Bill Martin

Bill Martin

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Martin died on 21st June, 2016. In the early 60s Bill extended his work as a teacher in Enfield by setting up a youth theatre company, 1520 Theatre. In 1967 he moved his company’s base to Oval House and they became Contemporary Theatre. Their successful musical documentary Events Leading to a Situation from which People Find Themselves Unable to Escape – about young offenders and the law – transferred to The Roundhouse in May 1969. This innovative production used tape recorded dialogue, slides and film as well as live music and performance. In 1970 he worked at the Cockpit Theatre where the company presented an experimental production of Macbeth in the opening season. With no financial support the company ceased working after 1975 and  Bill concentrated on playwriting. Four Weeks in the City was staged by the National Theatre in 1978. He received an East Midlands Arts Playwriting Bursery in 1979-80 – working on  The Long and Winding Road at Chesterfield and Vacuees at Leicester. By now Martin had relocated to Hexham, Northumberland with his family and he continued to be active as a dramatist. In 1999 he wrote Vigo – celebrating the life of the surrealist filmmaker for Foolsyard Theatre and then he co-founded the touring theatre company, threeovereden with Leslie Simpson and Michael Carruthers. For this company he wrote Young Ibsen and an adaption of Peer Gynt.

For more information on Contemporary Theatre see the Unfinished Histories webpage. If you can contribute further details please contact David Cleall c/o Unfinished Histories.