Stephen Poliakoff on Stage and Screen

Over four decades Stephen Poliakoff has proved himself to be a distinctive dramatist in the mediums of theatre film and television. Moving from playwright to television and film director he has been hailed as 'TV's foremost writer' (<i>Independent</i>) and as 'one of our most poetic and best TV dramatists' (<i>Daily Telegraph</i>). In the USA his TV 'films' have received industry acclaim <i>The Lost Prince</i> winning three Emmy Awards and <i>Gideon's Daughter</i> two Golden Globes. <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>This book is the first to offer a comprehensive overview of Poliakoff's work for stage and screen and a framework for its critical evaluation. It will prove invaluable to students of theatre film and television studies. Robin Nelson locates Poliakoff's distinctive vision and fierce independence as a writer and director in both personal and public histories and against industry contexts. He charts Poliakoff's 'meteoric rise' as a playwright and his 'second starburst' in television drama since <i>Shooting the Past</i> (1999) which re-affirmed his reputation as a dramatist of distinction.<br/><br/><br/><br/>While the chronology of Poliakoff's impressive output is clearly laid out works are discussed in thematic clusters ranging across mediums to afford a fresh perspective. The book covers 'issue dramas' 'quirky strong women' and 'histories/memories' as well as Poliakoff's early developing dramaturgy and it examines in detail the later feature films and television dramas which have secured his reputation as our most distinctive television dramatist.