'The Elephant Man' playwright Bernard Pomerance dies at 76

Los Angeles [USA], August 30 (ANI): Bernard Pomerance, who wrote the 1979 Tony award-winning theatre production 'The Elephant Man,' has died. He was 76.

His longtime agent Alan Brodie announced the news of his demise. The renowned playwright died Saturday of complications from cancer at his home in Galisteo, N,M., according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Born in Brooklyn, Pomerance studied at the University of Chicago before moving to London in 1968.

His first play, High in Vietnam, Hot Damn, was directed by Roland Rees, and they (along with David Aukin) launched Foco Novo in 1972.

Pomerance wrote 'The Elephant Ma'n for his theater company, Foco Novo, and it became one of the most successful plays to ever come out of London.

Set in the Victorian era, it opened in April 1979 on Broadway at the Booth Theatre and went on to play 916 performances and capture the Tony Award for best play.

'The Elephant Man', also was a 1980 film that garnered eight Oscar nominations, starred John Hurt as Merrick and was directed by David Lynch and produced by Mel Brooks.

At the time of his death, Pomerance was preparing new productions of his plays Miranda and Spinoff.

Survivors include his children, Moby and Eve, grandchildren William and Gabriel, and brother, Michael. His wife, Evelyn, died in 2015. (ANI)

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