Richard Stirling

British writer and actor

Richard Stirling is an English writer and actor, who has appeared on film, television and the West End theatre and Off-Broadway stage. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). He has written arts features for newspapers and magazines. His 2009 play Seven Other Children was written as a response to Caryl Churchill's controversial play Seven Jewish Children.^[1]

He adapted the diaries of Cecil Beaton for performance, and played the title role. Following performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2022, to favourable reviews,^[2] Cecil Beaton's Diaries was selected to be part of the 2023 Brits Off Broadway season, playing at New York's 59E59 Theaters in May, before touring the UK.

Works

Books

Julie Andrews: An Intimate Biography (Sunday Times Top Ten best seller,^{[citation needed]} UK Piatkus/Little Brown 2007; US St Martin's Press 2008; reprinted UK Little Brown 2013)

Plays

Seven Other Children
Over My Shoulder: The Jessie Matthews Story (starring Anne Rogers)^[3]^[4]
Gay's the Word (revised version of the Ivor Novello/Alan Melville musical)
Is She One of Us? in development^[5]
A Princess Undone (starring Stephanie Beacham as Princess Margaret)^[6]^[7]
Cecil Beaton's Diaries

Selected roles

Film and television

Eternal Return (Mervin Muffley) (2024)
The Man Who Fell to Earth (Bird Man) (2022)
Bridgerton (2022)
The Crown (2020)
The Princess Switch: Switched Again (2020)
Scoop (Tinsley's Fan) (2006)
Great Expectations (1999)
Our Mutual Friend (1998)
Mrs Dalloway (1997)
The Secret Agent (Stevie) (1992)
Jeeves and Wooster (1990)
War Requiem (Third Soldier; choreographer) (1989)
Little Dorrit (John Chivery) (1987)

References

^ Francine Wolfisz (30 April 2009). "New play responds to Caryl Churchill's Seven Jewish Children". Haringey Independent.
^ Vale, Paul (9 August 2022). "Ceil Beaton's Diaries review". The Stage.
^ ""Over My Shoulder" by Richard Stirling at Wyndham's from 27 Oct to 8 Nov 03". 9 October 2003. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
^ Kingston, Jeremy (10 May 2003). "Over My Shoulder, review". The Times.
^ "The 'lesbian' teacher scandal that shook society". The Scotsman. 18 May 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
^ Barber, Richard (11 September 2016). "Stephanie Beacham: 'We need more difficult women like Princess Margaret'". The Daily Telegraph.
^ Cavendish, Dominic (26 February 2018). "Witty, bittersweet, tentative attempt to dramatise Princess Margaret's life, review". The Daily Telegraph.