Roy Smiles

His first play staged in 1992 at the Battersea Arts Centre, Schmucks [6] was about a fictitious meeting between Groucho Marx and Lenny Bruce.

Smiles's stage plays focus largely on biographical subjects such as the Beyond The Fringe team (Good Evening),[7] Marilyn Monroe/Arthur Miller (Reno),[8] George Orwell (Year of the Rat),[9] Tony Hancock (The Lad Himself), Robert F. Kennedy (The Last Pilgrim)[10] & PG Woodhouse (Plum)[11]

A number of his plays have debuted or transferred to theatres around the world, such as Pythonesque,[12] the story of the Monty Python team, which opened in South Africa in 2008 before moving to Edinburgh as part of the Fringe Festival in 2009.[13]

The Boys Of Summer - his play set in a HIV ward was staged at the Old Red Lion in 1995, with Ian Bartholomew.

Stand Up - his play about the London stand up comedy scene was staged at the Old Red Lion in 1999, with Lucy Davies.

Bombing People - a farce about the Enola Gay, was staged at the Jermyn Street Theatre in 2000, with Michael Fitzgerald.

In 2002 he played the role of Itzak Heller, a Jewish collaborator, in Roman Polanski's Oscar winning Best Picture The Pianist.

Ying Tong - A Walk with the Goons, the story of Spike Milligan's nervous breakdown whilst writing The Goon Show, was staged at West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2004, transferring the following year to the New Ambassadors Theatre in London's West End before touring the US, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.[14][15]

Year Of The Rat - his play about George Orwell's attempt to woo wife-to-be Sonia Brownell whilst writing 1984 was staged at West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2007, with Hugo Speer as Orwell.

Good Evening - about the Beyond The Fringe team was broadcast on Radio 4 in 2008, with Dominic Cumberbatch as Dudley Moore.

The Last Pilgrim - about Senator Robert F. Kennedy's doomed campaign for the American Presidency was staged in London in 2010.

The Lad Himself - his play about self loathing radio & TV comedian Tony Hancock was staged at the Edinburgh Festival in 2013.

Memories Of A Cad - his radio play about actor Terry-Thomas dealing with Parkinson's Disease was broadcast on Radio 4 in 2014, with Martin Jarvis as Terry-Thomas & Alistair McGowen as Richard Briers.

Reno - his play about Marilyn Monroe & Arthur Miller's marriage imploding during the making of The Misfits had its world premier at the Brighton Festival in 2014.

Plum - his play about writer PG Wodehouse's infamous broadcasts from Berlin in WW2 was staged at The Court Theatre in Christchurch in 2014.

Year of the Rat,[16] Ying Tong , Pythonesque and Kurt & Sid are published by Oberon Books.[17]

Funny People, his book on his comedy heroes, was published by Oberon Books in 2016.[18]

Ten Plays by Roy Smiles was published by Oberon Books in 2018. Containing his plays on Albert Camus, Richard Burton, Oscar Wilde/George Bernard Shaw, Evelyn Waugh, Tony Hancock, Lenny Bruce, the Enola Gay, the Iraq War, Marilyn Monroe/Arthur Miller & the 2011 London Riots.[19]

Ying Tong, Pythonesque and Good Evening were broadcast on BBC Radio 4. As were his plays: Dear Arthur, Love John (about John Le Mesurier's time in Dad's Army), Goodnight From Him (the history of The Two Ronnies) and Memories Of A Cad.

Two compilations of songs: Go Gently (Best Of) [20] A Land Called Home (Best Of II)[21] were released on Spotify in August 2021.

The Funny Girls - his play about Barbra Streisand & Joan Rivers rivalry/friendship, was first staged at The Wimbledon Theatre in September 2021.[22]

The albums: 40 Big Hits and 40 More Big Hits were released on Spotify in January 2022.[23][24]

His first album Drunks & Dreamers was released on Spotify in March 2022.[25]

His 2nd album Time's Moving On was released on Spotify in April 2022.[26]

The Lad Himself, his play about Tony Hancock, had its London premier at Upstairs At The Gate in Highgate in April 2022.[27]

[28]

• The Funny Girls - Wimbledon Studio Theatre, 17 September 2021.

• Roy Smiles at IMDb