The world of British comedy and theatre has lost one of its influential, if sometimes unsung, figures. John Antrobus, the playwright and screenwriter famed for his collaboration with Spike Milligan on the surreal post-atomic play The Bed-Sitting Room, has died at the age of 92.
From Sandhurst to Shepherd's Bush: A Comedy Education
Antrobus's journey into the heart of postwar comedy was unconventional. Born in Woolwich, south-east London on 2 July 1933, he followed a path of nautical college and merchant navy service before officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In 1955, newly out of the army, the 21-year-old arrived at the legendary writers' cooperative Associated London Scripts, based above a greengrocer's in Shepherd's Bush.
Wearing a herringbone suit and from a military family, he found himself amidst a rebellious generation reshaping British humour. He quickly adapted, beginning his career scripting The Frankie Howerd Show for BBC radio alongside Johnny Speight. However, his most significant meeting was with the anarchic comic genius Spike Milligan.
The Milligan Partnership and The Bed-Sitting Room
"Spike took a fancy to my work and we got on well," Antrobus later recalled, describing Milligan as "very fatherly." This rapport led to Antrobus co-writing two episodes of the seminal The Goon Show in 1958. Despite offers to write more, Antrobus held to his ambition of becoming a playwright.
This ambition bore iconic fruit when Milligan, commissioned to write a satirical play, enlisted Antrobus's help to meet a deadline. The result was The Bed-Sitting Room, a surreal comedy set in a devastated London after a nuclear attack, where survivors believe they are turning into furniture and rooms. First staged as a one-act play in Canterbury in 1962, it was expanded and found success at London's Mermaid theatre in 1963, later transferring to the West End. The play was adapted into a feature film in 1969, with Antrobus writing the screenplay.
A Prolific Career Across Stage and Screen
Antrobus's CV was remarkably varied. He co-wrote the 1963 Peter Sellers film The Wrong Arm of the Law with Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and was later called to invent scenes for Sellers's final film, The Fiendish Plot of Dr Fu Manchu (1980). His solo television work included episodes of Sykes and a..., The Army Game, and Bootsie and Snudge.
True to his theatrical ambitions, he wrote several plays for the Royal Court in London, including Captain Oates' Left Sock (1969) and Crete and Sergeant Pepper (1972). Following the retirement of Alan Simpson, Antrobus collaborated with Galton on stage plays such as When Did You Last See Your Trousers? and a Steptoe & Son stage revival.
His career even bookended the Carry On franchise, providing additional material for both Carry On Sergeant (1958) and Carry On Columbus (1992). He documented his turbulent creative relationship with Milligan in his memoir, Surviving Spike Milligan (2002).
John Antrobus was married to Margaret McCormick from 1958 until their divorce in 1980; they had three children. He is survived by his partner of 35 years, Nicole Souchal, and his son, Daniel. He died on 15 December 2025, leaving behind a unique legacy of surreal humour that challenged establishments and explored the absurdities of the human condition.
