
The Playwrights Database
PHILIP RIDLEY (1964 - )
Nationality:
English
email:
n/a
Website:
n/a
Literary Agent:
Knight Hall Agency Ltd represented by Charlotte Knight
Philip Ridley was born in the East End of London and studied Fine Art at St Martin's School of Art. As a writer his credits include nine children's novels - including Krindlekrax (1991), winner of the Smarties Prize, Kasper in the Glitter (1994), nominated for the Whitbread Prize, and Scribbleboy (1997), shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal - and two pieces for younger children. His stage plays are The Pitchfork Disney (1991), The Fastest Clock in the Universe (1992), which won the Meyer-Whitworth Prize, a Time Out Award, and both the Critics' Circle and the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for Most Promising Playwright, Ghost from a Perfect Place (1994), Vincent River (2000), Krindlekrax (premiered by the Birmingham Rep in June 2002) and three plays for young people: Fairytaleheart (Hampstead Theatre, 1998), Sparkleshark (Royal National Theatre, 1999) and Brokenville (2001), which received a Fringe First nomination at the Edinburgh Festival. His short film, The Universe of Dermot Finn (1988), was followed by his screenplay for The Krays (1990), winner of the Evening Standard British Film of the Year Award, and the cult classic The Reflecting Skin (1990) - his first film as both writer and director, which won eleven international awards and was voted one of the Best Ten Films of 1991 by the Los Angeles Times. In 1991 he was awarded the Most Promising Newcomer to British Film at the Evening Standard Film Awards. His second feature film as writer and director, The Passion of Darkly Noon (1995), won the Best Director Award at the Porto Film Festival. The theme song he co-wrote for this film, 'Who Will Love Me Now?', was released as a single by P. J. Harvey. His work has been translated into seventeen languages.
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American Dreams, The
Synopsis:
Ridley's film debut The Reflecting Skin caused a sensation at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival and went on to win eleven international awards. Set in the Idaho farmlands of the 1950s, the film follows eight-year-old Seth through a mythical summer where reality is heightened to the level of an hallucinogenic, quasi-fantasy. The Passion of Darkly Noon is a modern fable; echoing the surrealist style of Ridley's dazzling and innovative debut film. A young man roaming the American countryside, the victim of a savage attack on his religious cult, is rescued by Callie, for whom he develops a dangerous obsession. "Provocative, shocking and disturbing, a true original. . .a masterpiece." (What's On)
Notes:
The Reflecting Skin; The Passion Of Darkly Noon
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Genre:
films
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Apocalyptica
Synopsis:
A war-zone. A bombed out building. Seven people come together. They tell stories and in finding a way to express the unspeakable they make a journey from alienation to community.
- http://www.arts-archive.co.uk/index.php?pg=12&action=work&genre=P&gname=Play&wid=S2371
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Company:
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1st Published:
Methuen 978-0413688705
Music:
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Brokenville
In the ruins of a city destroyed by disaster, a group of individuals gather round a sleeping child and begin the difficult process of piecing together their lives through stories
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Essex 04 May 1999
Company:
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1st Published:
Faber and Faber, London, 2001 978-0571206094
Music:
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Genre:
Play for young audience Youth Audience
Parts:
Male: 3  Female: 3  Other: 1b
Further Reference:
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Chain Play, The
Synopsis:
One off performance of chain writing to celebrate the National Theatre's 25th anniversary. A scene each from all the authors for a performance on one night
Notes:
Written By Terry Johnson, Philip Ridley, Charlotte Jones, Lee Hall, Sebastian Barry, Zinnie Harris, Kevin Elyot, Nick Dear, Tanika Gupta, Frank McGuinness, Nick Stafford, Stephen Sondheim, Colin Teevan, Patrick Marber, David Lan, Sarah Daniels, Martin She
1st Produced:
Company:
Conceived and commissioned by Angus Mackenchnie
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 8  Female: 5  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Daffodil Scissors
Daffodil lives alone with his mum! And living with mum, well it ain't much fun! Come and meet Daffodil as he tries to beat the bullies, make new friends and meets someone who might change his life forever. . .and his mum's!
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1st Produced:
Dundee Repertory Theatre, Dundee, Dundee 27 Jan 2010
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1st Published:
Barrington Stoke Ltd 978-1842991695
Music:
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Genre:
Childrens play
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Dark Vanilla Jungle
Synopsis:
Andrea keeps getting asked is she's ashamed. Ashamed of what she did to the soldier. Of what she did to the baby. But Andrea's not ashamed at all. And she wants to tell you why? A beautiful and brutal new drama about one girl's craving for family and home... and the lengths she will go to achieve them.
