John Fletcher

John Fletcher was a playwright active in the early 17th century.

While William Shakespeare struggled with ideas for his play The Tempest he acknowledged in his notes that he could be "getting too old for this game" and running out of ideas, and strongly considered enlisting "young Johnny Fletcher" as a co-writer. Ultimately, however, this was not necessary as the Tenth Doctor provided assistance in the form of Forbidden Planet. (PROSE: The Tempest – A Work in Progress)

Fletcher would later collaborate with Shakespeare on the lost play Cardenio. In 1967, Hugo Faulkner recognised the handwriting of both Fletcher and Shakespeare on the sole surviving copy. (PROSE: Trace Memory)

Behind the scenes
Although not mentioned in any in-universe source referring to the play, Fletcher also co-wrote Henry VIII with Shakespeare.