CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED PLAYWRIGHT AND AUTHOR
CHRIS LEICESTER
ABOUT ME
I grew up in Sheffield in the UK surrounded by a wonderful mix of heavy industry and beautiful scenery. After finishing my 'A' levels in 1976 I went "walkabout" where I mixed 3 years of foreign travel with over 14 "horrible" temporary jobs deliberately chosen to give me a rounded experience in life. I returned back to the UK and went to study in London. From there I lived in Islington and Maidenhead for 8 years and Birmingham for 9. Then I went to see my sister in Chester for a new year's eve party over 2 decades ago and stayed there ever since. I have two teenage sons, Tom and James.
I first began writing at an early age where a comprehensive school backdrop provided an interesting blend of playing football, avoiding fights and writing poetry. In 1998 I studied creative writing at Liverpool University and went on to run a writing group after that. When one of its members complained that he couldn't get his stage play produced, I formed Too Write Productions over a pint of lager and my vertical learning curve in the tortuous world of theatre production began. ten plays and six books later, I continue to write original, story-based works with imagination at their heart.
Outside writing I also enjoy most sports including karate and I'm a qualified pilot. I also very much like my "Busa" - the monster GSX 1300R Suzuki Hayabusa.
One of the scariest moments in life: Getting lost in Manchester controlled airspace for over an hour in bad weather when the nav went west in the plane I was flying.
One of the happiest moments in life: (apart from seeing my sons being born) - landing the same plane safely again.
Production Credits:
September 2000 – Original new piece, ‘Mickey’. Radio play Broadcast on BBC Radio Merseyside. Producer, Angela Hyslop. Writer
November 2001 - Original new piece, ‘The Last Train to Jordan Road’. One of six new stage plays produced and performed in ‘Tales from the River Bank’, a 3 night production in Liverpool Community Arts Theatre. Writer/producer/director
June 2002 – ‘The Last Train’. Full-length stage play performed for 3 nights at the Unity Theatre, Liverpool. Writer/producer/director
April – June 2003 – UK tour of ‘The Last Train.’
August 2003 – 4 week run of ‘Mafioso’, (‘The Last Train’ renamed for festival), at Hill Street Theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe. Writer/producer/co-director
March 2005 – ‘The Fourth Wall’, new, original full-length play performed for 4 weeks at The Old Red Lion Theatre, Islington. Writer/producer/co-director .
April – June 2005 – UK tour of ‘The Fourth Wall’
August 2005 – 4 week run of ‘The Fourth Wall’ at C Venues at the Edinburgh Fringe.
February 2006 – Novel ‘When the Wolves Come’ published. Three stories of escape
March 2008 – ‘The Baby Box’, new, original full-length play performed for 4 weeks at The Old Red Lion Theatre, Islington. Writer/producer/co-director
September – October 2008 – NW tour of ‘The Baby Box’
March – July 2010 – ‘“Slasher” Kincade’, new full length play toured Forum Theatre, Chester Courtyard Theatre, London and Unity Theatre, Liverpool. Writer/producer/director
June 2012 – Novel ‘Going For The Wire’ e-published
April 2011 – July 2012 – ‘Charlie Bangers’, new play premieres at The Lowry, Salford Quays and goes on to tour UK. Stars Sandra Dickinson and Adam Paul Harvey. Writer/producer/director
August 2012 – Novel ‘Last Train to Jordan Road’ e-published
October 2011-15 – creation, production, performance and touring of a new original full length stage play ‘Hurricane Hill’. Writer/producer/director
December 2015 – September 2017 – creation, production, performance and touring of new original full length play, 'Married. But Lonely'. Writer/producer/director
August 2017 – Novel ‘Hurricane Hill’ published as ebook and printed book by Matador
October 2017 + – Creation of new theatre play, ‘The Incident Pit’. Writer/producer/director
August 2018 – Audiobook of ‘Hurricane Hill’ published on Audible and other platforms
June- November 2019 – UK tour of ‘The Incident Pit’
November 2019 + – adaptation of ‘The incident Pit’ to a radio drama.
December 2019+ – creation of 180⁰ Chord, book and play
April 2021 – 180⁰ Chord to be published
Autumn 2022 – first tour of 180⁰ Chord
October 2023 – creation and conceptualisation of new book and play, “Logs”
January – March 2024 – second tour of 180⁰ Chord