Ed Harris (playwright)

Harris grew up in West London and attended Drayton Manor High School and Twyford Church of England High School in Acton. After finishing high school, he worked as a bin man and later a careworker, as well as travelling and working abroad, including waiting tables in Turkey and training huskies in Kiruna, Sweden. He received his first theatrical commission after being ‘discovered’ at a poetry gig he performed at in Brighton in 2002.[2]

Harris has written extensively for BBC Radio drama and comedy. His first radio play, Porshia, was produced in 2007 and starred Robert Webb[3]

Harris' first play, Never Ever After, was shortlisted for the Meyer-Whitworth Award in 2008.[4]

His first major play, Mongrel Island, was commissioned by Soho Theatre[5] and opened Steve Marmion's first season as artistic director in July 2011. It was later produced in Mexico City in 2014 as Perro Sin Raza,[6] directed by Fernando Rozvar.

Harris' The Cow Play was revived for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[7]

His first play for children, What The Thunder Said, won the Writers' Guild Award for Best Children's Play 2017.[8]

Between 2011 and 2015 he won a Sony Gold Radio Academy Award for his series The Resistance Of Mrs Brown, a Writers' Guild Award for Troll[9] and a BBC Audio Drama Award for Billions.[10]

As well as many stand-alone plays, Harris has written numerous series, including an adaption of Franz Kafka's The Castle.[11]

Harris also wrote and starred in the semi-autobiographical play, The Slow Kapow,.[12] He is also the writer of Dot,[13] a sitcom that follows the exploits of some female staff in the Cabinet War Rooms during the Second World War, starring Fenella Woolgar, Kate O'Flynn, Freya Parker, Jane Slavin and David Acton.

Harris is also a published poet.[14]

In 2018, Harris wrote the libretto for a new opera A Shoe Full Of Stars for Opera Schmopera with composer Omar Shahryar.[15]