Peter Straughan (born 1968) is a British playwright, screenwriter and author, based in the north-east of England. He was writer-in-residence at Newcastle's Live Theatre Company. Whilst there, Live staged his plays, Bones and Noir. Both of these plays have displayed Straughan's talent for writing dark, twisted and witty stories.

Peter Straughan
Born1968 (age 55–56)
OccupationDramatist
SpouseBridget O'Connor

Early life

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His first ambition was to be a professional musician and he achieved this while playing bass guitar with Newcastle-based band "The Honest Johns". He spent four years touring and recording with the band through the late 1980s and into the early 1990s before leaving to take up full-time education at Newcastle University. While Peter was a student he was also a member of the band Cactusman. Peter wrote the song "Killer", which appeared on the CD album North of London, a collection of music by North East bands released through Newcastle Arts.[1]

Screenwriting

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Straughan co-wrote the 2006 feature film, Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution and adapted Toby Young's memoir How to Lose Friends & Alienate People. He is the writer of the 2009 film, The Men Who Stare at Goats, and co-writer of the 2011 film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Adapted Screenplay, a screenplay he wrote in collaboration with his late wife Bridget O'Connor. O'Connor died of cancer, aged 49, in 2010, before the film was released. They were awarded a BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay.[2]

He adapted Wolf Hall for television.[3][4] Series 2 of Wolf Hall was confirmed to be in production on 27 May 2019.[5]

Filmography

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Short film

Year Title Director Writer
2011 Gee Gee Yes Yes

Film writer

Television

Year Title Director Writer Notes
2014 Playhouse Presents Yes Yes Episode "Nosferatu in Love"
2015 Wolf Hall No Yes Miniseries

Awards and nominations

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Year Title Award/Nomination
2011 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy BAFTA Award for Best British Film
BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
British Film Bloggers Circle Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay
International Cinephile Society Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay
Italy Screenplay Award for Best International Adapted Screenplay
Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Richard Attenborough Regional Film Awards for Best Screenplay
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominated – Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominated – Association of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Screenplay
Nominated – British Independent Film Award for Best Screenplay
Nominated – London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay
Nominated – USC Scripter Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominated – Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
2015 Wolf Hall Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special

References

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  1. ^ Whetstone, David (5 August 2014). "Bafta-winning Gateshead writer Peter Straughan on his forthcoming projects - The Journal". www.thejournal.co.uk. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014.
  2. ^ "Curtis Brown".
  3. ^ "Wolf Hall - A Q&A with Screenwriter Peter Straughan". 21 January 2015.
  4. ^ "Wolf Hall is to be a BBC drama". The Daily Telegraph. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  5. ^ Radiotimes Wolf Hall season 2 adaptation confirmed.
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