his roles in '' A Room with a View'' (1 ...

, Nick Hern Books (1997)

References

External links

*http://www.alanbrodie.com/thumbnails/hrm8qmpl403/Peter-Nichols
Interview with Peter Nichols
for the Theatre Archive Project
'Peter Nichols (1927–)'
in The Literary Encyclopedia

Peter Nichols discusses the archiving of his own papers in th
British Library Manuscripts Collections
as part of the internationa
Manuscripts Matter
conference * *https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/apr/10/jonathan-meades-on-my-radar-vladimir-nabokov-marty-feldman-thomas-hardy * https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/2017/peter-nichols-at-90-playwriting-was-my-dream-acting-was-just-a-stopgap/ *https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/09/theater/peter-nichols-dead.html *https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/obituaries/2019/obituary-peter-nichols/ *https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-49637439 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nichols, Peter 1927 births 2019 deaths Military personnel from Bristol People educated at Bristol Grammar School Alumni of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Writers from Bristol English dramatists and playwrights Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature English male dramatists and playwrights Commanders of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century British Army personnel