John Antrobus
Born in Woolwich, London, 2 July 1933. Educated at Bishop Wordsworth Grammar School, Salisbury, Wiltshire; Selhurst Grammar School, Croydon, Surrey; King Edward VII Nautical College; Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Camberley, Surrey. Served in the British Army, East Surrey Regiment, 1952-55. Married Margaret McCormick in 1958 (divorced 1980); two sons and one daughter. Apprentice deck officer, Merchant Navy, 1950-52; supply teacher and waiter, 1953-54. Since 1955 freelance writer. Recipient: George Devine award, 1970; Writers Guild award, 1971; Arts Council bursary, 1973, 1976, 1980, 1982; Banff Television Festival award, 1987.
Stage Plays
- The Bed-Sitting Room, with Spike Milligan (also co-director: produced 1963). 1970; revised version, as The Bed-Sitting Room 2 (also director: produced 1983).
- Royal Commission Review (produced 1964).
- You'll Come to Love Your Sperm Test (also director: produced 1965). In New Writers 4, 1965.
- Cane of Honour (produced 1965).
- The Missing Links (televised 1965; produced 1977). In Why Bournemouth? and Other Plays, 1970.
- Trixie and Baba (produced 1968). 1969.
- Why Bournemouth? (produced 1968). In Why Bournemouth? and Other Plays, 1970.
- Captain Oates' Left Sock (produced 1969). 1974.
- An Evening with John Antrobus (produced 1969).
- Why Bournemouth? and Other Plays. 1970.
- An Apple A Day (televised 1971; produced 1974). In Why Bournemouth? and Other Plays, 1970.
- Stranger in a Cafeteria, in Christmas Present (produced 1971).
- The Looneys (produced 1971).
- Crete and Sergeant Pepper (produced 1972).
- The Dinosaurs, and Certain Humiliations (produced 1973).
- The Illegal Immigrant (produced 1974).
- Mrs. Grabowski's Academy (produced 1975).
- They Sleep Together (produced 1976).
- Sketches in City Delights (revue; produced 1978).
- Jonah (also director: produced 1979).
- Hitler in Liverpool, One Orange for the Baby, Up in the Hide (produced 1980). 1983.
- When Did You Last See Your Trousers?, with Ray Galton, adaptation of a story by Galton and Alan Simpson (produced 1986). 1988.
Screenplays:
- Carry on Sergeant, with Norman Hudis, 1958;
- Idol on Parade, 1959;
- Jazzboat, with Ken Hughes, 1960;
- The Wrong Arm of the Law, with others, 1962;
- The Big Job, with Talbot Rothwell, 1965;
- The Bed-Sitting Room, with Charles Wood, 1969.
Radio Writing:
- Idiot Weekly and The Goon Show series;
- Brandy, Brandy, 1972;
- LMF (Lack of Moral Fibre), 1976;
- Haute Cuisine,1977;
- The Lie, 1978;
- In a Dry Place, 1986;
- Looneys, 1987;
- The Milligan Papers series, 1987.
Television Writing :
- Idiot Weekly series;
- A Show Called Fred series;
- The Army Game series;
- Bootsie and Snudge series;
- for Eric Sykes, Arthur Haynes, Frankie Howerd, Jimmy Wheeler shows;
- Lenny the Lion Show, 1957;
- Variety Inc. Show, 1957;
- For the Children Show, 1957;
- Early to Braden series, 1957;
- The April 8th Show (Seven Days Early), 1958;
- The Deadly Game of Chess, 1958;
- The Missing Links, 1965;
- An Apple A Day, 1971;
- Don't Feed the Fish, 1971;
- Marty Feldman Show, 1972;
- A Milligan for All Seasons, with Spike Milligan, 1974;
- episode in Too Close for Comfort, 1984;
- The Last Laugh Before TV. AM, with Spike Milligan, 1985;
- Room at the Bottom series, with Ray Galton, 1986 and 1987;
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents, 1987.
Other Publications (for children)
- The Boy with Illuminated Measles. 1978.
- Help! I Am a Prisoner in a Toothpaste Factory. 1978.
- Ronnie and the Haunted Rolls Royce. 1982.
- Ronnie and the Great Knitted Robbery. 1982.
- Pirates, with Mike Wallis. 1990.
- Polo Time, with Mike Wallis. 1990.
- Spooky Time, with Mike Wallis. 1990.
- Picnic, with Mike Wallis. 1990.
- Ronnie and the High Rise. 1992.
- Ronnie and the Flying Fitted Carpet. 1992.
Manuscript Collection:
Mugar Memorial Library, Boston University.