Sean is a BAFTA nominated and Emmy Award winning writer for television, film and theatre.
He is currently developing projects including a TV mini-series with Various Artists Limited and a play for young people for the National Theatre
Sean wrote feature length factual drama RESPONSIBLE CHILD which won Best TV Movie/Mini-Series, along with Best Actor, at the International Emmy Awards 2020. It was directed by Nick Holt and produced by Kudos with 72 Films for BBC2.
Sean was nominated for a BAFTA Breakthrough Talent TV Craft Award for writing RESPONSIBLE CHILD which was also nominated for a Single Drama BAFTA at the 2020 TV Awards.
‘An eloquent argument against a troubling law.’
‘A great script and a writer who knew that sometimes silence is the best dialogue.’
*****The Times.
Sean has created original series, including contemporary circus drama KINETIC, developed with Cirque du Soleil and grounded fantasy drama ROSE OF DYAPAZON, which featured on the Brit List.
He wrote and directed his first short POLAR BEAR for Inflammable films/Film 4, which premiered at the Galway Film Festival and was longlisted for a Bafta British short film award.
Sean adapted the Italian novel ‘Corpo Libero’ into the screenplay COMPETITION for Film 4, which also featured on the Brit List and he was short-listed for the Arts Foundation Screenwriting Fellowship Award.
Sean wrote episodes across three series of E4’s BAFTA winning SKINS, including the finale to series five and the season opener, introducing the third generation of characters.
‘Without question the drama highlight of the week. Don’t miss it.’ The Observer.
‘Fierce but tender, painfully accurate but spiked with flashes of whimsical magic.’ Radio Times.
‘Sean Buckley’s writing was fresh, funny and rather fearless.’ The Times.
His first episode of SKINS was ‘Freddie’ – ‘Head-spinning, tremendously open-hearted… a superb episode.’ Radio Times.
Sean was selected for COMING UP where he wrote his first screenplay FOREIGN JOHN. ****Critic’s Choice Time Out. It screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival before being broadcast on Channel 4 later that year.
His play SMITHEREENS was produced by Paines Plough / Rose Bruford at Soho Theatre. It was first commissioned by The Young Vic for their Genesis Director’s Project, where Sean worked with young directors from across the local community in Southwark.
Sean was awarded Pearson Writer-in-Residence with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He created a young people’s adaptation of RICHARD III for the Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon, as part of the RSC’s Complete Works Festival. He has also been writer-on-attachment at the National Theatre Studio.
BETWEEN DOG OF WOLF for Paines Plough was directed by Roxanna Silbert and opened at Oran Mor, Glasgow before transferring to Shunt Vaults, London.
‘A searing, expressionistic, fire-cracker of a play.’ ****Metro, ****Evening Herald.
‘The power of Buckley’s writing… he harnesses the thrilling power of theatre.’ ****The Scotsman.
GOD WEAR was written and performed by Sean at Trafalgar Studios 2 for Paines Plough’s LATER, curated by Dennis Kelly.
His first play MATCHES FOR MONKEYS was Joint Winner of the Verity Bargate Award and was produced at Chelsea Theatre, directed by Tessa walker.
‘Heartbreakingly hilarious. Even at it’s funniest, Matches for Monkeys reveals Buckley as a writer who deserves to be taken very seriously.’ The Times.
Sean was awarded BBC Radio Drama Writer-in-residence for his radio debut STONE BABY, which was broadcast on Radio 3’s The Wire.
‘Startlingly intimate and innovative’ Radio Times, Pick of the week.
‘Extraordinarily good. The combination of beauty and cruelty made this such a powerful piece.’ The Observer.
He has written further plays for RADIO 3 and 4, most recently CREATION, which kicked off a series of contemporary Mystery Plays;
‘My personal favourite, it will melt the coldest of hearts.’ Radio Times.
On graduating from Ecole Jaques Lecoq, with Quiconque Theatre, Sean co-created, scripted and performed in the Edinburgh festival fringe hit, BIG BAD DUVET TERROR.
‘I can’t imagine there’s going to better children’s show on the fringe this year. Take your children into this darkly comic world, and I promise, they will thank you for it.’ *****The Scotsman
Sean’s other stage plays include: THE LITTLE ARK, SOUTH OF NOD, STONE BABY (stage adaptation), FLESH AND FAUNA , A SQUARE INCH OF LIGHT, OCD SYMPHONY and THE JUDAS GOAT.
Sean was born in Balham, South London and studied drama at Ecole Jaques Lecoq, Paris.
