Louis Marriott (22 May 1935 – 1 August 2016) was a Jamaican actor, director, writer, broadcaster,^[1] the executive officer of the Michael Manley Foundation, and member of the Performing Right Society,^[2] Jamaica Federation of Musicians, and founding member of the Jamaica Association of Dramatic Artists.^[3]

Marriott was born on the Old Pound Road, Saint Andrew, Jamaica, the son of Egbert Marriott and Edna Irene Thompson-Marriott. He was educated at Jamaica College. He died in Kingston at the age of 81 on 1 August 2016.

Career

• Government public relations officer - late 1950s^[4]
• Editor, public opinion 1960–62^[5]
• Assistant public relations officer – Ninth Central American and Caribbean Games (Kingston) 1962
• Press officer – first anniversary Jamaica Independence Festival 1963
• Deputy editor of publications – Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) General Council (London) 1965-70 (lectured widely in Britain on Commonwealth and Caribbean affairs 1965–72. Was consultant-advisor for several C.P.A. conferences in the Caribbean and West Africa 1967–70)
• BBC radio writer and producer 1970–71^[6][7]
• Director Jamaica Independence Festival (London) 1972
• Press secretary to Prime Minister of Jamaica 1973 and 1979–80^[8]
• Assistant director – National Literacy Programme Communications 1973–74
• Director-general Information Incorporated 1974–76
• Chief organizer – Food and Drink '75 Exhibition (National Arena) July 1975
• Director publications and advertising Agency for Public Information 1976–79
• Freelance writer 1980–present - for CFNI, PAHO, WHO, Jamaica Gleaner, among several national and international bodies, and writer, director, and producer of several stage productions
• Executive officer - Michael Manley Foundation, 2000–present^[9]

Theatre

Marriott wrote and directed for stage, and acted^{[10][11][12][13][14][15][16]}

• Public Mischief (1957)
• The Shepherd (1960)
• Phineas McUmbridge (1961)
• The Baiting of Reuben (1963)
• A Pack of Jokers (1978)^[17]
• More Jokers (1980)
• The New Jokers (1981)^[17]
• Playboy (1981)^[18][19]
• Pressure (1982)^[20]
• Office Chase (1982)^[20]
• How to Make Money (1983)
• Singer Man (1984)
• Bedward (1984, 2004) (reprisal of The Shepherd)^[21][22]
• Women (1984)
• Lovey (1985)
• Over the Years (1985, 2010)^[23][24]
• One Stop Driver (1988) (co-written with Alvin Campbell)
• Last of the Jokers (1988) (co-written with Alvin Campbell, Lavinia Marriott and Karen Marriott)
• The Adventure of Charlie Greenhorne (1991)
• Funny Biz Niz (1992)
• Life in Jamaica (1998)^[17]
• Rosie (1999)
• The Year 2000 (2000)

Marriott wrote several books^[20] including:

• Gold Rush – Jamaican Style – Jamaica in World Athletics 1948–92 (1992) (co-written with Alvin Campbell)
• Who's Who and What's What in Jamaican Arts and Entertainment (1995)^[25][26]

Journalism

Marriott authored syndicated articles appearing in some 200 English-language newspapers and magazines throughout the world. He was a regular guest writer in several Jamaican newspaper publications.^[27][28] He wrote and produced numerous radio and television plays and documentary broadcast programmes and films in both Jamaica and Britain. He wrote The University of Brixton^[6] radio drama series for BBC English Radio 1970–71. He wrote several public education radio series for the CFNI (Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute) during his freelance years.

Filmography

• Dr. No (1962) - Dragon Guard (uncredited)