Oliver Houston
“My reputation as a dramatist grows with every play of mine that is not performed” – George Bernard Shaw, aged 41.
About the Author:
Oliver Houston’s first play was performed at St Paul’s primary school in London’s Primrose Hill.
Unbeknownst to the 7-year-old budding playwright at the time, a contemporary reading of the one-act piece now reveals it to be a prescient dissection of the military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy.
His parents were actors. His wife’s an actress. And his toddler son is often very dramatic. He misspent much of his youth in school productions and embarrassing television commercials, and playing women with the Original Shakespeare Company and urchins with the National Youth Music Theatre (on national tours, at Edinburgh Festivals and in London’s West End).
But rather than going to Drama School, he chose instead to study History at Manchester University and pursue a career in journalism and politics.
He served as vice-chair of the Manchester United Supporters Trust, a 200,000-strong democratic members organisation, from 1999-2010, campaigning against the club’s takeover by Rupert Murdoch in 1999 and Malcolm Glazer in 2005, and helped lead the 2010 Green & Gold campaign with the Red Knights to usher in an era of supporter-ownership.
He served as Campaigns & Communications officer from 2002-2011 for Justice for Colombia, the TUC’s campaign for peace & social justice in the Latin American country blighted by the world’s longest-running civil war and third largest internally-displaced population, promoting human rights and the protection of trade unionists, journalist and civil society.
He has worked for various other sporting, media and political organisations, but recently found himself drawn back to his true Theatrical calling.
He wrote & directed the short film ‘Fu(nd) This!’ – a comedy about censorship, which was nominated for Best British Short at the Leeds International Film Festival and Best Comedy Short at the Portobello Film Festival, awarded a Special Mention at the International Freethought Film Festival in Florida, and was screened at BAFTA, The Roundhouse, Leicester Square’s Prince Charles cinema and at film festivals across the UK & USA in 2010 & 2011.
He is a member of the Shaw Society and the proud holder of a Blue Peter Badge.
He’s on Twitter @OliverHouston7 but doesn’t do F*c*book.
He’s pretty useless at golf, and he can’t wink or tie a proper bow tie.
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