Caryl Churchill

Caryl Churchill - Dramatist, Life Achievements and Life

Violet FieldHome › BritishCaryl ChurchillSeptember 3, 1938619 views

0 based on 0 rates
Caryl Churchill Biography Stories 

Caryl Churchill's Personal Details

Caryl Churchill is an English dramatist and women’s right activist, known for her non-conventional plays

InformationDetail
BirthdaySeptember 3, 1938
NationalityBritish
FamousActivists, Women's Rights Activists, Playwrights, Dramatist
SpousesDavid
ChildrensJoe, Paul, Rick
Birth PlaceLondon, England
Height182
GenderFemale
FatherRobert Churchill
MotherJan Churchill
Net Worth$220.8 Million as of April 20,2017
Sun SignVirgo
Born inLondon, England
Famous asDramatist, Women's Rights Activist

// Famous Dramatist

W B Yeats

W B Yeats

William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life and other facts related to his life.

Maxim Gorky

Maxim Gorky

Alexei Maximovich Peshkov, better known as Maxim Gorky, was a Russian author. This biography of Gorky provides detailed information about his childhood, life, works, achievements and timeline.

Ben Jonson

Ben Jonson

Ben Jonson was an acclaimed English playwright, poet, and literary critic. This biography provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works and timeline.

Caryl Churchill's photo

Who is Caryl Churchill?

Caryl Churchill is an English dramatist and women’s rights activist, known for her unconventional plays representing feminist themes. She is one of the most influential writers of the world whose writing has a profound impact over people of all ages. Her deep love for writing developed during her graduation years at the Oxford University and this passion increased over the time. Her career started as a radio dramatist and later she wrote for television plays. She was quite successful in her radio plays which presented a sense of responsibility mixed with subtle humor. But it was the theatre which helped her realize her full potential as the audience was able to imagine and recreate in their own minds the story she displayed on stage with sounds and actions. Her belief in women’s power and views about gender inequalities combined with other subjects like traditional bondages and professional politics, to create a realistic caricature of the society. She created awareness by presenting to the orthodox society insights of their own shabby and frail ideologies which should be abolished. Throughout her theatrical journey, she wrote numerous noteworthy plays and was able to rightfully claim her name in the list of people who brought about significant changes in the society through their innovative writing.

// Famous Playwrights

Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams was one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century. This biography of Tennessee Williams provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works and timeline.

John Kani

John Kani

John Kani is a South African actor, voice actor, playwright and director. Check out this biography to know about his birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.

Samuel Beckett

Samuel Beckett

Samuel Beckett was an Irish playwright, novelist, theatre director and poet. This biography profiles his childhood, life, works, achievements and timeline

Childhood & Early Life

She was born on September 3, 1938 in London, England to Robert Churchill, a political cartoonist and Jan Churchill, a fashion model. She was the only child of her parents.

When she was 10 years old, her family moved to Montreal, Canada. She did her schooling from the Trafalgar School for Girls.

In 1957, she returned to England for her college studies. In 1960, she graduated with a B.A. Degree in English Literature from Lady Margaret Hall, a women’s college of the prestigious Oxford University.

During her college years, she developed a keen interest in dramatics and also wrote some plays which were performed by the student drama groups of the university.

She wrote several plays such as ‘Downstairs’ (1958), ‘You’ve No Need to be Frightened’ and ‘Having a Wonderful Time’ (1960) while she was in the college.

Career

After graduating from Oxford University, she started writing short radio dramas for BBC radio which were successful in capturing the attention of listeners. Some of them were ‘The Ants’ (1962), ‘Not, Not, Not, Not Enough Oxygen’ (1971) and ‘Schreber’s Nervous Illness’ (1972).

After her radio plays, she decided to write television plays for BBC which were not much appreciated as compared to her radio plays, although, her TV play ‘The Judge’s Wife’ in 1973 and ‘Shorts’ in 1990 were quite successful.

In 1972, she wrote her first professional play for the theatre, ‘Owners’, which premiered at London’s Royal Court Theatre. She became the resident dramatist of Royal Court in 1974.

In the 1980s, she worked with many theatre companies such as Joint Stock and Monstrous Regiment producing some of her finest works like ‘Cloud Nine’ and ‘A Mouthful of Birds’.

In 2000, she wrote a play titled ‘Far Away’ based on the premise of a world in which everything in nature is at war. It premiered at the Royal Court under the well-known director Stephen Daldry. It features the story of a girl who is afraid of the duality created by this new world and cannot think of anyone who is not a part of this war, not even nature.

In 2009, her 10-minute play ‘Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza’ was caught up in political controversy for its portrayal of Israelis.

In 2012, her play ‘Love and Information’ was enacted in the Royal Court and received critical as well as popular acclaim. It deals with the concept of modern day consciousness and the need of human bonding and intimacy.

Major Works

Her 1979 play, ‘Cloud Nine’, is considered a mature and sensible piece of work. It explores the complex relationships prevailing in the society and their consequences. It deals with the mature subjects of attraction, homosexuality and bisexuality among the central characters of the play.

Her 1982 play, ‘Top Girls’, is a notable play in her career which gained her immense appreciation from the critics. It focuses on the struggle and sacrifices of a woman to achieve success in this male dominated society. It gives us a satirical view of the suffering of a woman in different ways in our society.

Her 1987 play, ‘Serious Money’, is a remarkable play, known for being largely written in rhyming couplets. It is a satirical representation of the business world set in the backdrop of British stock market.

Awards & Achievements

In 1958, she won her first award for her first play, ‘Downstairs’, at the Sunday Times National Union of Students Drama Festival. She wrote it while studying at the university.

In 1961, she was honored with the Richard Hillary Memorial Prize.

