Neil Simon's professional biography glitters. In his twenties, he was writing scripts for American television's leading comics - Sid Caesar, Phil Silvers, Jackie Gleason - winning several Emmy Awards. Turning to theatre, he scored immediate Broadway successes with Come Blow Your Horn (1961) and then Barefoot in the Park (1963), which ran for over three years. He has written over thirty plays, including several musicals. In 1966-67, he had four productions running simultaneously in New York.

He won Tony awards for Best Play of the Year awards in 1965 (The Odd Couple) and in 1985 (Biloxi Blues), and the New York Drama Critics Circle award in 1983 (Brighton Beach Memoirs). In 1991, he received both the Tony and the Pulitzer Prize for Lost in Yonkers. Meanwhile, he adapted several of his plays for Hollywood movies, and also penned original screenplays, earning many Academy Award nominations for himself and various cast members. In 1985, a major Broadway theatre was renamed the 'Neil Simon', the ultimate accolade. In many respects, Simon is the most successful playwright in American theatre history.

His personal biography is darker. It is reflected, though not literally narrated, in several of his plays. Born in 1927, he was brought up in New York during the Depression (Brighton Beach Memoirs) in an unhappy home. His father frequently abandoned his family; Neil and his brother were often parked with reluctant relatives (Lost in Yonkers). After army service in World War 2 (Biloxi Blues), he began writing for television (Laughter on the 23rd Floor).