Nigel Stephen Mallatratt (15 June 1947,

Mill Hill Mill Hill is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, England. It is situated around northwest of Charing Cross, close to the Hertfordshire border. It was in the Historic counties of England, historic county of Middlesex until 1965, when it b ...

, London – 22 November 2004)Obituary: Stephen Mallatratt , Global , The Guardian
/ref> was an English playwright, television screenwriter and actor. He is best known for his television work on the ITV series ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

'', ''

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'' (2002) and ''

Island at War ''Island at War'' is a British television series that tells the story of the German occupation of the Channel Islands. It primarily focuses on three local families: the upper class Dorrs, the middle class Mahys, and the working class Jonases, ...

'' (2004), and for his stage adaptation of the novel ''

The Woman in Black ''The Woman in Black'' is a 1983 gothic horror novel by English writer Susan Hill, about a mysterious spectre that haunts a small English town. A television film based on it, also called '' The Woman in Black'', was produced in 1989, with a s ...

'' which ran in the West End from 1989 to 2023.The Woman in Black and other West End haunts , Chris Wiegand , Stage , The Guardian
/ref> He was also an actor, appearing in minor roles in ''

Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 historical drama, historical Sports film, sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Summer ...

'' and ''

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''. Mallatratt was married three times, to Vanessa Mallatratt, Eileen O'Brien and stage manager Emma London. He had a daughter, Hannah, with O'Brien. He died of

leukaemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...

in 2004.

Early life

Mallatratt originated from a lower-middle-class background. As a child, he was a pupil at Orange Hill Grammar School in Edgware where he excelled at drama, English, and swimming. He was feted for his performances in school plays. Among his various roles, he played Petruchio in ''The Taming of the Shrew '' with his manservant, Grumio, played by

David Troughton David Troughton (born 9 June 1950) is an English actor. He is known for his Shakespearean roles on the British stage and for his many roles on British television, including Dr Bob Buzzard in ''A Very Peculiar Practice'' and Ricky Hanson in ''Ne ...

. He was considered

Oxbridge Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford, Universities of Oxford and University of Cambridge, Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most prestigious universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collect ...

material but instead briefly entered the building trade, prior to becoming involved in acting.

Acting career

His love of acting was sparked in his teenage years when watching a performance at the Watford Palace Theatre. In 1968, he entered

Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, commonly shortened to Central, is a drama school founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as the Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for ...

, graduating in 1971. After his studies he joined the Ipswich theatre, and later the Stephen Joseph Theatre, in Scarborough, at the invitation of actor and playwright

Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. As of 2025, he has written and produced 90 full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen ...

. While in Scarborough, he appeared in several productions, including ''Absent Friends'', ''Bedroom Farce'', ''The Breadwinners'' and ''The Brontes of Haworth'', by Christopher Fry, in 1985.

Filmography

References

External links

* 1947 births 2004 deaths English male stage actors English television writers English soap opera writers Deaths from leukemia in England English male film actors English male television actors English male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English male writers British male television writers People educated at Orange Hill Grammar School 20th-century English screenwriters {{UK-playwright-stub