Stephen Mallatratt
Stephen Mallatratt | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nigel Stephen Mallatratt 15 June 1947 London, England |
| Died | 22 November 2004 (aged 57) Bristol, England |
| Occupations | Playwright, television screenwriter and actor |
| Notable credit(s) | TV: Coronation Street, The Forsyte Saga (2002) and Island at War (2004); Stage: The Woman in Black |
Nigel Stephen Mallatratt (15 June 1947 – 22 November 2004) was an English playwright, television screenwriter and actor. He is best known for his television work on the ITV series Coronation Street, The Forsyte Saga (2002) and Island at War (2004), and for his stage play The Woman in Black – adapted from the novel of the same name by Susan Hill – which ran in the West End from 1989 to 2023.[1] He was also an actor, appearing in minor roles in Chariots of Fire and Brideshead Revisited.
Early life
[edit]Born on 15 June 1947 in Mill Hill, London, England, Mallatratt originated from a lower-middle-class background.[2] As a child, he was a pupil at Orange Hill Grammar School in Edgware, where he excelled at drama, English, and swimming.[2] He was feted for his performances in school plays. Among his various roles, he played Petruchio in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew with his manservant, Grumio, played by David Troughton. He was considered Oxbridge material but instead briefly entered the building trade, prior to becoming involved in acting.[2]
His father, Howard Mallatratt, was a well-known figure in Mill Hill, with a splendid military moustache and a facial tic acquired from shell shock during World War II. He was a leading player for Mill Hill Village Cricket Club.
Acting career
[edit]His love of acting was sparked in his teenage years when watching a performance at the Watford Palace Theatre.[2] In 1968, he entered Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating in 1971.[3] 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.[4] 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.[4][5]
Personal life and death
[edit]Mallatratt was married three times, to Vanessa Mallatratt, Eileen O'Brien and stage manager Emma London.[2] He had a daughter, Hannah, with O'Brien.[2]
He died of leukaemia in 2004 at the age of 57, in Bristol.[2][3]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Chariots of Fire | Watson |
References
[edit]- ^ Wiegand, Chris (11 June 2009). "The Woman in Black and other West End haunts". The Guardian.
- ^ a b c d e f g Coveney, Michael (12 December 2004). "Obituary | Stephen Mallatratt". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ a b Hayward, Anthony (2 December 2004). "Stephen Mallatratt, Television writer who scripted a West End classic". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
- ^ a b Kabatchnik, Amnon (19 October 2012). Scarecrow Press (ed.). Blood on the Stage, 1975–2000: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery and Detection. Scarecrow Press. p. 331. ISBN 9780810883550.
- ^ Newley, Patrick (14 December 2004). "Obituaries | Stephen Mallatratt". The Stage. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
External links
[edit]| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
  | This biographical article related to English television people is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
 | This article about an English writer, poet or playwright is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
.svg){kind=small} | This article about a British dramatist or playwright is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
- 1947 births
- 2004 deaths
- 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights
- 20th-century English male writers
- 20th-century English screenwriters
- British male television writers
- Deaths from leukemia in England
- English male dramatists and playwrights
- English male film actors
- English male stage actors
- English male television actors
- English soap opera writers
- English television writers
- People educated at Orange Hill Grammar School
- English television biography stubs
- English writer stubs
- British dramatist and playwright stubs