British Playwright Arnold Wesker Dies at 83

Variety reports that British playwright Arnold Wesker, whose works include "Chips with Everything" and "Chicken Soup with Barley", has died at the age of 83.

Wesker was the author of 50 plays, 4 volumes of short stories, 2 volumes of essays, a book on journalism, a children's book, extensive journalism, poetry and other assorted writings. His plays have been translated into many languages and performed worldwide.

In 1958 he received grant of GB£ 300 for the play Chicken Soup from the Arts Council of Great Britain. The following year he won the Evening Standard Theatre Award in the "Most Promising Playwright" category. He was presented with the Italian Marzotto Prize in 1964 for Their Very Own and Golden City and the Spanish Best Foreign Play Award in 1979. He became the fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1985 and was presented with the Goldie Award in 1987.

For his "distinguished service to theatre" he was honoured with the Last Frontier Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. He was knighted in the 2006 New Year's Honours list.

A partial listing of his work follows:

Four Portraits - Of Mothers, 1982

Annie Wobbler, 1982

Yardsale, 1983

Cinders, 1983

The Merchant, 1983

Say Goodbye: You May Never See Them Again, 1983 (with Josh Allin)

Distinctions, 1985

Whatever Happened to Betty Lemon?, 1986

When God Wanted a Son, 1986

Lady Othello, 1987

Little Old Lady & Shoeshine, 1987

Badenheim 1939, 1987

The Mistress, 1988

Beorhtel's Hill, 1988 (community play for Basildon)

Men Die Women Survive, 1990

Letter To A Daughter, 1990

Blood Libel, 1991

Wild Spring, 1992

Bluey, 1993

The Confession, 1993

Circles of Perception, 1996

Break, My Heart, 1997

Denial, 1997

The King's Daughters, 1998

Barabbas, 2000

THE KITCHEN Musical, 2000

Groupie, 2001 ISBn 1849437416

Longitude, 2002

Letter to Myself, 2004

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