Talk:Simon Gray

Writing
Why on earth should someone take out the sentence "He has a penchant for writing showy lead roles for middle-aged males"? This is a major part of Gray's dramaturgy and knowledge of it adds to a full picture of what to expect from a Gray play for the reader of the article. I am putting it back in, perhaps more subtley worded. But it is non-point of view, and the removal of it unhelpful. Jmc29

What is wrong with "showy" as a descriptive adjective? The parts Gray writes for actors are designed as star vehicles, showing off the star in a display of wit, verbal dexterity and emotional range: thus, they are "showy". Jmc29

What an interesting man. A reading of his obits which I've provided (he died today) fills in what the article lacks. JohnClarknew (talk) 05:51, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

The sentence needs to be followed by a source documenting it. Until it is followed by a source citation, it appears to be original research. Please document the sentence with a reliable third-party published source. Thanks. --NYScholar (talk) 00:51, 30 March 2009 (UTC)

Death
He was an alcoholic and a very heavy smoker from childhood to death; I believe these facts should be included in this article, especially considering the very strong likelihood that his smoking caused his death. There are differing reports regarding his cancer and death. Did he have lung cancer, prostate cancer or both? Which one did he die of, or did both cause his death? Did he die on 6 August or 7 August? Where did he die? Could someone please prove the facts of these important points? If so please add to (and if necessary correct) the article accordingly. The German Wikipedia article on him states he died of lung cancer in London on 6 August, a day earlier than the English one claims.Werdnawerdna (talk) 10:28, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

The obits seem to disagree on the actual date of his death. I'll have more of a look for info. I think we should avoid using biographies as cautionary tales - I don't think that dying at the age of 71 is going to be much of a deterrent to those young and impressionable enough to be influenced by it, anyway. Possibly the reverse - look kids! you can smoke 60 a day, and drink scotch and champagne, and you'll still live past 70!Masmit (talk) 00:47, 27 August 2008 (UTC)

I've now found two references in the obits to the death being on Wednesday, so it seems to me that the 6th is the better guess. I've amended the intro to that effect. I've also added the Financial Times obit to the external links. Masmit (talk) 01:14, 27 August 2008 (UTC)

The article now states he died of an aortic aneurysm, though most media sources state lung cancer. He is still in the lung cancer deaths category. On the edit history two people mention his death certificate: what does that actually say? The article should mention his smoking, especially considering it was such a major part of his life and work. He was also an alcoholic; that should not be ignored. From media reports, he had prostate cancer for years, though it did not cause his death. He later contracted lung cancer, which we can be 99% certain was caused by him chain-smoking for over half a century. An encyclopedia must not ignore, deny, or gloss over the facts. There is still 'smoking has nothing to do with cancer' propaganda, we don't want to assist those who push such nonsense!Werdnawerdna (talk) 22:10, 8 September 2008 (UTC)

The correct date of death is in fact 7th August 2008, as reported by Michael Billington in his Theatre Blog on the Guardian website. This is also what is written on his death certificate. The obituaries were largely wrong on this, and a number of other details.Ywain (talk) 12:51, 7 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Later sources have corrected the date of death as 6 August 2008; there is a feedback loop in some sources occurring in the references to 7 August. The above post gives no source to support the statement "This is also what is written on his death certificate."
 * (cont.) Gray suffered from prostate cancer also, and I've added that to the text, with sources. I've added a section for "Further reading," which contains several additional sources. --NYScholar (talk) 00:11, 2 April 2009 (UTC)

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SCOTTISH HERITAGE.
Simon Gray was the son o a Scottish GP, turned pathologist. Source: Simon Gray's internet page. Please remove this item when source is verified. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.75.169.143 (talk) 19:57, 16 August 2016 (UTC)

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