بیوگرافی
Born in West Bromwich, Staffordshire.
Parents: Alan Cooper, an electrical salesman, and Helen Cooper, a nurse.
Education: Attended Harefield Primary School (1955-60), Whitehall Junior School, Uxbridge (1960-62, taught by Mr. Dix), St Nicholas Grammar School in Northwood (1962-67), Altrincham Boys' Grammar School (1966-69), and Hull University (1969-72), where he studied English and Drama.
His career began at BBC Radio Humberside as a tea boy and general assistant under Ken Fossett, head of engineering. In 1973, Fossett helped him secure a staff position as Station Assistant at BBC Radio Merseyside. There, he produced a weekly radio program featuring short stories by local writers, including Alan Bleasdale. In 1973, he commissioned six radio plays, including Bleasdale's debut, marking the first series of radio dramas on British local radio.
In 1974, Gillian Reynolds invited him to join Liverpool's new independent station, Radio City. He produced Alan Bleasdale's weekly "Scully" series, shows by John Gorman and The Scaffold, a weekly arts program, and appeared several times on the "Clive B. Burrows 78 Spectacular Show."
In 1976, David Hatch brought him into the BBC Network Production Centre's Drama Department in Manchester, where he directed dramas for Radios 3 and 4.
Later that year, he worked as stage manager at the Victoria Theatre-In-The-Round in Stoke-On-Trent, designing sound for several Peter Cheesman productions.
In 1977, he became radio drama producer in Belfast, commissioning and directing works by many Irish writers, including Stewart Parker, Bill Morrison, Robin Glendinning, William Trevor, Neil Jordan, Jennifer Johnston, Graham Reid, and Brian Friel.
Returning to Manchester in 1984, he commissioned and directed pieces by Jimmy McGovern, John Arden, Tom Kilroy, Christopher Reason, Allan Berrie, and Anthony Minghella.
In 1988, he went back to Belfast as BBC Northern Ireland's TV drama producer, later becoming head of drama. He commissioned and produced TV dramas and films by British and Irish writers such as William Trevor, Frank McGuinness, Graham Reid, John McGahern, Ronan Bennett, Gary Mitchell, Pearse Elliott, Terry Cafolla, Barry Devlin, Tim Loane, Lizzie Mickery, Colin Bateman, and Anthony Minghella. Directors he worked with included Danny Boyle, Diarmuid Lawrence, Anthony Minghella, Pat O'Connor, and Michael Winterbottom. He also directed two TV films during this period.
In 2003, he co-founded Great Meadow Productions with his partner Kate Triggs. The company produced TV dramas for Channel 4 and the BBC covering topics like the Bradford Riots, Margaret Thatcher, Live Aid, P.G. Wodehouse, and Christine Keeler. They also created a new adaptation of "Room At The Top," which won the BAFTA Best Mini Series Award in 2012.
He has two daughters from his previous marriage to actress Jenny Howe: Zoe Cooper, Writer in Residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Emily Cooper, a drama teacher.
He currently resides in Norfolk with his wife, Kate Triggs.
