George Layton`s   CV/ Biography
 
 
Acting Quick links-> TV work Theatre Work Film Photos
Writer Quick links-> for TV Work Film & Books Future plans

Location: Height: Weight:
London   5'7"  10st.
Hair Colour: Unions: Eye Colour:
Silver/Grey Equity    Hazel  
For further details, see below
Books by
George Layton
The Fib and Other Stories  by george layton
The Swap and Other Stories

 
 
   

 


George started in television whilst still at drama school in Wet Fish a play by John Arden directed by Peter Dews. He was in the original series of The Likely Lads as Mario , a role especially written for him by the writers Dick Clement & Ian La Fresnais. He continued in many television series including United! ( Jimmy Stokes ) a twice-weekly serial based around a soccer club in the swinging 60's and Swizzlewick ( Eustace Madden ) a satirical comedy about corruption in local government written (way ahead of its time) by Midlands writer David Turner.

He had leading guest roles in the ground-breaking Z Cars on three separate occasions during the 60's working with equally ground-breaking directors like Ken Loach.

He appeared in several prestigious television plays by formidable writers such as Dennis Potter ( Cpl. May in Lay Down Your Arms - directed by Christopher Morahan) and Giles Cooper ( Pte. Root in The Other Man - directed by Gordon Flemyng).

The big break that every actor needs came in 1969 when he auditioned for what was to be the hugely successful comedy series, Doctor In The House .

He was the last actor to be seen and the part he was reading for had already been cast. Fortunately the producer Humphrey Barclay changed his mind and the role of the amoral Dr Paul Collier became his for the next few years during which time George, together with Jonathan Lynn, became one of the leading writers of
Doctor In The House and ensuing series.

Since that time between theatre and film work George has rarely been off our television screens both as actor and writer often choosing to leave a series at the height of his popularity.


 
   

 
 

 



Listed below is some of his other television acting work.

E=mc2 ( M. de Breteuil ) Gary Johnstone Darlow Smithson Productions Ltd for Channel 4

HOLBY CITY ( Howard Martin ) David Jackson BBC TV

DOCTORS ( Alex Hanson ) Malcolm Walker BBC TV

SUNBURN ( Alan Brookes ) 2 series, various directors BBC TV

METROPOLIS ( Dr Maurice Jacobs ) Glen Willhide Granada

DOCTOR AT THE TOP ( Paul Collier ) Susan Belbin BBC TV

ROBIN'S NEST ( Vernon Potter ) Peter Fraser-Jones Thames

THAT'S LIFE ( Presenter ) Series various directors BBC TV

PASS THE BUCK ( Host ) Series various directors Thames

IT AIN'T HALF HOT, MUM ( Bombardier Solomons ) David Croft BBC TV

MINDER ( Des the Mechanic ) Series various directors Euston Films

THE SWEENEY ( 2 eps Ray Stackpole ) David Wick Euston Films

MY BROTHERS KEEPER ( Brian Booth ) 2 series Bill Podmore Granada

DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE

DOCTOR AT LARGE

DOCTOR IN CHARGE ( Paul Collier ) Series various directors LWT

DOCTOR WHO ( The Space Pirates - Navigator Penn Michael Hart BBC TV

THE SPOKEN WORD ( Thirty Minute Theatre ) Mary Ridge BBC TV

THE LIVER BIRDS (Joe ) Sydney Lotterby BBC TV

THE BLACK DOCTOR ( Sherlock Holmes Series ) Mary Ridge BBC TV

SLING YOUR HOOK (Pete - Wednesday Play ) Michael Tuchner BBC TV

LEN AND THE RIVER MOB ( Len Tanner ) Andree Molyneux BBC TV
 

 
 

 

WEST END :

CHICAGO ( Amos Hart ' Mr Cellophane' ) Walter Bobbie Scott Faris

Nigel West Adelphi Theatre

OLIVER ! ( Fagin ) Sam Mendes

Producer Cameron Mackintosh London Palladium

OLIVER ! ( Fagin ) Peter Coe

Producer Cameron Mackintosh Albery Theatre

NEW YORK :

CHIPS WITH EVERYTHING John Dexter

Producers Bob Swash Plymouth Theatre

Morton Gottlieb Booth Theatre

AUSTRALIA :

FUNNY PECULIAR (Trevor Tinsley ) Jeffrey Campbell Theatre Royal, Sydney

Producer Kenn Brodziak ComedyTheatre,,Melbourne

OFF WEST END :

