What does that mean? Well, as you know if you’ve been reading your newsletters, we’ve been looking for a patron for some time, and now we have not one but two. Not only that but – thanks mainly to some great work by member Geoff Buckingham – we have none other than Ray Galton and Alan Simpson as our patrons.

I’m sure you’ll be aware of their pedigree for so much radio and television work, the most famous probably being Hancock’s Half Hour and Steptoe and Son. People do not realise just how pivotal the latter show was in media comedy – up till then all the sitcoms were vehicles for stand up comics – Steptoe and Son used “serious” actors in a comedy situation and changed the genre forever. They also wrote for film and stage. Many of Britain’s comedy greats performed their work, including Peter Sellers, Leonard Rossiter, Richard Briers, Harry H Corbett, Warren Mitchell, Frankie Howerd, Sid James, Les Dawson, plus, of course, Tony Hancock. They were awarded OBE’s in The Millennium Honours List, and have gained a number of industry awards including a Writers Guild Lifetime Achievement Award.

We can all draw great inspiration from their life story and their achievements. To have them lend their names to our cause is indeed a wonderful boost to all at NTP and our membership. I feel sure you will join me in thanking them, and their agent Tessa le Bars for this very welcome gesture. If you want to read more about these brilliant writers, see http://www.galtonandsimpson.com 

Welcome to a new concept in theatre publishing
a publishing company that is owned and managed by writers. The Playwrights’ Co-operative is a not-for-profit organisation whose aims are to cut out the middle-men and profit-makers from the world of theatre publishing and give individual playwrights the opportunity to take greater control and responsibility in the marketing of their work with all the benefits that full publication brings.

On this site you'll find our full catalogue of theatre play scripts plus details of the playwrights and authors. If you're a member of a professional or amateur theatre group or dramatic society you can order acting editions of play scripts and if you decide to stage a production you can arrange performing licenses by email or regular mail.

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