Philip Ridley

Philip Ridley
Born
Bethnal Green, England
NationalityBritish
Alma materSt Martins School of Art
Occupation(s)Writer, artist, film-maker

Philip Ridley[1] is an English storyteller working in a wide range of artistic media.

As a visual artist he has been cited as a contemporary of the Young British Artists,[2][3] and had his artwork exhibited internationally.[4]

He has written novels for an adult audience but has found more success and recognition as a children's author.[5]

In film, he is perhaps best known for his award-winning screenplay for the 1990 film, The Krays (1990), a biopic about the Kray twins which was directed by Peter Medak.[6] As a filmmaker in his own right he created a loose trilogy of horror films: The Reflecting Skin (1990), The Passion of Darkly Noon (1995) and Heartless (2009)[7] for which he has acquired a cult following.[8][9]

As a playwright he has been described as "a pioneer of In-yer-face theatre",[10] which is a style and sensibility of drama that characterised many new plays that were performed in Britain during the 1990s.[11] Ridley's debut play, The Pitchfork Disney (1991), is considered by many to be a seminal work that influenced the development of this form of theatre,[12][13] with one critic even dubbing it "the key play" of the 1990s.[14] A great number of his plays for adults have been perceived as controversial, being met with both condemnation and high acclaim upon their initial reception. As a writer for the stage he is also recognised for creating an ongoing series of plays for young people (The Storyteller Sequence) and has written theatrical works for children and family audiences.[15]

As a songwriter he has created songs for his films and plays, frequently collaborating with composer Nick Bicât.[16] He and Bicât have also formed a music group called Dreamskin Cradle with singer Mary Leay.[17] Ridley has also written songs for composer Anna Meredith, particularly operatic work.[18]

Ridley is also a poet, photographer, and performance artist and has written drama for radio.[19]

Ridley dislikes his work being categorised by the medium in which it is told, often referring to them belonging to each other as "different peaks of the same mountain."[20][21]

  1. ^ "Philip Ridley". Doollee: The Playwrights Database. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  2. ^ Eyre, Hermione (18 September 2011). "Philip Ridley: The savage prophet". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  3. ^ Rebellato, Dan (19 April 2011). "The dark, disturbing genius of Philip Ridley". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference bloomsbury.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Hunt, George (March 1994). "Authorgraph No.85: Philip Ridley". Books for Keeps. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  6. ^ "The Krays". Bloomsbury Publishing. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  7. ^ Hatfull, Jonathan (27 November 2015). "The Reflecting Skin is 'Not Little House on the Prairie!'". SciFi Now. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  8. ^ Dance, Michael (2 April 2010). "'Heartless' Trailer: Coming of Age in London, with Demons". Movie Cultists. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  9. ^ "Philip Ridley on his Demons". Film London. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  10. ^ Sierz, Aleks (24 May 2012). Modern British Playwriting: The 1990s: Voices, Documents, New Interpretations. Great Britain: Methuen Drama. p. 111. ISBN 9781408181331.
  11. ^ Sierz, Aleks (2001). In-Yer-Face Theatre: British Drama Today. London: Faber and Faber Limited. ISBN 978-0-571-20049-8. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  12. ^ "Philip Ridley On ... Revisiting The Pitchfork Disney". WhatsOnStage.com. London. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  13. ^ Bethold, David (19 August 2012). "On Philip Ridley and Tender Napalm". Carved in Snow blogspot. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  14. ^ Ridley, Philip (21 October 2015). "Introduction by Aleks Sierz". The Pitchfork Disney. London, Great Britain: Methuen Drama. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-4725-1400-4.
  15. ^ "The Storyteller Sequence". Bloomsbury Publishing. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  16. ^ Schultz, Ian (24 December 2015). "The Reflecting Skin - Philip Ridley interview". The Peoples Movies. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  17. ^ "Dreamskin Cradle Launched". NickBicât.com. 12 August 2010. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  18. ^ "Video/Worklist". Anna Meridith.com. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  19. ^ Rebellato, Dan (17 October 2011). The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary British Playwrights. Great Britain: Methuen Drama. p. 425. ISBN 978-1-40812-278-5.
  20. ^ Janisse, Kier-La (14 July 2010). "Reflecting Skin director Philip Ridley returns with horror stunner HEARTLESS". Fantasia Festival. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  21. ^ Parton, Russell (6 March 2015). "Philip Ridley: 'You cannot predict what's going to cause outrage'". East End Review. Retrieved 20 May 2016.