OF BLESSED MEMORY (Aaron Greenwald ) Gordon Greenberg

Producer Elliot Davis King's Head Theatre

BILLY LIAR (Geoffrey Fisher ) Alex Walker

Producers Julius Green

Ian Lenagan King's Head Theatre

MORE LIES ABOUT JERZY (Jerzy ) Guy Retallack

Producer Richard Alleman New End Theatre



WORDS & MUSIC (Narrator ) Tony Britten Barbican

BEDROOM FARCE (Ernest ) Mark Piper

Producer Bill Kenwright National Tour

COMEDIANS (Bert Challenor ) Sean Holmes

Producer Oxford Stage Co. National Tour

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING
(J. Pierpoint Finch - 'Ponty
) Ian Watts New Theatre Bromley

CHAPTER TWO (Leo Schneider ) Peter James Lyric, Hammersmith

HUMPTY DUMPTY - PANTOMIME (Dame ) Tony Craven Shaw Theatre, London

A TOUCH OF SPRING

(Baldasare Pantaleone) Producer Cameron Mackintosh National Tour

DONKEY'S YEARS (Kenneth Snell ) James Roose Evans National Tour

THE ODD COUPLE (Felix Unger ) Hugh Goldie Theatre Royal Windsor

THE KNACK (Tolen ) Theatre Royal Windsor

GREAT EXPECTATIONS (Pip ) Michael Ashton Mercury Theatre Colchester

TWELFTH NIGHT (Feste ) Roger Jenkins Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE (Lavrenti ) Trevor Nunn Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

THE KEEP (Ossie) Trevor Nunn Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

SIR THOMAS MOORE (Clown) Frank Dunlop Nottingham Playhouse

 
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Listed below is some of his film work .

DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART (Max ) director Willie Patterson

producer Bill Kenwright

HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH (Gordon ) director Clive Donner

producer Larry Kramer

STAND UP VIRGIN SOLDIERS (Private 'Jakey' Jacobs) director Norman Cohen

producer Gregg Smith

CARRY ON BEHIND (Doctor ) director Gerald Thomas

producer Peter Rogers

MOSQUITO SQUADRON (Pilot Officer ) director Boris Sagal

producer Mirisch Bros.

 
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George began writing when he was at drama school and sold one of his early short stories to BBC Radio which he read on Morning Story resulting in a commission to write further stories for the BBC’s Woman’s Hour serial slot.

He was delighted to be asked by Michael Morpurgo to be one of the contributing authors to his forthcoming anthology to be published later this year to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the end of the second world war, STORIES OF WAR AND CONFLICT.

George is in frequent demand in Britain and abroad as a visiting author to schools, colleges and universities and for his one-man show THE PIGEON AND ME based on two of the stories from his second book.

George is best known as an award-winning writer of television comedy although his first play written in 1969, for BBC 2's Thirty Minute Theatre, HOME IS WHERE YOU HANG YOUR HAT starring Clive Revill and produced by Innes Lloyd, was a relatively dark piece.

He created and wrote two award-winning comedy series, DON'T WAIT UP starring Nigel Havers and Tony Britton and EXECUTIVE STRESS starring Penelope Keith.

 
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DON'T WAIT UP (6 series) Winner of TRIC Award for best comedy 1990 BBC TV

EXECUTIVE STRESS (3 series) Winner of TV Times Best Actress Award Thames

DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE

DOCTOR AT LARGE

DOCTOR IN CHARGE

DOCTOR ON THE GO

DOCTOR AT SEA LWT

(George Layton sometimes wrote under the name Oliver Fry)

MY BROTHER'S KEEPER Granada

ON THE BUSES LWT

MY NAME IS HARRY WORTH Thames

ME AND MY GIRL LWT

 
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Films

BOOCOCK, THE PIGEON AND ME Prominent Features/By George! Productions

CARRY ON AGAIN, NURSE Peter Rogers

Books

THE SWAP AND OTHER STORIES (Macmillan)

THE FIB AND OTHER STORIES (Macmillan Publishers) This bestselling collection of funny, bittersweet and sometimes disturbing stories about growing up in the 50’s has to date has sold over a quarter of a million copies.

THE FIB AND OTHER STORIES (Macmillan)

THE SWAP AND OTHER STORIES, a prequel, was published to great acclaim in 1998 and is to be made into a film. Both books have been published in several countries including France, Italy, Scandinavia and the USA where THE SWAP AND OTHER STORIES (G P Putnam) has been named by the New York City Library in the top hundred books. He is currently writing a third book which will complete the trilogy.


"THE SWAP and other stories" are available on audio CD
read by George Layton

£13.60 inc of P&P


 

 
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Written work: Future Plans

 

BOOCOCK, THE PIGEON AND ME

A screenplay based on George Layton's own book.

Producer Steve Abbott

Director George Layton

Filming 2005

THE BOYS

Comedy drama television series

THE BOYS

A novel based on the television series

THE PROMISE AND OTHER STORIES (Working title- Macmillan)

The final book in George Layton's trilogy about a self-proclaimed coward growing up in the 50's

 

 
 

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