Martin Sherman
Born in Philadelphia and educated at Boston University, Martin now lives in London. An award winning author, his plays have been produced in more than 45 countries. BENT, presented at the Royal Court in London, with Ian McKellen, transferred to the West End; it went to Broadway, starring Richard Gere, and won a Tony nomination for best play. It was revived at the National Theatre with Ian McKellen again in the lead, and most recently in October 2006 at Trafalgar Studios starring Alan Cumming. It was made into a film in 1998 starring Clive Owen, Lothaire Bluteau and Mick Jagger. Martin's other West End plays include MESSIAH, starring Maureen Lipman; WHEN SHE DANCED, starring Vanessa Redgrave, and Frances de la Tour; A MADHOUSE IN GOA, also starring Vanessa Redgrave and a new version of a Pirandello, ABSOLUTELY! (PERHAPS) starring Joan Plowright. His play ROSE premiered at the National Theatre, with Olympia Dukakis, and transferred to Broadway. Martin's book for the hit musical, THE BOY FROM OZ, which opened on Broadway in 2003 starring Hugh Jackman, earned him his second Tony nomination. That same year, his screenplay adapted from the Tennessee Williams novella, THE ROMAN SPRING OF MRS STONE, was filmed starring Helen Mirren, Olivier Martinez and Anne Bancroft. Martin's latest screenplay MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS, which was BIFA & BAFTA nominated, was produced by Norma Heyman and directed by Stephen Frears, starring Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Kelly Reilly and Will Young. Martin initially worked with Norma Heyman in 1992 when she commissioned his first screenplay, THE CLOTHES IN THE WARDROBE, which he adapted from a novel by Alice Thomas Ellis and which starred Jeanne Moreau. Released theatrically in the USA by Goldwyn under the title THE SUMMER HOUSE, it brought Martin nominations from both BAFTA and The Writer's Guild. His other screenwriting credits include CALLAS FOREVER with the director Franco Zeffirelli, starring Fanny Ardant and Jeremy Irons, and ALIVE AND KICKING, starring Jason Flemyng, Antony Sher and Dorothy Tutin. His recent adaptation of E.M. Forster's A PASSAGE TO INDIA earned him rave notices when it played at London's Riverside Theatre and New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music. He also directed RUBY WAX LIVE, Ruby Wax's stage show, which toured the UK, Australia and New Zealand. His adaptation of Chekhov's THE CHERRY ORCHARD premiered last winter in Los Angeles with Annette Bening and Alfred Molina in the leads.
BIFA Awards Won By Martin Sherman
BIFA Nominations Received By Martin Sherman
2005
- Best Screenplay (Mrs Henderson Presents)
