In the novel, the philosophy of Stradhoughton's stoic survivors is summed up by a pub singer: "Now I think that life is merry, / And I think that life is fun, / A short life and a happy one, / Is my rule number one, / I laugh when it is raining, / I laugh when it is fine, / You may think that I am foolish, / But laughter is my line …" The semi-comical story is about William Fisher, a working-class 19-year-old living with his parents in the fictional town of Stradhoughton in Yorkshire. Bored by his job as a lowly clerk for an undertaker, Billy spends his time indulging in fantasies and dreams of life in the big city as a comedy writer.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Waterhouse wrote a sequel, but I ask Meloy what he thinks would have happened to the Billy in the play, a young man full of fire and vigour and ambition, yet too scared to get on a train. "How would Billy Liar have turned out?" Meloy laughs and thinks a while. "Well," he say, "I guess he would have turned out like the punk movement . . . you know, it kind of fizzled out."British cinema's exclusion of the young, skint and state educated is a national shame | Danny Leigh". TheGuardian.com. 8 September 2018. In February 2004, he was voted Britain's most admired contemporary columnist by the British Journalism Review.

Although his only other Top 20 hit was Hold on to Love in 1975, Skellern was now set on a career of live shows and broadcasts. For several years in the 70s he was a regular on the Radio 4 show Stop the Week, for which he wrote and performed topical songs. There were also television series, including Happy Endings (1982), which took the form of six mini-musicals. Billy also finds himself attracted to his former girlfriend Liz ( Julie Christie), who has just returned to town from Doncaster. Liz is a free spirit who, unlike anyone else in town, understands and accepts Billy's imagination. However, she has more courage and confidence than Billy, as shown by her willingness to leave her home town and enjoy new and different experiences. Under pressure, Billy ends up making dates with both Barbara and Rita to meet each one on the same night at the same local ballroom. There, the two girls discover the double engagement and begin fighting with each other. All of Billy's lies seem to catch up with him as it's announced publicly that he is moving to London to work with Danny Boon, and Billy's friend scolds him for lying to his mother. Furthermore, the writers decided to remove several important characters from the story. Billy's work colleagues, Arthur and Stamp, do not appear in the series and two of his love interests, Rita and Liz, also do not feature. The film marked the breakthrough role of Julie Christie, who was nominated for a BAFTA award for her performance as Liz. The film was also nominated for another five BAFTAs. [7] Holloway, Daniel (30 September 2016). "Sundance TV, ITV Partner for 'Liar' Starring Joanne Froggatt, Ioan Gruffudd". Variety.

A wander

Keith Waterhouse was born in Hunslet, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. He performed two years of national service in the Royal Air Force.