Barrie Keeffe facts for kids

Barrie Colin Keeffe (born 31 October 1945 – died 10 December 2019) was an English writer. He wrote plays for the theatre and scripts for movies and TV shows. He is most famous for writing the movie The Long Good Friday (1980). This film starred famous actors like Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren. Barrie Keeffe was very interested in social issues. He often wrote about young people who felt left out and about crime.

Barrie Keeffe's Journey as a Writer

Barrie Keeffe was born in London, England. He grew up in a part of east London called Forest Gate. His father, Edward, worked with phones, and his mother was Constance. Barrie went to East Ham Grammar School. During his school holidays, he loved acting with the National Youth Theatre.

From 1964 to 1975, Barrie worked as a journalist. He wrote for a local newspaper called The Stratford Express. Many of his stories, including ideas for The Long Good Friday, came from his time as a journalist. He also got ideas from talking to people at a local pub.

His first book, The Gadabout, came out in 1969. In 1972, his first TV play, The Substitute, was shown. The next year, his first theatre play, Only a Game, was performed. By 1975, he became a full-time writer.

Barrie Keeffe worked with important theatre groups. He was a writer-in-residence at the Shaw Theatre in 1977. He also worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1978. From 1986 to 1991, he was an associate writer at the Theatre Royal Stratford East. People said he had "fifteen years of solid achievement" during this time. Later, he taught writing at the Collaldra Writers School in Venice in 2007. In 2011, he became a writer-in-residence at Kingston University in London.

Barrie Keeffe's plays have been performed in many countries. His movie scripts include The Long Good Friday (1981) and Sus (2010). Sus was based on his own play from 1979.

What Barrie Keeffe Wrote About

Barrie Keeffe's writing often looked at important social and political topics. He wrote about people not having jobs. He also explored unfair treatment by the police in his play Sus. His play Gimme Shelter talked about different social classes.

His play Better Times was about the 1921 Poplar Rates Rebellion. This was a time when people in London protested against unfair taxes. In his play Barbarians, he tried to show the energy of the punk music movement.

Some of his plays have been performed again. Sus was shown at the Young Vic theatre in 2009. It then went on tour across the UK in 2010. The Barbarians plays were also performed again in London in 2012 and 2015.

Teaching and Global Work

Barrie Keeffe also shared his knowledge with others. He taught dramatic writing at City University, London from 2002 to 2006. He was also a special fellow at Christ's College, Cambridge from 2003 to 2004. He taught at Ruskin College, Oxford from 2003 to 2004.

In 1995, which was the 50th anniversary of the United Nations, Barrie Keeffe worked as a United Nations Ambassador. This means he helped represent the UN and its goals.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Barrie Keeffe received several awards for his writing. In 1978, he won the Paris Critics Prix Revelations. In 1982, he won the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Award. This award is for excellent mystery writing. In 2010, Warwick University gave him an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree. This was a special award to recognize his achievements.

Barrie Keeffe's Life and Passing

Barrie Keeffe was married four times. He had two stepsons, Sam and Tom, whom he raised after their mother, Verity Bargate, passed away. In 2012, he married Jacky Stoller, who works in film and television.

Barrie Keeffe passed away on 10 December 2019. He was 74 years old.

Some of Barrie Keeffe's Works

Barrie Keeffe wrote many different types of stories. Here are some of his well-known works:

Theatre Plays

• Only a Game (1973)
• Gimme Shelter (1977)
• Barbarians, a trilogy (1977)
• Sus (1979)
• Better Times (1985)
• The Long Good Friday (1997) - This was a play version of his famous movie script.

Film and TV

• Substitute (1972) - TV play
• The Long Good Friday (1981) - Film
• Sus (2010) - Film

Novels

• Gadabout (1969)