Shaun Duggan with Morrissey letter and photos- Segment in The People’s History of LGBTQ Britain

Watching the second episode of Prejudice and Pride: A People’s History of LGBTQ Britain (originally broadcast in 2017, but available again for 22 days on iPlayer), was pleasantly surprised to find an extensive segment on the writer Shaun Duggan and his connection to Morrissey.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episo...s-history-of-lgbtq-britain-series-1-episode-2 (from about 34 mins)

Couldn’t find any mention of this online previously, so thought it was worth a thread of its own for some positive content. In Shaun’s own words- “Getting into the Smiths, Morrissey’s lyrics, it’s almost like this person you’ve never met is singing about your life. Instantly, you feel less lonely. I decided to write a play based on one of their songs. I took the song, William, It Was Really Nothing, invented characters around the lyrics, and wrote this short play. And then it was shortlisted, eventually, it was put on at the Royal Court in London. Morrissey got to hear about it, and a letter dropped on the doormat in my old house hat was actually just the beginning of a friendship, and getting to know him”


Also includes some photos-



“This was my idol, my icon. This is the person who gave me hope, who inspired me to write, who made me feel less alone where I lived, just through the sheer power of his music. To me, it didn’t really matter what anybody else thought. Morrissey liked what I wrote, that was the main thing.”
 
Thank you for this.
I remember being quite jealous of him interviewing Moz on The Tube.
I'm glad he carried on writing as he's had good success with it.
Here's a bit about Morrissey's impact on him (cut from The Guardian article in 2011):

Shaun-Duggan-007.jpg


"Shaun Duggan:
writer, Liverpool

"It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he changed my life," Shaun Duggan says of Morrissey. Growing up on the Norris Green council estate in Liverpool, Duggan, who is now 41, was bullied at home and at school – "I was probably just a bit too sensitive and effeminate for my own good" – and he found solace in the Smiths, particularly in their first couple of albums, when he was 14 or 15. "It just got me at the right time really, when you're at that age when you don't know who or what you are."

Duggan had always wanted to be a writer and within a year of his first encounter with the Smiths he had written a play called William, after "William It Was Really Nothing". In 1986, when he was 16, it won a competition at the Royal Court's Young Writers' festival and was staged at the theatre theatre. The play's success, which Duggan saw as "the only possible escape route", led to introductions to Morrissey and the band and ultimately to friendship. The first time they met was at London's Brixton Academy in 1986, at what was to be the Smiths' last live performance. "I remember at one point being the only person in the whole auditorium with the Smiths live on stage running through their songs. It was very surreal."

The play wasn't all good news: when it was performed, the bullying escalated and bricks were thrown through Duggan's window. He was placed under police protection. Throughout, Morrissey would write him letters, encouraging him in his writing. "I remember one in particular where he said, 'As they're hammering nails into your kidneys, you hereby earn your qualifications to write.'"

Now Duggan writes mainly for television: his credits include Brookside (for which Morrissey shared his enthusiasm, even making a cameo in the spin-off Brookside South mini-series) and EastEnders, and he is working with Jimmy McGovern on an episode of Accused for the BBC. He grows gladioli in his garden as a tribute to the band that has had so much impact on his life. RB"

Regards,
FWD.
 
wonder what hes doing now.
 
Great story. I remember Shaun well from his old interview with Moz back in the haties. Lovely guy.
 
Watching the second episode of Prejudice and Pride: A People’s History of LGBTQ Britain (originally broadcast in 2017, but available again for 22 days on iPlayer), was pleasantly surprised to find an extensive segment on the writer Shaun Duggan and his connection to Morrissey.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episo...s-history-of-lgbtq-britain-series-1-episode-2 (from about 34 mins)

Couldn’t find any mention of this online previously, so thought it was worth a thread of its own for some positive content. In Shaun’s own words- “Getting into the Smiths, Morrissey’s lyrics, it’s almost like this person you’ve never met is singing about your life. Instantly, you feel less lonely. I decided to write a play based on one of their songs. I took the song, William, It Was Really Nothing, invented characters around the lyrics, and wrote this short play. And then it was shortlisted, eventually, it was put on at the Royal Court in London. Morrissey got to hear about it, and a letter dropped on the doormat in my old house hat was actually just the beginning of a friendship, and getting to know him”


Also includes some photos-



“This was my idol, my icon. This is the person who gave me hope, who inspired me to write, who made me feel less alone where I lived, just through the sheer power of his music. To me, it didn’t really matter what anybody else thought. Morrissey liked what I wrote, that was the main thing.”
It's a very inspiring story and the photos are a lovely illustration.
"Being honest may not get you many friends, but it will always get you the right ones".
 
