John O'Farrell (author)

John O'Farrell
Born (1962-03-27) 27 March 1962 (age 62)
Maidenhead, Berkshire, England
OccupationWriter
NationalityBritish/Irish
Alma materUniversity of Exeter
Period1986–present
GenreFiction, nonfiction

John O'Farrell (born 27 March 1962) is a British author, comedy scriptwriter, and political campaigner. Previously a lead writer for such shows as Spitting Image and Have I Got News for You, he is now best known as a comic author for such books such as The Man Who Forgot His Wife and An Utterly Impartial History of Britain. He is one of a small number of British writers to have achieved best-seller status with both fiction and nonfiction.[1] His books have been translated into around thirty languages and adapted for radio and television.[2]

O'Farrell co-wrote the musical Something Rotten!, which opened on Broadway in April 2015,[3] and co-wrote a Broadway musical of Mrs. Doubtfire which opened on Broadway in December 2021 and in London's West End in May 2023.[4] He wrote the musical Just For One Day based on the story of the 1985 benefit concert Live Aid which had its world premiere at The Old Vic in London on 13 February 2024.

  1. ^ "May Contain Nuts" interview BooksatTransworld.co.uk
  2. ^ "John O'Farrell". RCW Literary Agency. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  3. ^ "Breaking News - SOMETHING ROTTEN! to Skip Seattle and Open at the St. James Theatre in Spring 2015; Casey Nicholaw Set to Direct!". BroadwayWorld.com. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  4. ^ Gans, Andrew. "Jerry Zaks Will Direct Broadway-Aimed Musical Mrs. Doubtfire" Playbill, 28 August 2018