In 1974, she became the Resident Dramatist of the Royal Court Theatre—the first woman to do so.

She won the prestigious Obie Award for Playwriting consecutively in 1981 for ‘Cloud Nine’ and in 1982 for ‘Top Girls’.

In 1987, she won the Evening Standard Award for the Best Comedy of the year and Laurence Oliver/ BBC Award for Best New Play for her distinguished piece of work ‘Serious Money’.

In 2010, she was inducted in the American Theatre Hall of Fame.

Personal Life & Legacy

In 1961, she married David Harter, a barrister. The couple has three sons, namely, Joe, Paul and Rick. Her husband was very supportive and gave up his lucrative private law practice so that she could spend ample time in writing.

// Famous Women's Rights Activists

Emily Greene Balch

Emily Greene Balch

Emily Greene Balch was an American economist, sociologist and pacifist who won the 1946 Nobel Peace Prize. This biography of Emily Greene Balch provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth

Sojourner truth was an African American abolitionist who was the first black woman to win a case against a white man. This biography provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Susan B. Anthony

Susan B. Anthony

Susan B. Anthony was an American feminist who played a major role in the women's suffrage movement. This biography of Susan B. Anthony provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline

Caryl Churchill biography timelines

  • // 3rd Sep 1938
    She was born on September 3, 1938 in London, England to Robert Churchill, a political cartoonist and Jan Churchill, a fashion model. She was the only child of her parents.
  • // 1957
    In 1957, she returned to England for her college studies. In 1960, she graduated with a B.A. Degree in English Literature from Lady Margaret Hall, a women’s college of the prestigious Oxford University.
  • // 1958
    In 1958, she won her first award for her first play, ‘Downstairs’, at the Sunday Times National Union of Students Drama Festival. She wrote it while studying at the university.
  • // 1961
    In 1961, she was honored with the Richard Hillary Memorial Prize.
  • // 1961
    In 1961, she married David Harter, a barrister. The couple has three sons, namely, Joe, Paul and Rick. Her husband was very supportive and gave up his lucrative private law practice so that she could spend ample time in writing.
  • // 1972
    In 1972, she wrote her first professional play for the theatre, ‘Owners’, which premiered at London’s Royal Court Theatre. She became the resident dramatist of Royal Court in 1974.
  • // 1974
    In 1974, she became the Resident Dramatist of the Royal Court Theatre—the first woman to do so.
  • // 1979
    Her 1979 play, ‘Cloud Nine’, is considered a mature and sensible piece of work. It explores the complex relationships prevailing in the society and their consequences. It deals with the mature subjects of attraction, homosexuality and bisexuality among the central characters of the play.
  • // 1982
    Her 1982 play, ‘Top Girls’, is a notable play in her career which gained her immense appreciation from the critics. It focuses on the struggle and sacrifices of a woman to achieve success in this male dominated society. It gives us a satirical view of the suffering of a woman in different ways in our society.
  • // 1987
    Her 1987 play, ‘Serious Money’, is a remarkable play, known for being largely written in rhyming couplets. It is a satirical representation of the business world set in the backdrop of British stock market.
  • // 2000
    In 2000, she wrote a play titled ‘Far Away’ based on the premise of a world in which everything in nature is at war. It premiered at the Royal Court under the well-known director Stephen Daldry. It features the story of a girl who is afraid of the duality created by this new world and cannot think of anyone who is not a part of this war, not even nature.
  • // 2009
    In 2009, her 10-minute play ‘Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza’ was caught up in political controversy for its portrayal of Israelis.
  • // 2010
    In 2010, she was inducted in the American Theatre Hall of Fame.
  • // 2012
    In 2012, her play ‘Love and Information’ was enacted in the Royal Court and received critical as well as popular acclaim. It deals with the concept of modern day consciousness and the need of human bonding and intimacy.

// Famous Activists

Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin is a well-known American writer, autistic activist and animal expert. This biography profiles her childhood, life, achievements, career and timeline

Susan Sontag

Susan Sontag

Susan Sontag is an American critical essayist, cultural analyst, novelist, political activist, filmmaker and playwright of international repute. Read on to find out more about her childhood, career, profile and timeline.

Serj Tankian

Serj Tankian

Serj Tankian is a famous American singer-songwriter and member of the band, ‘System of a Down’. This biography profiles his childhood, music career, life, achievements and timeline.

Gaia Wise

Gaia Wise

Gaia Wise is an actress, environment activist and the daughter of Emma Thompson. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family, personal life, including her age, birthday, etc.

Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth

Sojourner truth was an African American abolitionist who was the first black woman to win a case against a white man. This biography provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov is a Russian chess Grandmaster considered by many to be the greatest chess player of all time. This biography of Garry Kasparov provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Caryl Churchill's FAQ

  • What is Caryl Churchill birthday?

    Caryl Churchill was born at 1938-09-03

  • Where is Caryl Churchill's birth place?

    Caryl Churchill was born in London, England

  • What is Caryl Churchill nationalities?

    Caryl Churchill's nationalities is British

  • Who is Caryl Churchill spouses?

    Caryl Churchill's spouses is David

  • Who is Caryl Churchill childrens?

    Caryl Churchill's childrens is Joe, Paul, Rick

  • How tall is Caryl Churchill?

    Caryl Churchill's height is 182

  • Who is Caryl Churchill's father?

    Caryl Churchill's father is Robert Churchill

  • Who is Caryl Churchill's mother?

    Caryl Churchill's mother is Jan Churchill

  • What is Caryl Churchill's sun sign?

    Caryl Churchill is Virgo

  • How famous is Caryl Churchill?

    Caryl Churchill is famouse as Dramatist, Women's Rights Activist