Al Smith
Writer
Agent
Assistant
Biography
Al Smith is a prolific writer for stage, radio and television.
His original series for BBC Radio 4, LIFE LINES, is now in its eighth iteration, and has won numerous prizes, including the Gold Award for Best Fictional Storytelling at the 2017 Radio Academy Awards and Best Original Series at the 2020 BBC Audio Drama Awards.
As a playwright, Al was nominated for the Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright for his play Harrogate, which begun its life at HighTide Festival and transferred to the Royal Court. New work includes a commission with the Rose Theatre, and a play for the National Theatre.
Al is also a frequent TV writer. He is a graduate of the BBC Writers Academy and early in his career won the BFI Wellcome Trust Screenwriting Prize.
Credits
In Development
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CANDOUR | BBC Radio 4 |
Commission |
| LIFE LINES: SERIES 9 | BBC Radio 4 |
Commission |
| SYCAMORE GAP | National Theatre |
Commission |
| UNTITLED | Rose Theatre |
Commission |
| LIFE IN THE FREEZER | English Touring Theatre |
Commission |
| UNTITLED | Traverse Theatre |
Commission |
| SLOAN COMMISSION | Manhattan Theatre Club |
Commission |
Theatre
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
RARE EARTH METTLE 2021 |
The Royal Court |
Dir. Hamish Pirie. Published by Methuen / Bloomsbury. |
|
RADIO 2019 |
Arcola Theatre, Produced by Audible |
Dir. Josh Roche. ★★★★ “a dream voyage to the moon and back” The Guardian. |
|
HARROGATE 2016 |
The Royal Court |
Nominated for Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright at the 2017 Evening Standard Theatre Awards. ★★★★ “an echo chamber of recurring, beautifully deployed details” The Independent. ★★★★ “dark, tender drama defies interpretation” The Telegraph. |
| DIARY OF A MADMAN | Gate Theatre |
The Traverse Theatre Edinburgh and The Gate Theatre, London. ★★★★★ “I have seen no other play that takes on the themes of our own brave new dysfunctional world so successfully as Al Smith’s work” The Times. |
|
HARROGATE 2015 |
HighTide Festival |
“ventures into Pinteresque territory.” ★★★★ The Guardian |
|
SPORT 2013 |
Finborough Theatre |
Rehearsed Reading, Dir. Bethan Dear |
|
HARROGATE 2013 |
HighTide |
Rehearsed Reading, |
|
THE BIRD 2008 |
Underbelly / Arcola |
Dir. James Yeatman |
|
MAYFLY 2006 |
Old Vic New Voices 24 Hour Plays |
Dir. Michael Longhurst |
|
THE ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB 2006 |
Soho Theatre |
Dir. Richard Wilson |
|
RADIO 2006 |
Underbelly / 59E59 NYC |
Dir. James Yeatman. Winner of the Sunday Times Playwriting Award at the NSDF. |
|
ENOLA 2005 |
Underbelly / Arches |
Dir. Al Smith, Winner of the |
Radio
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
LIFE LINES: SERIES 8 2025 |
BBC Radio 4 |
Dir. Sally Avens |
|
THE DEFECTORS 2025 |
BBC Radio 3 |
Drama on 3 |
|
LIFE LINES: SERIES 7 2024 |
BBC Radio 4 |
2025 BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Series – Life Line’s fourth win |
|
ALL BLEEDING STOPS EVENTUALLY 2023 |
BBC Radio 4 |
Dir: Sally Avens |
|
LIFE LINES: SERIES 6 2022 |
Radio 4 |
Dir: Sally Avens |
|
LIFE LINES: SERIES 5 2021 |
BBC Radio 4 |
Won Best Series at the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2022 |
|
SNEAKERNOMICS 2021 |
BBC Radio 4 |
9 x 45” drama doc. TX 2021 |
|
THE MARGINS 2021 |
BBC Radio 4 |
Original 60” radio play. Produced by Sally Avens. |
|
LIFE LINES: SERIES 4 2020 |
BBC Radio 4 |
New series of award winning radio drama |
|
LIFE LINES: SERIES 3 2019 |
BBC Radio 4 | |
|
FIRST DO NO HARM 2019 |
BBC Radio 4 |
Bronze ARIA award 2020 for Best Fictional Storytelling |
|
LIFE LINES: SERIES 2 2019 |
BBC Radio 4 |
Won Best Series at the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2020 |
|
CULTURE 2017 |
BBC Radio 4 |
Commission |
|
LIFE LINES 2016 |
BBC Radio 4 |
Gold for Best Fictional Storytelling at the 2017 Radio Academy Awards & Best Series at the 2017 BBC Audio Drama Awards |
|
EVERYMAN 2016 |
BBC Radio 3 |
Co-writer |
|
DUCHAMPS URINAL 2015 |
BBC Radio 4 |
Co-writer Ben Street |
|
EVERYDAY TIME MACHINES 2014 |
BBC Radio 3 |
90″ single |
|
LIFE IN THE FREEZER 2013 |
BBC Radio 4 |
Dir. Sally Avens |
|
THE POSTMAN OF GOOD HOPE 2009 |
BBC Radio 4 |
Dir. Sally Avens |
|
RADIO 2007 |
BBC Radio 4 |
Dir. Lu Kemp |
|
OK COMPUTER 2007 |
BBC Radio 4 |
Co-writer. Dir. Lu Kemp |
Television
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
CASUALTY 2025 |
BBC |
Series 39, Episode 26 |
|
CASUALTY 2024 |
BBC |
Series 38, Episode 24 |
|
CASUALTY 2023 |
BBC |
Series 37, Episode 39 |
|
EASTENDERS 2019 |
Episode 5783 (Re-write) |
|
|
EASTENDERS 2019 |
BBC |
Episode 5787 (Re-write) |
|
EASTENDERS 2019 |
Episode 5781 (Re-write) |
|
|
FATHER BROWN 2016 |
BBC |
Episode 9 THE SINS OF THE FATHER |
|
SHAKESPEARE LIVE 2015 |
BBC/RSC |
Dir: Greg Doran |
|
THE CORONER 2015 |
BBC |
Episode 2 HOW TO CATCH A LOBSTER |
|
AFRICA 2013 |
BBC / Discovery / France2 |
TV feature |
|
AFRICA 2013 |
BBC / Discovery |
Script editor, 5 episodes |
|
THE CUT 2011 |
BBC |
Exec producer & writer on 3 series (40 episodes) |
|
EASTENDERS 2009 |
BBC |
3 episodes |
|
HOLBY CITY 2008 |
BBC |
5 episodes |
|
DOCTORS 2006 |
BBC |
1 episode |
|
CASUALTY 2006 |
BBC |
1 episode |
