About

Known credits:
55
Birthday:
1932-05-30
Place of birth:
London, England, UK
Website:
Click here

Ray Cooney

Overview

Raymond George Alfred Cooney (born 30 May 1932) is an English playwright, actor, and director. His biggest success, Run for Your Wife (1983), ran for nine years in London's West End and is its longest-running comedy. He has had 17 of his plays performed there.

Cooney began to act in 1946, appearing in many of the Whitehall farces of Brian Rix throughout the 1950s and 1960s. It was during this time that he co-wrote his first play, One For The Pot. With Tony Hilton, he co-wrote the screenplay for the British comedy film What a Carve Up! (1961), which features Sid James and Kenneth Connor.

In 1968 and 1969, Cooney adapted Richard Gordon's Doctor novels for BBC radio, as series starring Richard Briers. He also took parts in them.

Cooney has also appeared on TV and in several films, including a film adaptation of his successful theatrical farce Not Now, Darling (1973), which he co-wrote with John Chapman.

In 1983, Cooney created the Theatre of Comedy Company and became its artistic director. During his tenure the company produced over twenty plays such as Pygmalion (starring Peter O'Toole and John Thaw), Loot and Run For Your Wife. He co-wrote a farce with his son Michael, Tom, Dick and Harry (1993). Cooney produced and directed the film Run For Your Wife (2012), based on his own play. The film however was not a success: it was savaged by critics and has been referred to as one of the worst films of all time.

Cooney's farces combine a traditional British bawdiness with structural complication, as characters leap to assumptions, are forced to pretend to be things that they are not, and often talk at cross-purposes. He is greatly admired in France where he is known as "Le Feydeau Anglais", ("The English Feydeau"), in reference to the French farceur Georges Feydeau. Many of his plays have been first produced, or revived, at the Théâtre de la Michodière in Paris.

In January 1975, Cooney was the subject of This Is Your Life when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at London's Savoy Hotel. In 2005, Cooney was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to drama.

Cooney married Linda Dixon in 1962. One of their two sons, Michael, is a screenwriter.

Source: Article "Ray Cooney" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Known for

Acting
2000 Jack Frost 2: The Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman Actor Colonel Hickering 57
Average
1988 Wife Begins at 40 Actor N/A
N/A
1973 Not Now Darling Actor Arnold Crouch 59
Average
1961 Nothing Barred Actor Policeman (uncredited) 59
Average
1960 The Hand Actor Pollitt 58
Average
1948 The Guinea Pig Actor 59
Average
1948 My Brother Jonathan Actor Ralph Hingston 59
Average

Directing
2012 Run For Your Wife Directing Director 58
Average
1976 Not Now, Comrade Directing Director 58
Average
1973 Not Now Darling Directing Director 59
Average

Writing
2023 Le vison voyageur Writing Writer 59
Average
2021 Espèces menacées Writing Author N/A
N/A
2020 Mayday Writing Theatre Play 58
Average
2019 C'est encore mieux l'après-midi Writing Theatre Play 61
Fair
2019 Kölcsönlakás Writing Screenplay 58
Average
2013 10 Rules for Sleeping Around Writing Theatre Play 56
Average
2012 Run For Your Wife Writing Writer 58
Average
2010 Out Of Order Writing Novel 58
Average
2009 Außer Kontrolle Writing Author N/A
N/A
2007 Baby Baby, Balla Balla! Writing Book N/A
N/A
2007 Chat et souris Writing Theatre Play N/A
N/A
2006 Όχι τώρα αγαπούλα Writing Writer N/A
N/A
2006 Funny Money Writing Author 58
Average
2005 Κοίτα ποιος ήρθε! Writing Writer N/A
N/A
2004 Dure bi rot Writing Author N/A
N/A
2003 №13 Writing Writer N/A
N/A
2002 Impair et père Writing Theatre Play 59
Average
2002 Χρήματα φαντάσματα Writing Writer N/A
N/A
2001 Espèces menacées Writing Theatre Play 59
Average
1999 Ό,τι πείτε υπουργέ μου Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1997 Out of Order Writing Writer 58
Average
1996 Panique au Plazza Writing Theatre Play 59
Average
1995 Le vison voyageur Writing Author N/A
N/A
1993 Pappie Hier Ben Ik Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1993 Ojdå - en till..? Writing Author N/A
N/A
1993 One For the Pot Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1992 Out of Order! Writing Writer 58
Average
1992 Kuta och kör Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1988 Move Over, Mrs. Markham Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1987 Huwelijk In De Steigers Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1987 C'est encore mieux l'après-midi Writing Writer 59
Average
1986 Double mixte Writing Novel 59
Average
1986 Se devi dire una bugia dilla grossa Writing Author N/A
N/A
1985 Move Over, Mrs. Markham Writing Author 59
Average
1980 There Goes The Bride Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
1980 There Goes The Bride Writing Theatre Play N/A
N/A
1979 Why Not Stay For Breakfast? Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
1961 What a Carve Up! Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1960 The Night We Got the Bird Writing Writer 58
Average
1960 The Hand Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1960 The Hand Writing Original Story 58
Average
Τα θέλει ο κωλοτράβας μας Writing Writer N/A
N/A

Production
2006 Funny Money Production Executive Producer 58
Average

Crew
2013 10 Rules for Sleeping Around Crew Thanks 56
Average
1997 Jack Frost Crew Thanks 56
Average