Ken Hill
Encyclopedia
Ken Hill was a critically acclaimed English
playwright
, and theatre director.
He was a protege of Joan Littlewood
at Theatre Workshop
. He was happiest directing chaotic musical
s on the tiny stage of the old Theatre Royal Stratford East
, Theatre Workshop's home in Stratford, London
, for many years but he also had hits in the West End
and abroad, among them The Invisible Man
and the original stage version of The Phantom of the Opera
, which inspired Andrew Lloyd Webber
to create his musical blockbuster of the same title.
His stock-in-trade was musical adventure stories. Like Joan Littlewood, his aim was to make things look fresh and improvised, to which end he might spend hours working on one tiny scene with his cast. He set his lyrics to out-of-copyright popular tunes, so that the audience felt familiar with his songs without ever quite being able to place them, and, more importantly, so that music could be adapted without paying royalties the budgets at Theatre Workshop being famously small. He had an encyclopaedic musical knowledge. For example, in his final show, Zorro
The Musical!, his lyrics were accompanied by melodies from 19th century Spanish operetta
.
, England on January 28, 1937, and was educated at King Edward's School
, after which he joined an amateur theatrical company, Crescent Theatre
, sweeping the floor, making props, writing and directing. His first play, Night Season
, was put on at the Alexandra Theatre
, Birmingham, in 1963. For a time he worked as an investigative journalist for ATV
and it was there that he caused a minor uproar with his report on corruption in Birmingham's local government.
In 1970, Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop returned to its old home, the dilapidated Theatre Royal Stratford East. A satire on local authorities was discussed as a good subject for a new production, and Hill's name was put forward as a possible writer
. The result of the collaboration Hill's Forward Up Your End (1970) was condemned by some of the press for its juvenile humour but Joan Littlewood liked it and Hill stayed on.
He was roped in as an actor in numerous productions but writing, not acting, remained his first love. He was made associate director and resident writer at Theatre Workshop from 1970 to 1974 and from 1974 to 1976 he took over as artistic director
, Joan Littlewood by this time having left for projects in Tunisia
.
Hill's productions there included Is Your Doctor Really Necessary? (1973), a collaboration with hit songwriter Tony Macaulay
, The Count of Monte Cristo
(1974), Gentlemen Prefer Anything (1974) and Dracula
(1974). He then became artistic director of the Musical Theatre Company, directing for the West End: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
at the Winchester Theatre (for Andrew Lloyd Webber), The Mikado
, and Fiddler on the Roof
. Other West End credits include playdoctoring productions of Drake's Dream and Wren
.
Shortly after, he was commissioned by the National Theatre
for a version of The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
. He then wrote and directed for television: All The Fun Of The Fair
- in the course of his life, Ken wrote over 100 scripts for various television programmes. His other commissions for various theatres include: The Curse of the Werewolf
, The Mummy's Tomb
, Mafeking, The Three Musketeers
, Bel Ami
, The Living Dead
, and a new translation of La Vie Parisienne
. Ken was also commissioned for productions of Sweeney Todd
, Little Shop Of Horrors
, and a Narnia
Trilogy. He also adapted and directed two books by Catherine Cookson
and completed a third for the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
.
He cut a conspicuous front-of-house figure, joking with customers at the bar, and patrolling the stage with little solo dances until the audience was settled. In rehearsal
he would leap about the stage to demonstrate ideas to his actors, a sight made even more alarming by his height and shock of red hair. He could be stinting with praise for his actors and had little small talk; but he always got the best out of his cast.He also got the best out of his backstage crew with his direct approach to achieving his desired effect on stage, particularly his approach to set design encapsulated in often heard phrase " jig it out of a bit of ply" when facing budgetary pressures.
He left Theatre Workshop in 1976 and worked for some years as the Director of Productions at the Newcastle Playhouse. That same year, he first staged his version of The Phantom of the Opera
at the Duke's Playhouse
in Lancaster (and also on Morecambe Pier). In 1984, an updated version of The Phantom of the Opera was revived and produced in a joint-production with the Newcastle Playhouse and the Theatre Royal Stratford East. Andrew Lloyd Webber saw and liked it, and for a while there was talk about his bringing it into the West End. Nothing came of this, however, and Lloyd Webber's own version duly opened in the West End in 1986. Hill's Phantom went abroad to St. Louis
in the United States
in 1987 and also had another major production in San Francisco
in 1988. The musical then embarked on a two-year long national tour of the US from 1989–1991. The show also transferred to the West End in 1991 but, despite excellent notices, did badly at the box office and was forced to close earlier than expected. Since then, The Phantom of the Opera has arguably become one of his most famous works, and has toured the world - the most recent production was in Tokyo
, Japan
in November 2004.
