Drew Griffiths
Drew Griffiths (1947–1984) was a playwright.
He was born in Urmston, Lancashire. In 1953 his parents took over a pub, the Coach and Horses. His mother drank to excess and his father ignored him.,When he was 14 he was sent for aversion therapy. He went to Urmston Grammar School and when he left became letters editor for the weekly newspaper Reveille.[1]
In 1973 he moved to London and moved into a house in Balham with three friends who became the founding members of Gay Sweatshop. It was run as a collective and Drew was instrumental in getting women members in the group. He was a heavy drinker and smoker and contracted hepatitis B whilst on tour with the play As Time Goes By. afterwards he became erratic - he set fire to the house, compulsively bought clothes and then left for Paris to live as a tramp. He was expelled from Gay Sweatshop.[1]
He recovered and now started writing for radio and television. The stress of writing a daily soap opera led to another breakdown - he drank all day and would often burn his furniture in the garden. His friends tried in vain to get him hospitalizedt.[1]
He was murdered on 18th June 1984 by a man he had picked up in the Elephant and Castle.
