John Chapman, 1927-2001

Lived in: 48 Wildwood Road

Profession: Playwright and Actor

About his life:

• Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, with his acting debut in Enid Bagnold’s National Velvet in 1946.
• His first play, Dry Rot (1954), in collaboration with Brian Rix, was staged 1,475 times.
• Met his long-time writing partner, Ray Cooney, in 1956 – they went on to write Move Over Mrs. Markham (1969) and There Goes the Bride (1973).
• Wrote for over 200 comedies in his career span, such as Fresh Fields (1984-6).
• His plays have been performed internationally, in Paris, Madrid, Sydney, and New York.