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Michael Frayn was born in London in 1933 and read Russian, French and Moral Sciences (Philosophy) at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He began his career as a journalist on the Manchester Guardian and the Observer. His award-winning plays include Alphabetical Order, Make and Break and Noises Off, all of which received Best Comedy of the Year awards, while Benefactors was named Best Play of the Year. Two of his more recent plays, Copenhagen and Democracy, also won numerous awards (including, for Copenhagen, the Tony in New York and the Prix Molière in Paris). In 2006 Donkeys' Years was revived in the West End thirty years after its premiere and was followed in 2007 by The Crimson Hotel, at the Donmar, and by Afterlife, at the National Theatre, in 2008. His most recent plays include Frayn has translated Chekhov's last four plays, dramatised a selection of his one-act plays and short stories under the title The Sneeze, and adapted his first, untitled play, as Wild Honey. Frayn's novels include Towards the End of the Morning (in the USA, Against Entropy), The Trick of It, A Landing on the Sun, Headlong and Spies. His most recent books were a work of philosophy, The Human Touch, and Stage Directions, a collection of his writing on the theatre.
The triumph of Frayn's translation/adaptation is to have taken all the bones of this immature work and moulded it to offer us a tantalising glimpse of the genius to come -- Lyn Gardner City Limits A brilliant piece of theatre bearing the stigmata of genius -- Michael Billington Guardian A tight, moving and funny new play in four beautifully organised acts that casts equal credit on Chekhov and his adaptor -- Michael Coveney Financial Times Michael Frayn has added a laughing lyricism that brings the elusive comedy of Chekhov into an English idiom -- Ned Chaillet Wall Street Journal One of the most enjoyable plays in London, and Frayn is a hero -- Clive Barnes New York Post Sparkling and highly performable ... The effect is of an old clock completely taken apart and given a new movement. It is still Chekhov, but it is also Frayn -- Michael Ratcliffe Observer
