User:Bertiemars/sandbox

Bertie Marshall, performer and author of plays, poems, fiction and memoir. Born in Greenwich, South London in 1960. In the mid-1970's he was part of the mythic Bromley Contingent, a group of suburban teenagers (including Siouxsie Sioux and Billy Idol) who were among the very first participants in the London Punk scene. From the 80's onward, he wrote and published two books to critical acclaim and a series of plays, He also performed in music theatre productions with Opera Factory, and Rose English. His first professional play ‘CALL GRANDAD’ was a soap opera memoir which premièred at The Old Red Lion theatre in 1987 and enjoyed an extended run. Directed by Allen Frame and Lighting by Paule Constable. The Guardian called it 'An original and witty slice of London life.' Marshall's second play THE MAGIC BOX, directed by Robert Chevara, was staged at the Battersea Arts Centre, Consisting of a transvestite magician on stage with her assistant's head in a box. Time out described it as, 'Orton with tinsel, Lynch with lamé.' In 1994, Marshall was awarded a writer’s bursary by Southeast Arts Council to complete his first novel PSYCHOBOYS. It was published 1997 by Codex books, UK and became a cult hit. Legendary PoMo writer Kathy Acker praised Marshall's writing as  'The nastiest of the punk boys … the one who knows, who dead pirates are.'

From 1997-2001, Marshall relocated to NYC and wrote articles for Time Out and Zing magazines. Gave many spoken word performances and ‘starred’ in a multi- media version of Jean Gent’s THE MAIDS with downtown legends Taylor Mead and Bill Rice. And was hired by New York University to give a series of lectures on 'Punk and Music Theatre. From 2001-2002 Marshall lived in Berlin, Germany. 2002 – 2009: Marshall moved back to London and wrote his memoir BERLIN BROMLEY about his life and loves during the emerging punk movement of late 70s London. The book was published in 2006 garnering critical acclaim, featured on both The Independent and The Observer's ‘Books of Year’ lists. The German translation of Berlin Bromley was published in 2007.

A recent recipient of a grant for playwriting from the Peggy Ramsey Foundation.