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1st Produced:
Company:
Supporting Wall
1st Published:
- -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Fairytaleheart
The Two fifteen-year-olds confront their lonliness by exploring the language of theatre itself in a derelict community centre
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1st Produced:
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1st Published:
Faber and Faber, London, 1998 978-0571196241
Music:
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Genre:
Youth Audience
Parts:
Male: 1  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Fastest Clock In The Universe, The
Cougar Glass and it is his 30th birthday and he decides to seduce 16 year old schoolboy Foxtrot Darling. However, Foxtrot turns up with his pregnant girlfriend.
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1st Produced:
New Venture Theatre, Brighton, East Sussex 15 Nov 1992
Company:
-
1st Published:
in "Plays: One" Methuen, London, 1997 978-1408126714
Music:
-
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Genre:
Play/Drama. - - Gay, full length
Parts:
Male: 3  Female: 2  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Feathers In The Snow
Beneath a sky full of stars a decision is made. This decision sets off an astonishing chain of events. And a journey involving a talking leopard, a greedy King, a magical bird, a tidal wave, a Sea Witch, a lost soldier, a devious dolphin, a war - and a trail of feathers in the snow. . .This family show by acclaimed playwright and children's author Philip Ridley is an epic story of magic and migration. Covering over five hundred years - and with a huge cast - it explores how stories give meaning to random events and of our constant need to find somewhere we call home'. It will be the final production at Southwark Playhouse's current venue beneath the arches of London Bridge Station before the theatre temporarily relocates to new premises.
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1st Published:
Methuen Drama (5 Dec 2012) 978-1472515148
Music:
-
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Genre:
TYA
Parts:
Male: 3  Female: 3  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Ghost From A Perfect Place
Back in the sixties, Travis Flood and his gang terrorised Bethnal Green. Now, after an absence of 25 years, Travis returns and meets Rio, whose haunting beauty leads him to confront a story that bears no relation to his own distorted memory. And then there's the Cheerleaders. . .a present-day gang, more vicious and terrifying that anything Travis led in the past.
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 1  Female: 4  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Karamazoo
Synopsis:
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Genre:
Childrens Youth Audience
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
-

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Kasper in the Glitter
Synopsis:
-
Notes:
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1st Produced:
- 1994
Company:
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1st Published:
- -
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Genre:
Children's Youth Audience
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
-

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Krays, The
Synopsis:
Post-war East End London. Ronnie and Reggie Kray are school ground bullies brought up by a domineering mother and two devoted aunts. National Service and spells in prison expose the brutality that helps establish the twin brothers as the kings of 1960s gangland London. Philip Ridley's original, uncut screenplay, almost as notorious as its subject matter is a stylised meditation on maternal love, childhood, violence and homoeroticism and takes its place as one of the masterpieces of contemporary cinema.
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Genre:
Screenplay Play/Drama. - - Gay/Lesbian, film/TV scripts
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Krindlekrax
It is the day for choosing a hero, and Ruskin Splinter wants to be that hero. Unfortunately, the very idea he could defeat the dragon in the school play makes everyone laugh. But in the vast sewers of Lizard Street something is stirring. Something called Krindlekrax. And before long, Ruskin will be testing his heroic qualities . . . for real.
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1st Produced:
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1st Published:
Faber and Faber, London, 2002 978-0571215430
Music:
-
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Genre:
TYA
Parts:
Male: 8  Female: 3  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Leaves Of Glass
On the surface, Steven has everything. A beautiful wife, a successful business, a brand new home. But beneath the glittering veneer lies a monstrous secret . . . 'You believe him cos he wraps all the painful stuff in feathers and flowers. Makes it all safe and cosy. You can't feel the broken glass inside.' Leaves of Glass is a rich, complex play about two brothers and the hold that the past and memory has on them. Haunted by the death of his father and a car accident involving a young child, Steve finds his life unraveling and his pregnant wife unable to comprehend his pain and sense of loss. Known for his dark disturbing Dramas, Ridley's latest play is a deeply human Drama that shifts between elegy for the past and a chilling exploration of the power of loss and grief.
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1st Produced:
Company:
Soho Theatre
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Music:
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 2  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Mercury Fur
Elliot is panicking. The party that he and his brother Darren have been planning has been brought forward - to tonight. In a lawless, ravaged city, where memories of the past have been brutally erased, the boys and their team survive by realising their clients' darkest fantasies. But just how far are they prepared to go in trading humanity for information? As the light fades and events spiral out of control it becomes clear that on the success of the evening hangs not just their security, but their existence. The world is at its worst. . .let the party begin. Mercury Fur is a challenging new work containing some explicit scenes that may cause offence.
