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FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY - MARKS AND GRAN: 7.30pm, Monday 29 March 2021

Updated: Mar 27, 2021


A break from our normal play readings with an evening in the company of Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran.​

The legendary writing partnership of Marks and Gran began in the 1970s at Player Playwrights. The duo, probably the most successful British writing team in the country, created The New Statesman, Shine on Harvey Moon and Birds of a Feather.

They discuss their brilliant careers, give an insight into their working lives and the nature of comedy writing,


The duo will also be talking to Francis Beckett about their forthcoming book - SHOOTING THE PILOT, which, as well as being a valuable tool for anyone who wants to write comedy or for TV, highlights how much of a role this group played in their lives.

Laurence Marks says: "I thought PPs might be interested to know that is the spring we have a book out. It has a special relevance to the history of Player Playwrights. It is entitled Shooting the Pilot, and contains six of our pilots that went on to become major hit series, and an unpublished script that might have followed the others but...Well. Each of the scripts have an essay preceding it, explaining how he went from being a concept to a theory to an idea to a script, and each had their very first reading in front of a PPs audience. We mention this in the text and we have always proclaimed that the best and most critical audience we will experience is that at Player Playwrights. "We first attended in 1974 (although I went to the 1973 Christmas Party at 9 Fitzroy Square) and we didn't miss more than three Monday evenings until 1980, when we broke through into television and were committed to write endless series. And even then we would come along as often as possible. From Fitzroy Square to Torriano Avenue, Camden, where we premiered The New Statesman, to Hyde Park Square where was heard for the first time Birds of a Feather, and, I think Goodnight Sweetheart, and then to Queen's Gate, Kensington, where Love Hurts was heard. The journey of our success is the journey of Player Playwrights." All our Monday night events are on Zoom for the foreseeable future. Members can access as part of their membership. ​​ If you are a Member, remember to renew your membership. If you want to become a Member, please join us. We have frozen our annual membership costs. It remains at £12 for the first year with an £8 annual renewal fee. ​​ To renew your membership or to become a member contact Tony Diggle on tonydiggle@cainct.co.uk

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