The halcyon days before the continuing racist shitstorms. Remember when Morrissey was revered and reviled in equal measure for his music? Now he's mostly reviled for his racist associations. If only we could go back and steer him onto the path to sanity.
 
Shaun had a true and natural talent for writin' and used The Smiths music as a inspiration.
Moz gave some invigoratin' optimism so the ne'er-do-well's didn't muck up Shaun's creative aspirations.
Shaun kept on writin' and even wrote some TV shows with titles like "Son & Heir", "End Of The Line" and "Lost".
 
LGBTQ ???????? HA HA HA HA HA HA treats his significant other like an anonymous service dog in public.HARDLY someone to look up to oh yeah and your less than female empowering comments/lyrics suck too. Some women probably have bigger balls.Grow some.Take responsibility and stop embarrassing your significant others in public nothing says ego problem like this behavior.Remembers an interview where he acted like date?What is that? then on February 14th which is Valentine's Day someone had a photo of him with Tina at a concert. RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHT you really have to be dumb to believe in anything this dude says
 
Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for this.
I remember being quite jealous of him interviewing Moz on The Tube.
I'm glad he carried on writing as he's had good success with it.
Here's a bit about Morrissey's impact on him (cut from The Guardian article in 2011):

View attachment 50722

"Shaun Duggan:
writer, Liverpool

"It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he changed my life," Shaun Duggan says of Morrissey. Growing up on the Norris Green council estate in Liverpool, Duggan, who is now 41, was bullied at home and at school – "I was probably just a bit too sensitive and effeminate for my own good" – and he found solace in the Smiths, particularly in their first couple of albums, when he was 14 or 15. "It just got me at the right time really, when you're at that age when you don't know who or what you are."

Duggan had always wanted to be a writer and within a year of his first encounter with the Smiths he had written a play called William, after "William It Was Really Nothing". In 1986, when he was 16, it won a competition at the Royal Court's Young Writers' festival and was staged at the theatre theatre. The play's success, which Duggan saw as "the only possible escape route", led to introductions to Morrissey and the band and ultimately to friendship. The first time they met was at London's Brixton Academy in 1986, at what was to be the Smiths' last live performance. "I remember at one point being the only person in the whole auditorium with the Smiths live on stage running through their songs. It was very surreal."

The play wasn't all good news: when it was performed, the bullying escalated and bricks were thrown through Duggan's window. He was placed under police protection. Throughout, Morrissey would write him letters, encouraging him in his writing. "I remember one in particular where he said, 'As they're hammering nails into your kidneys, you hereby earn your qualifications to write.'"

Now Duggan writes mainly for television: his credits include Brookside (for which Morrissey shared his enthusiasm, even making a cameo in the spin-off Brookside South mini-series) and EastEnders, and he is working with Jimmy McGovern on an episode of Accused for the BBC. He grows gladioli in his garden as a tribute to the band that has had so much impact on his life. RB"

Regards,
FWD.
 
LGBTQ ???????? HA HA HA HA HA HA treats his significant other like an anonymous service dog in public.HARDLY someone to look up to oh yeah and your less than female empowering comments/lyrics suck too. Some women probably have bigger balls.Grow some.Take responsibility and stop embarrassing your significant others in public nothing says ego problem like this behavior.Remembers an interview where he acted like date?What is that? then on February 14th which is Valentine's Day someone had a photo of him with Tina at a concert. RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHT you really have to be dumb to believe in anything this dude says

Who are you, do you know Steven, is he with Tina, do you speak greek?
 
Are you Pinelopi? Where’s Pinelopi?

Anyway, that’s for Pinelopi. I should have told you that in 2013 when he released that book. That bastard doesn’t deserve you and he never deserved you. I’m sure you are much better than him and I hope you already forgot about him. Yeah, that’s it for now.
 

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