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1st Produced:
Theatre Royal, Plymouth, Devon 11 Feb 2005
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1st Published:
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Genre:
Play/Drama. - - Gay, theme/character full length
Parts:
Male: 7  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Moonfleece
Curtis could be the next big thing in politics, but he's being tormented by sightings of his dead brother. To try and exorcise his demons a seance is held in the very same flat Curtis and his brother grew up in all those years ago. All would have gone to plan were it not for Link and his mysterious friend Zak squatting in Curtis' hallowed ground. It soon transpires that these unexpected and unwanted guests could provide answers to Curtis' torment and the link between him and his dead brother he's been pining for.
- Simon Sladen, British Theatre Guide
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1st Produced:
Company:
Shell Connections
1st Published:
Music:
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Genre:
Youth Audience
Parts:
Male: 8  Female: 3  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Piranha Heights
It's Mother's Day and mother is dead. Now her two sons gather in her home to argue about the truth of their childhood. But a storm is approaching. . . with violent truth all of its own
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 4  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Pitchfork Disney, The
Synopsis:
Agoraphobic chocoholic twins Presley and Haley Stray are having another night in. But it's interrupted by the arrival of a bizarre nightclub entertainer, Cosmo Disney and the evening assumes a very sinister direction
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1st Produced:
Company:
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1st Published:
in "Plays: One" Methuen, London, 1997 -
Music:
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 3  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Scribbleboy
Synopsis:
Years ago, Scribbleboy transformed the gloomy grey concrete of the neighbourhood with his fabulous shapes and colours, until, without warning, he vanished off the face of the earth. Most of the Scribbles were destroyed and only the Scribbleboy Fan Club kept his legend alive.
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1st Produced:
- -
Company:
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1st Published:
Faber and Faber, London, 2006 -
Music:
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Shivered
A young couple are moving into their new home. A soldier is being held hostage. Two boys are searching for monsters. All these things are connected by both family and time but what story can be told when family and time are broken? Set over the course of twelve years, Shivered unpicks the story of two families and then re-weaves it into something new and startling. Seven people, one war, a derelict car plant and mysterious lights in the sky come together in the Essex new-town of Draylingstowe, where the view from green hills once offered hope and prosperity for all. An oblique and startlingly anachronistic piece, the timeframe is an emotional, rather than linear sequence, reflecting the characters' broken memories and shattered lives. Depicting a panorama of people and time, connecting links of friendship, family and encounters eddy around each other in a tantalising, surprising and intelligent way. Shivered is a state of the nation play meets a dream like memory play.
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 5  Female: 2  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Sparkleshark
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Notes:
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1st Produced:
Company:
BT/Connections
1st Published:
Faber and Faber, London, 1998 978-0571196241
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
Youth Audience
Parts:
Male: 6  Female: 3  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Tarantula in Petrol Blue
Synopsis:
Street gangs, loners, violence, love: this thrilling new opera is a contemporary urban story, both dark and magical, about a group of young people connected by a web of stories. . . and the giant blue spider that might save them all.
- http://www.arts-archive.co.uk/index.php?pg=12&action=work&genre=O&gname=Opera+or+Operetta&wid=S01163968052
Notes:
lyrics by Phillip Ridley, music by Anna Meredith
1st Produced:
Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Aldeburgh, Suffolk 21 Feb 2009
Company:
-
1st Published:
- -
Music:
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Genre:
Opera
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Tender Napalm

Philip Ridley's play marks a change of direction for the acclaimed, ever restless and maverick writer. Tender Napalm is a high-impact, high-concept two handed play which explores the landscape that is a relationship between a man and a woman. Explosive, poetic, brutal and ultimately redemptive, the play weaves a compelling theatrical tapestry to re-examine and re-define the language of love. This abstract play is cool, slick and savagely romantic. There are no defined settings, narratives or characters. Instead, Tender Napalm is 70 minutes of real time Drama: simply a man and woman dissecting their relationship through a mixture of memory, fantasy, and a mixture of the two. And, by doing this, they touch upon zeitgeist concerns of violence, war and faith. Tender Napalm is a showcase of the imaginative, fantastical and magical poeticisms Ridley can achieve from the bleak and brutal themes of war and destruction. This volume also contains five poems from the performance sequence Lovesongs for Extinct Creatures, publishing for the first time extracts from Philip Ridley's cycle of love poetry.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Company:
Supporting Wall
1st Published:
Music:
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 1  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
Theatre Record Volume XXXI (2011) Issue 08 Page 422

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Vincent River
Why is the young man following the middle-aged woman? Why is she grieving and what has he to do with it? Philip Ridley's spare and evocative work slides under the surface of fear, hatred and love and discovers that mental scars may not heal entirely but people can begin to understand each other.
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Music:
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 1  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
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