N. F. Simpson: Collected Plays

N. F. Simpson was one of the leading exponents of the theatre of the absurd, and is best known for his play A Resounding Tinkle, made famous by its premiere at the Royal Court in 1957, and later to star Peter Cook. But beyond that he was a major force in the satire boom of the sixties, and wrote much exceptional comedy for film and TV for the likes of John Cleese, Beryl Reid, Hattie Jacques and Eric Sykes, as well as a number of brilliantly funny plays for theatre, which starred big names such as Harold Pinter and Kenneth Williams. His influence on everyone from Peter Cook's much-loved character E. L. Wisty to Monty Python's Flying Circus helped spawn a generation of incredible comic talent. Plays included in the collection are A Resounding Tinkle, The Hole, Gladly Otherwise, One Way Pendulum, The Cresta Run, Was He Anyone? and his final work, If So, Then Yes, first performed in 2010. This collection celebrates the work of this lost comic genius, and seeks to put his reputation back at the heart of British - and world - comedy.

Born in 1919, N. F. Simpson's works include A Resounding Tinkle (1957), The Hole (1957) and One Way Pendulum (1959), all of which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, under the direction of William Gaskill. In 1964, a film of One Way Pendulum was released featuring Jonathan Miller, who in 1988 staged the play at the Old Vic Theatre. The Cresta Run (1965) and Was He Anyone? (1972) followed. A Resounding Tinkle, along with Simpson's work Gladly Otherwise, was revived in a sell-out production at the Donmar Warehouse in 2007. His last play If So, Then Yes premiered in a production by Presence Theatre at the Jermyn Street Theatre, London, in 2010. Simpson wrote extensively for the BBC and ITV, including the hit Elementary, My Dear Watson, featuring John Cleese. In 2008, the BFI screened a season devoted to his work for film and television. He is the subject of a BBC Radio 4 documentary, Reality is an Illusion Caused by Lack of N.F. Simpson. N. F. Simpson died in 2011.