Dave Simpson (writer)
Dave Simpson, full name David Colin Simpson was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. He has over 25 years experience in the professional writing industry and currently resides in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. His current production The Naked Truth, starring Lisa Riley of Emmerdale, is currently in its second UK tour.
Early years
Dave Simpson has had many different careers on the road to becoming a writer. He is an ex-teacher, ward orderly, hot potato merchant, encyclopaedia salesman and a doffer in a Yorkshire mill, although writing was always his passion. He started his career in the BBC and was Resident Writer for the Library Theatre in Manchester for two years. He wrote several plays for them including The Beauty Game, The Cheeky Chappie (about the comedian Max Miller), Soapbox and A Marginal Affair. He also did several Christmas shows, including The Prince and the Pauper, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Secret Garden (which went on a nationwide tour), and The Little Princess (which was then adapted for BBC Radio).
Success in the industry
His adaptation of The Railway Children is constantly performed by reps and amateurs and the Birmingham Rep produced a twenty five week nationwide tour. His other stage productions include Single Sex for the Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch, Perfect Partners for the Bristol Old Vic and his comedy, Girls’ Night Out, a hugely successful play which toured for three years and had a ten-week run in the West End in 1998.
He was also commissioned to write the screenplay for Girls’ Night Out for Jeffrey Taylor of StageScreen Productions and this is due to go into production early next year. His other films include Love Ties, which received development money from the MEDIA programme of the European Union, Raving Beauties and Losing It, optioned by Neil Peplow for Insider Films. His television credits include Starting Out (1980), Coronation Street, The Bill, and for five years he was a writer on Emmerdale. His six-part comedy drama, Perfect Partners, has been optioned by Kay Mellor’s company, Rollem Productions.
Today
He has a new stage play, The Naked Truth, currently touring the UK for the second time after its successful 13 week tour in Spring 2007. There is a new TV drama (co-written with his wife Diane Whitley) in development with Granada TV optioned by Kay Mellor's company Rollem Productions. A new play Star is also in the pipeline.
His daughter Becky Simpson is also in the "business" having been an actress from the age of 10.
References
External links
- Official website
- Theatre Productions Ltd - currently producing Dave's play The Naked Truth and has commissioned his next play The Sex Factor.
- Dench Arnold - Dave Simpson's agent