The Invisible Man
, with illusions by the magician, Paul Kieve
, fared much better in the West End, transferring from Stratford East to the Vaudeville Theatre
in 1993. This show was a particular favourite of Hill's, combining his love of stage trickery and childish optical jokes in scenes in which, for instance, the unbandaged 'invisible' head of the Invisible Man
smokes a cigar. Hill made everyone working in the theatre, from the cleaning staff upwards, sign a document forbidding them to reveal how this was done to the press.
Despite having cancer
intermittently for 12 years, Hill still continued to deluge Stratford East with ideas for new productions right up until his death from his cancer on January 23, 1995 aged 57, and only five days before his 58th birthday. He died just two weeks before the opening of what was his final production, Zorro
The Musical!, which he directed. Zorro
opened on February 14, 1995, to rave reviews and immense box office success.
Hill was survived by his wife, the actress Toni Palmer (who appeared in many of his shows), and two sons from a previous marriage.
. It now offers a biennial Musical Theatre Award annually to help nurture new talent in theatrical writers. The award in 1997 was a total of £5,000 for the winner - £1000 in cash, with the balance going towards the production costs of a week's showcase at the Theatre Royal, where many of Ken Hill's works were premiered. In addition, royalties were paid to the writer for the showcase. The trustees also offered small cash prizes to five runners up. There is now news as to whether this trust or award still exists today or not.
There are also "Ken Hill awards" for new talented playwrights and for the Best New Musical.
Some of Hill's plays, The Invisible Man
, The Curse of the Werewolf
, The Mummy's Tomb
and his version of The Phantom of the Opera, are available to purchase from Samuel French Ltd.
in London
. The rights to produce these shows can also be obtained by theatre groups, professional and amateur, who wish to perform them.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, and theatre director.
He was a protege of Joan Littlewood
Joan Littlewood
Joan Maud Littlewood was a British theatre director, noted for her work in developing the left-wing Theatre Workshop...
at Theatre Workshop
Theatre Workshop
Theatre Workshop is a theatre group noted for their director, Joan Littlewood. Many actors of the 1950s and 1960s received their training and first exposure with the company...
. He was happiest directing chaotic musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
s on the tiny stage of the old Theatre Royal Stratford East
Theatre Royal Stratford East
The Theatre Royal Stratford East is a theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company.-History:...
, Theatre Workshop's home in Stratford, London
Stratford, London
Stratford is a place in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an agrarian settlement in the ancient parish of West Ham, which transformed into an industrial suburb...
, for many years but he also had hits in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
and abroad, among them The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man is a science fiction novella by H.G. Wells published in 1897. Wells' novel was originally serialised in Pearson's Weekly in 1897, and published as a novel the same year...
and the original stage version of The Phantom of the Opera
Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera
Phantom of the Opera is a 1976 musical with book and lyrics by Ken Hill. It is the first musical adaptation of the novel The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, about the hideously disfigured Phantom's amorous obsession with the magnificent, naive singer, Christine...
, which inspired Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
to create his musical blockbuster of the same title.
His stock-in-trade was musical adventure stories. Like Joan Littlewood, his aim was to make things look fresh and improvised, to which end he might spend hours working on one tiny scene with his cast. He set his lyrics to out-of-copyright popular tunes, so that the audience felt familiar with his songs without ever quite being able to place them, and, more importantly, so that music could be adapted without paying royalties the budgets at Theatre Workshop being famously small. He had an encyclopaedic musical knowledge. For example, in his final show, Zorro
Zorro
Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
The Musical!, his lyrics were accompanied by melodies from 19th century Spanish operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
.
Biography
Ken Hill was born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England on January 28, 1937, and was educated at King Edward's School
King Edward's School, Birmingham
King Edward's School is an independent secondary school in Birmingham, England, founded by King Edward VI in 1552. It is part of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham, and is widely regarded as one of the most academically successful schools in the country, according to...
