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William Lawrence, playwright, sculptor - 1951... Born in Barking, Essex, brought up in the East End of London. He trained at the Chelsea and Hammersmith School of Art for sculpture whilst also working in the literary field.

William Lawrence's first play was Catwalk staged as a reading at the Red Lion, Islington 1989. The work was written as a result of the death of two close friends from the HIV virus. It was first performed as a full stage production at the Marlborough Theatre Brighton under the title of The Show Must Go On. A year later, 1990, the play, retitled: You’ll Never Walk Alone, was sponsored by THE Aids Positive UNDERGROUND for a World Aids Day production in memory of Graham Wilkinson Director of the Sussex AIDS Centre. It ran at the Marlborough Theatre from Nov. 28- Dec 2nd.

Your’ll Never Walk Alone – 1991 - was staged in August 1991 year at the Theatro Technis and obtained excellent reviews from The Guardian and The Stage:

‘… well constructed, often moving two-hander… Lawrence never forfeits our trust… Where it excels is in its presentation of humanity stripped bare… The play may not make you feel better about death, but it may well make you feel considerably better about life.’

Rosalind Carne The Guardian

'… an abrasive two-hander… about opposites painfully growing towards each other… From the violence of the football terraces… to the melancholy of an hospice… both the rabidly heterosexual Dave and the happily homosexual Luke have Aids … ruthlessly hewn… theatrically gripping piece…'

Peter Burton The Stage

You’ll Never Walk Alone now retitled: Never Walk Alone 1995 - was later sponsored by Hastings Arts Council and toured schools, colleges and universities in the South East of England from December 1995 – January 1996 as part of a World AIDS Day awareness campaign. The work was later adapted for a mainstream audience and a ten minute segment can be seen on YouTube as a harrowing monologue of a female footballer living with the HIV virus: Tomorrow Belongs to Nobody by William Lawrence.

The Sabre’s Edge - 1997 - written and produced in 1997 was Lawrence’s next play. It was sponsored by the Arts Council for Great Britain as part of their A4E - Arts for Everybody - programme, The Sabre’s Edge is centre around the life of Nijinsky, the Russian ballet dancer. It explores his coming to fame and his mental break down. The drama was premiered at The Baron’s Court Theatre and reviewed by Emma Manning for The Stage newspaper:

‘… It provides endless questions about who Nijinsky really was, his sexual colours and the illness that destroyed him. While Lawrence leaves us to let our imagination gallop, he structures his writing with inspired efficiency and great detail of the protagonists’ lives is unfurled… absorbing and credible.’

Blue On Blue – 2009 - William Lawrence wrote, produced and directed his play, Blue On Blue for the 2009 Edinburg Fringe Festival. The drama is set in war-torn Afghanistan around explores the complex issues of ‘the war on terror’ from Western and Muslim perspectives. It obtained a five star review from Anna Millar in The Scotsman. A ten minute segment of Blue On Blue appears on YouTube.

William Lawrence wrote the introductions for two novels by Robin Maugham The Servant and The Wrong People - Valancourt Books 20th Century Classic 2019. Lawrence lived and worked with the writer Robin Maugham, 2nd Viscount Maugham of Hartfield, author of The Servant, from 1971 until Maugham's death in 1981. He is mentioned in the writer’s novel Knock on Teak - WH Allen 1976 - as: ‘This book is dedicated to William Lawrence for his help and collaboration’. He travelled with Maugham, working creatively and collecting material for the writer’s autobiographical work, Search for Nirvana – W H Allen 1975 - in which he appears and which is also dedicated to him. Lawrence is the remaining Trustee to the late 2nd Viscount’s Estate.

He was initially inspired to be a writer by his father, a docker who worked in the Royal Albert docks by day. and recited poetry at pub venues by night. Lawrence has recently completed his first novel based on his life and travels with Maugham, titled: Starlight ‘n Jam Tarts to be published on Kindle. It is a story involving his journey of self-discovery whilst in search of the missing diaries of the late companion. Lawrence was left the diaries in trust. They mysteriously disappeared in 1992. Robin Maugham worked for British Intelligence. His Maiden Speech in the House of Lords (Hansard: July 14th, 1960) was on the subject of Slavery. Lawrence now lives and works in Hastings where he has set up a film studio – to record and assist with difficult issues – both locally and nationally. Website: Williamlawrence.co.uk