The Buttershawe estate in Bradfords' most famous resident is Andrea Dunbar.
She wrote her first play The Arbor whilst still at school named after the road she grew up in Brafferton Arbor aged 15. The story of a young white girl who fell in love and falls pregnant to a young Pakistani lad in a raccist environment. This largely autobiographical work was picked up on by Max Stafford Clark, director of the Royal Court Theatre.
Dunbars brief flare of artistic brilliance brought her critical acclaim but little happiness. The success of 'The Arbor' brought her a further commission from The Royal Court; 'Rita, Sue and Bob too'. A story of a Bradford mans tryst with 2 teenage babysitters. The story was later filmed in situ on the estate however other writers were brought in to take out the grit and give a happy ending. Dunbar disowned the project. What was worse, she was ostracised from her community for portraying them in a bad light, threatened with violence and faced prosecution for claiming benefits whilst receiving royalties.
Depressed and dependent on alcohol she gave up writing. In 1990 she fell dead from a brain haemourage in her local pub aged 29.
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