John Antrobus

Born in Woolwich, London, 2 July 1933. Educated at Bishop Wordsworth Grammar School, Salisbury, Wiltshire; Selhurst Grammar School, Croydon, Surrey; King Edward VII Nautical College; Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Camberley, Surrey. Served in the British Army, East Surrey Regiment, 1952-55. Married Margaret McCormick in 1958 (divorced 1980); two sons and one daughter. Apprentice deck officer, Merchant Navy, 1950-52; supply teacher and waiter, 1953-54. Since 1955 freelance writer. Recipient: George Devine award, 1970; Writers Guild award, 1971; Arts Council bursary, 1973, 1976, 1980, 1982; Banff Television Festival award, 1987.

Stage Plays

  1. The Bed-Sitting Room, with Spike Milligan (also co-director: produced 1963). 1970; revised version, as The Bed-Sitting Room 2 (also director: produced 1983).
  2. Royal Commission Review (produced 1964).
  3. You'll Come to Love Your Sperm Test (also director: produced 1965). In New Writers 4, 1965.
  4. Cane of Honour (produced 1965).
  5. The Missing Links (televised 1965; produced 1977). In Why Bournemouth? and Other Plays, 1970.
  6. Trixie and Baba (produced 1968). 1969.
  7. Why Bournemouth? (produced 1968). In Why Bournemouth? and Other Plays, 1970.
  8. Captain Oates' Left Sock (produced 1969). 1974.
  9. An Evening with John Antrobus (produced 1969).
  10. Why Bournemouth? and Other Plays. 1970.
  11. An Apple A Day (televised 1971; produced 1974). In Why Bournemouth? and Other Plays, 1970.
  12. Stranger in a Cafeteria, in Christmas Present (produced 1971).
  13. The Looneys (produced 1971).
  14. Crete and Sergeant Pepper (produced 1972).
  15. The Dinosaurs, and Certain Humiliations (produced 1973).
  16. The Illegal Immigrant (produced 1974).
  17. Mrs. Grabowski's Academy (produced 1975).
  18. They Sleep Together (produced 1976).
  19. Sketches in City Delights (revue; produced 1978).
  20. Jonah (also director: produced 1979).
  21. Hitler in Liverpool, One Orange for the Baby, Up in the Hide (produced 1980). 1983.
  22. When Did You Last See Your Trousers?, with Ray Galton, adaptation of a story by Galton and Alan Simpson (produced 1986). 1988.

Screenplays:

  1. Carry on Sergeant, with Norman Hudis, 1958;
  2. Idol on Parade, 1959;
  3. Jazzboat, with Ken Hughes, 1960;
  4. The Wrong Arm of the Law, with others, 1962;
  5. The Big Job, with Talbot Rothwell, 1965;
  6. The Bed-Sitting Room, with Charles Wood, 1969.

Radio Writing:

  • Idiot Weekly and The Goon Show series;
  • Brandy, Brandy, 1972;
  • LMF (Lack of Moral Fibre), 1976;
  • Haute Cuisine,1977;
  • The Lie, 1978;
  • In a Dry Place, 1986;
  • Looneys, 1987;
  • The Milligan Papers series, 1987.

Television Writing :

  • Idiot Weekly series;
  • A Show Called Fred series;
  • The Army Game series;
  • Bootsie and Snudge series;
  • for Eric Sykes, Arthur Haynes, Frankie Howerd, Jimmy Wheeler shows;
  • Lenny the Lion Show, 1957;
  • Variety Inc. Show, 1957;
  • For the Children Show, 1957;
  • Early to Braden series, 1957;
  • The April 8th Show (Seven Days Early), 1958;
  • The Deadly Game of Chess, 1958;
  • The Missing Links, 1965;
  • An Apple A Day, 1971;
  • Don't Feed the Fish, 1971;
  • Marty Feldman Show, 1972;
  • A Milligan for All Seasons, with Spike Milligan, 1974;
  • episode in Too Close for Comfort, 1984;
  • The Last Laugh Before TV. AM, with Spike Milligan, 1985;
  • Room at the Bottom series, with Ray Galton, 1986 and 1987;
  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents, 1987.

Other Publications (for children)

  • The Boy with Illuminated Measles. 1978.
  • Help! I Am a Prisoner in a Toothpaste Factory. 1978.
  • Ronnie and the Haunted Rolls Royce. 1982.
  • Ronnie and the Great Knitted Robbery. 1982.
  • Pirates, with Mike Wallis. 1990.
  • Polo Time, with Mike Wallis. 1990.
  • Spooky Time, with Mike Wallis. 1990.
  • Picnic, with Mike Wallis. 1990.
  • Ronnie and the High Rise. 1992.
  • Ronnie and the Flying Fitted Carpet. 1992.

Manuscript Collection:

Mugar Memorial Library, Boston University.