Alan Plater, although born in Jarrow, has spent much of his life in Yorkshire. He is a prolific writer for theatre, television and print, whose output has included Close the Coalhouse Door, Misterioso, Oliver's Travels, the 1980 adaptation of J.B. Priestley's The Good Companions for Yorkshire Television, Belonging, Peggy for You and Last of the Blonde Bombshells as well as scripts for Z Cars, Dalziel and Pascoe and the popular series Lewis (follow-up to Inspector Morse).

A truly great wordsmith and a captivating raconteur, Alan was awarded a CBE in 2004 for services to drama. His recent monologues on Radio 4 were amusing and brilliant, and to hear him speak in the Georgian Theatre Royal will be equally entertaining.

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