Bonnie Greer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bonnie Greer
OBE FRSL
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Greer in 2017
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| Born | 16 November 1948 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | 15 September 2026 (aged 77) |
| Occupation | Playwright, author, critic and broadcaster |
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| Spouse |
David Hutchins
(m. 1993) |
Bonnie Greer was an American and British author, playwright, and television personality. She was famous for writing plays, books, and operas. She also shared her smart thoughts on popular television programmes.
Greer lived in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She spent many years helping museums, theatres, and schools thrive. Because of her wonderful work in the arts, she won important awards.
Contents
Early Life and Growing Up
Bonnie Greer was born on 16 November 1948 in the city of Chicago, Illinois. She grew up in a busy neighbourhood called the West Side.
She was the oldest of seven children in her family. Her father, Ben, worked hard in a local factory. Her mother, Willie Mae, looked after their large home and raised the children.
Her father came from Mississippi, where his family worked as sharecroppers. He was also a soldier during World War II. He travelled to Britain and served during the famous D-Day landings in France. Bonnie loved listening to family stories, which inspired her creative imagination.
Discovering a Love for Stories
Greer began writing her very first plays when she was only nine years old. She loved making up characters and imagining exciting adventures on the stage.
When she grew older, she thought about studying to become a lawyer. However, one of her teachers discouraged her from entering the legal profession. She decided to follow her true passion instead and study the theatre.
She studied drama in Chicago with the famous writer David Mamet. Later, she moved to New York City to learn more about directing and acting. She studied at the famous Actors Studio under the guidance of Elia Kazan.
Life and Work in the Theatre
Greer spent several years in New York City during the 1970s and 1980s. She lived in a lively neighbourhood known as the West Village.
In 1986, Greer took a trip to Scotland for the famous Edinburgh Festival. She fell in love with Britain and decided to make it her new home. She later said this big move helped her creative energy blossom.
In 1997, she proudly became a British citizen. She spent much of her career helping other artists share their stories. She worked closely with women and artists from diverse backgrounds.
Creating Stage Plays and Operas
Greer served as an artist-in-residence with the Arts Council at the Soho Theatre in London. She also created exciting work for a theatre company called Nitrobeat. In France, she performed on stage as the famous heroine Joan of Arc.
One of her most famous plays was called Marilyn and Ella. The story followed the real-life friendship between the famous movie star Marilyn Monroe and the great jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. Monroe helped Fitzgerald book concerts at the popular Mocambo nightclub when unfair racial segregation rules tried to keep her out.
The play was performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2006. It later moved to the Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2008. In 2009, it was staged in the famous West End at the Apollo Theatre.
Greer also wrote a unique modern opera called Yes for the Royal Opera House. The composer Errollyn Wallen wrote the music, and the show opened at the Linbury Studio Theatre in 2011.
Working in Radio and Television
Greer was a talented writer for radio. She wrote several plays for BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4. She even created a special radio version of the classic children's book The Little Prince.
Greer also became a familiar face on British television. She appeared on popular discussion shows like Newsnight Review on BBC Two. She was a regular guest on the BBC debate programme Question Time.
Viewers loved how calm, polite, and clever she was when discussing difficult topics. In October 2009, she appeared on a very famous episode of Question Time opposite politician Nick Griffin, who led the British National Party. She handled the stressful debate with great poise and patience.
Books and Cultural Work
In addition to plays, Greer wrote popular books and biographies. In 2009, she published a memoir about her childhood called Obama Music through Legend Press. The book showed how Chicago music inspired people to stand up against unfair barriers.
In 2011, she published a biography about the famous poet Langston Hughes. She also co-produced a television documentary called Reflecting Skin with director Mike Dibb for the BBC, exploring art history. She later wrote a book about the Victorian artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Greer wrote about her entire life journey in her 2014 autobiography, A Parallel Life. In 2019, she contributed to an anthology called New Daughters of Africa, which was edited by Margaret Busby.
Helping Arts Organisations
Greer believed that museums, books, and theatres should be open to all young people. She worked as an active member of the Arts Emergency Service, a charity that helps teenagers find careers in the arts. She was also a patron of the SI Leeds Literary Prize, which celebrates new writing by Black and Asian women.
She gave her time and wisdom to many major institutions:
- She served on the Board of Trustees for the world-famous British Museum and became its Deputy Chairman in 2009.
- She served on the board of the famous London Film School.
- She worked as a director for the Talawa Theatre Company.
- She served as President of the Brontë Society to celebrate the classic Brontë writers.
- She served as the Chancellor of Kingston University in London, encouraging university students to pursue their dreams.
- She was a board member for the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society.
- She wrote theatre reviews as a critic for Time Out magazine.
- She appeared on Sky Arts television to explain cinema history and shared insights on ITN and Channel 4.
Honours and Personal Life
Greer married a solicitor named David Hutchins in 1993. They lived happily together in London.
In the 2010 Birthday Honours, Greer was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). She received the medal directly from Prince Charles for her great contributions to literature and drama. In 2022, she was elected a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Society of Literature (FRSL).
Greer passed away on 15 September 2026 at the age of 77. She is remembered as an inspiring voice who showed that words and stories can bring people together.
Selected Works
Books
- Hanging by Her Teeth (1994)
- Entropy (2009)
- Obama Music (2009)
- Langston Hughes: The Value of Contradiction (2011)
- A Parallel Life (2014)
Plays and Musicals
- Munda Negra (1993)
- Dancing on Blackwater (1994)
- Solid
- Jitterbug (Arcola Theatre, 2001)
- Marilyn and Ella (2008)
- Yes (Opera, 2011)
Radio Plays
- The Little Prince
- Marilyn and Ella Backstage at the Mocambo
- Ferguson (2016)
