Poliakoff, Stephen 1952-

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Poliakoff, Stephen 1952-

PERSONAL

Born December 1, 1952, in London, England; son of Alexander and Ina (maiden name, Montagu) Poliakoff; married Sandy Welch, 1983; children: one son, one daughter. Education: Attended Westminster School, London, and King's College, Cambridge, 1972-73.

Career:

Director and playwright. Hampstead Theatre Club, London, England, play reader and "odd-job man," c. 1973; Royal National Theatre, London, writer in residence, 1976-80.

Awards, Honors:

Evening Standard Award, most promising playwright, 1976; Television Award, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1980, for Caught on a Train; Evening Standard Award, best film, 1992, for Close My Eyes; Television Award nomination (with others), best single drama, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1990, for She's Been Away; Bergamo Film Festival Prize, 1991; London Critics Circle Theatre Award—Drama, best new play, 1996, for Blinded by the Sun; Broadcasting Press Guild Award, writer's category, 2000, for Shooting the Past; Television Award, best drama serial, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Royal Television Society Television Award, best writer, both 2002, for Perfect Strangers; Directors Guild of Great Britain Award nomination, outstanding directorial achievement in television movie or serial, 2004, for The Lost Prince; Emmy Award nomination (with Adrian Johnston), outstanding original music and lyrics, 2006, for Gideon's Daughter; decorated Commander of the Order of the British Empire, 2007.

CREDITS

Film Director:

Hidden City, Hidden City Films, 1987.

Close My Eyes, Castle Hill, 1991.

Century, 1993.

Food of Love, Intrinsica Films/MP Productions, 1997.

The Tribe, 1998.

Television Director; Miniseries:

Shooting the Past, PBS, 1999.

The Lost Prince, PBS and BBC, 2003.

Television Work; Movies:

Director, Perfect Strangers (also known as Almost Strangers), 2001.

Executive producer and director, Friends & Crocodiles, BBC and BBC America, 2005.

Executive producer and director, Gideon's Daughter, BBC, 2005.

Director, Joe's Palace, BBC1, 2007.

Director, Capturing Mary, BBC, 2007.

Director, Poliakoff 2006, BBC and HBO, 2007.

Television Appearances; Specials:

The BAFTA TV Awards, ITV, 2002.

The "Evening Standard" Theatre Awards 2003, ITV, 2003.

Happy Birthday BBC Two, BBC, 2004.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

"Television Drama: Part 2," The South Bank Show, ITV, 2004.

Breakfast, BBC, 2006.

WRITINGS

Plays:

Granny, produced in London, 1969.

Bambi Ramm, produced at Abbey Community Centre, London, 1970.

A Day with My Sister, produced in Edinburgh, Scotland, 1971.

(Contributor) Lay-By, produced in Edinburgh, then London, 1971, published by Calder & Boyars, 1972.

Pretty Boy, produced in London, 1972.

Theatre Outside, produced in London, 1973.

Berlin Days, produced in London, 1973.

The Carnation Gang, produced in London, 1973.

Clever Soldiers, produced in London, 1974.

Hitting Town, produced at Bush Theatre, London, c. 1975, then South Street Theatre, New York City, 1979, published with City Sugar, Methuen, 1976, Samuel French (New York City), 1977.

City Sugar, produced at Bush Theatre, c. 1975, then Comedy Theatre, London, 1976, later Marymount Manhattan Theatre, New York City, 1978, published with Hitting Town, Methuen, 1976, Samuel French, 1977.

Heroes, produced in London, then New York City, both 1975.

Join the Dance, produced in New York City, 1975.

Strawberry Fields, produced in Young Vic Theatre, London, 1976, then Manhattan Theatre Club, 1978, published by Methuen, 1977.

Shout Across the River, produced by Royal Shakespeare Company, Warehouse Theatre, London, 1978, then Marymount Manhattan Theatre, 1979-80, published by Methuen, 1979.

American Days, produced at ICA Theatre, London, 1979, then Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City, 1980-81, published by Methuen, 1980.

The Summer Party, produced at Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England, 1980, published by Methuen, 1980.

Favourite Nights, produced by Royal Shakespeare Company, London, 1981, published with Caught on a Train, Methuen, 1982.

Breaking the Silence, produced in London, 1984, then Portland Stage Company, Portland, ME, 1988-89, published by Methuen, 1984.

Coming In to Land, produced in London, 1987, published by Methuen, 1987.

Playing with Trains, produced by Royal Shakespeare Company, Pit Theatre, London, 1989.

Sienna Red, tour of British cities, 1992, published by Methuen, 1992.

Sweet Panic, produced in 1996, published by Methuen, 1996.

Blinded by the Sun, produced at Cottesloe Theatre, Royal National Theatre, London, 1996, published by Methuen, 1997.

Talk of the City, published by Methuen, 1998.

Remember This, produced at Lyttelton Theatre, Royal National Theatre, London, 1999, published by Methuen, 2000.

Play Collections:

Plays, Methuen, Volume 1 (contains American Days, City Sugar, Clever Soldiers, Hitting Town, Shout Across the River, and Strawberry Fields), 1989, Volume 2 (contains Breaking the Silence, Century, Playing with Trains, and She's Been Away), 1994, Volume 3 (contains Caught on a Train, Close My Eyes, and Coming In to Land), 1998.

Screenplays:

Bloody Kids, 1979, Palace/BFI, 1983.

Runners, Hanstall, 1983, published with Soft Targets, Methuen, 1984.

Strawberry Fields, 1985.

Hidden City, Hidden City Films, 1987.

Close My Eyes, Castle Hill, 1991, published by Methuen, 1991.

Century, 1993.

Food of Love, Intrinsica Films/MP Productions, 1997.

The Tribe, 1998.

Television Miniseries:

Shooting the Past, PBS, 1999, published by Methuen, 2000.

The Lost Prince, PBS and BBC, 2003, published by Methuen Screenplay, 2003.

Television Movies:

City Sugar, 1978.

Bloody Kids (also known as One Joke Too Many), 1979.

A Termeszet lagy olen, 1981.

Die Doppelte Welt, 1985.

She's Been Away, 1989.

Frontiers, 1996.

Perfect Strangers (also known as Almost Strangers), 2001, published by Methuen, 2001.

Friends & Crocodiles, BBC and BBC America, 2005, published Methuen Drama, 2005.

Gideon's Daughter, BBC, 2005.

Capturing Mary, BBC and HBO, 2007.

Joe's Palace, HBO and BBC1, 2007.

Poliakoff 2006, BBC and HBO, 2007.

Television Episodes:

"Stronger than the Sun," Play for Today, BBC, 1977.

"Caught on a Train," BBC2 Playhouse, BBC2, 1980, published with Favourite Nights, Methuen, 1982.

"Soft Targets," Play for Today, BBC, 1982, published with Runners, Methuen, 1984.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Contemporary Authors, Volume 106, Gale, 1982.

Contemporary Dramatists, 6th edition, St. James Press, 1999.

International Dictionary of Theatre, Volume 2: Playwrights, St. James Press, 1993.

Periodicals:

Sunday Times (London), November 26, 1989, p. C8.

World Literature Today, autumn, 1997, p. 790.

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Poliakoff, Stephen 1952-

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