19 Facts About Gregory Motton

Gregory Motton was born on September 1961 and is a British playwright and author.

Gregory Motton speaks fluent Swedish and is one of the chief translators of Strindberg's plays, known for his strict advocacy of translations rather than versions.

Gregory Motton was born in September 1961 in Wood Green, in the London borough of Enfield, the second child of Bernadette from Rosscarbery in West Cork, Ireland, a bar-maid, and David Motton, of Tottenham, London, a writer of children's comics.

Gregory Motton attended St Angela's Convent, St Paul's School, and Winchmore Comprehensive.

Gregory Motton's unconventional writing style soon dispersed the initial keen interest it had first awakened in managements and critics.

Consequently, it was not until a further three years later that two of Gregory Motton's plays were produced, almost simultaneously: A Message for the Broken Hearted, directed by Ramin Gray, March 1993, at the Liverpool Everyman; and The Terrible Voice of Satan, directed by James MacDonald, July 1993, at the Royal Court, now being run by Stephen Daldry.

Gregory Motton's plays remained out of print in English until 1997 when James Hogan of Oberon Books began the re-publication of all his plays in several volumes.

Gregory Motton studiously rejects naturalism and instead offers a comic-strip satire on capitalist consumerism in the style of Jarry, Ionesco or Vian.

Gregory Motton decided against producing A Holiday in the Sun.

Gregory Motton was finally persuaded to produce The World's Biggest Diamond in 2005 which is a largely conventional drama about a lifelong love affair.

Gregory Motton's plays have been produced only once in the past 17 years in Britain and never, in Britain, in a theatre with more than 90 seats.

Gregory Motton wrote the music, lyrics and books of three in less than three years, having composed more than 60 songs.

Gregory Motton wrote a fourth Tristan and Yseult in 2014.

In 2012, Strindberg's centenary year in Sweden, Gregory Motton was awarded the Swedish Writers Guild Goran O Eriksson Award for his translations of Strindberg.

In various articles and interviews, Gregory Motton has voiced some criticisms of British theatre, Guardian 16 April 1992, reprinted Theatre Forum Fall 1992, The Stage 1 April 1993, Whats On 5 May 1993, and most notably in the mid-1990s when he wrote an article about the high administrative staffing levels and low plays output of Britains regional theatres.

In December 2013, Gregory Motton published A Working Class Alternative to Labour a book outlining a collection of policies designed to remove poverty, by the means of a high statutory minimum wage and a return to manufacturing.

Gregory Motton proposes a return to what is called 'traditional banking' where money from current accounts is invested in domestic industries.

Gregory Motton portrays the EU as a largely capitalist organisation designed to drive down working class wages.

Gregory Motton gives evidence of a belief amongst EU leaders that political and economic decisions are best made without reference to democracy.