Peter Barnes

Peter Barnes, (January 10 1931–July 1 2004), was an English playwright and screenwriter. His most famous work is the play The Ruling Class, which was made into the 1972 film for which Peter O'Toole was nominated for the Oscar for best actor,

Later life

In his later years Barnes turned his attention more in the direction of films, radio, and television. His screenplay for Elizabeth von Arnim's Enchanted April earned him a nomination for the best adapted screenplay Oscar in 1992. He lost out to Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's treatment of Howards End. He also wrote several mini-series for U.S. television, including Arabian Nights and Noah's Ark. For BBC Radio 4 he produced a series of monologues entitled Barnes's People, for which he attracted a large number of well known actors: Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Alec Guinness, Peggy Ashcroft, Judi Dench, and Ian McKellen.

Related Topics:
Radio - Television - Elizabeth von Arnim - Enchanted April - Best adapted screenplay Oscar - 1992 - Ruth Prawer Jhabvala - Howards End - U.S. - BBC Radio 4 - Laurence Olivier - John Gielgud - Alec Guinness - Peggy Ashcroft - Judi Dench - Ian McKellen

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Barnes did carry on writing his historical comedies throughout the 1990s. These include Sunsets and Glories (1990), Dreaming (1999), and Jubilee (2001).

Related Topics:
1990s - Sunsets and Glories - 1990 - Dreaming - 1999 - Jubilee - 2001

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Barnes's second wife, Christie, gave birth to his first daughter in 2000 when he was 69. Barnes, who never received much mainstream media attention for his plays, briefly became a tabloid obsession in 2002 when his wife gave birth again, this time to triplets.

Related Topics:
2000 - Tabloid - 2002 - Triplets

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The last play that Barnes completed was Babies, which is based on his experiences as an elderly father. It is currently being adapted for British TV.

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Barnes died in July 2004 of a stroke.

Related Topics:
July 2004 - Stroke

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