, after which he joined an amateur theatrical company, Crescent Theatre
Crescent Theatre
The Crescent Theatre is a small, amateur theatre run mostly by volunteers, based in Sheepcote Street, Brindleyplace in Birmingham, England.It houses one of the oldest theatre companies in the city: The Crescent Theatre Company. The Crescent also plays host to numerous visiting companies every year,...
, sweeping the floor, making props, writing and directing. His first play, Night Season
Night Season
Night Season by Eileen Wilks will be the 7th book in the World of the Lupi series. It is due to be released in March 2008.-Plot introduction:...
, was put on at the Alexandra Theatre
Alexandra Theatre
The New Alexandra Theatre, commonly known as The Alex, is a theatre on Station Street in Birmingham, England.Construction of the theatre commenced in 1900 and was completed in 1901. The architects were Owen & Ward. The theatre was opened on 27 May 1901 as the Lyceum Theatre on John Bright Street;...
, Birmingham, in 1963. For a time he worked as an investigative journalist for ATV
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
and it was there that he caused a minor uproar with his report on corruption in Birmingham's local government.
In 1970, Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop returned to its old home, the dilapidated Theatre Royal Stratford East. A satire on local authorities was discussed as a good subject for a new production, and Hill's name was put forward as a possible writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. The result of the collaboration Hill's Forward Up Your End (1970) was condemned by some of the press for its juvenile humour but Joan Littlewood liked it and Hill stayed on.
He was roped in as an actor in numerous productions but writing, not acting, remained his first love. He was made associate director and resident writer at Theatre Workshop from 1970 to 1974 and from 1974 to 1976 he took over as artistic director
Artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
, Joan Littlewood by this time having left for projects in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
.
Hill's productions there included Is Your Doctor Really Necessary? (1973), a collaboration with hit songwriter Tony Macaulay
Tony Macaulay
Tony Macaulay is a British author, composer for musical theatre, and songwriter, though it was the latter that made him a household name early in his career...
, The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo is an adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas. It is often considered to be, along with The Three Musketeers, Dumas's most popular work. He completed the work in 1844...
(1974), Gentlemen Prefer Anything (1974) and Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
(1974). He then became artistic director of the Musical Theatre Company, directing for the West End: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
at the Winchester Theatre (for Andrew Lloyd Webber), The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
, and Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
. Other West End credits include playdoctoring productions of Drake's Dream and Wren
Wren
The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
.
Shortly after, he was commissioned by the National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
for a version of The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is a novel by Victor Hugo published in 1831. The French title refers to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, on which the story is centered.-Background:...
. He then wrote and directed for television: All The Fun Of The Fair
All the Fun of the Fair
All the Fun of the Fair is a jukebox musical with a book by Jon Conway, based on the songs of David Essex. The title of the musical is taken from David Essex's 1975 album All the Fun of the Fair. The plot is fictional, not autobiographical...
- in the course of his life, Ken wrote over 100 scripts for various television programmes. His other commissions for various theatres include: The Curse of the Werewolf
The Curse of the Werewolf
The Curse of the Werewolf is a British film based on the novel The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore. The film was made by the British film studio Hammer Film Productions and was shot at Bray Studios.-Plot:...
, The Mummy's Tomb
The Mummy's Tomb
The Mummy's Tomb is the 1942 sequel to The Mummy's Hand .Lon Chaney, Jr. disliked the role of Kharis the mummy. Make-up artist Jack Pierce spent up to eight hours to wrap Lon Chaney. A rubber mask was used for long shots...
, Mafeking, The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, first serialized in March–July 1844. Set in the 17th century, it recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel to Paris, to join the Musketeers of the Guard...
, Bel Ami
Bel Ami
Bel Ami is French author Guy de Maupassant's second novel, published in 1885. An English translation titled Bel ami, or, The history of a scoundrel: a novel appeared in 1903....
, The Living Dead
The Living Dead
The Living Dead is the second studio album by Bump of Chicken, first released on March 25, 2000 on High Line Records. It was released again on April 28, 2004 on Toy's Factory.-Track listing:All tracks written by Fujiwara Motoo, except where noted....
, and a new translation of La Vie Parisienne
La Vie Parisienne
La Vie Parisienne was a magazine in France founded in 1863 and popular at the turn-of-the-twentieth century. It was originally intended as a guide to upper class and artistic life in Paris , but it soon evolved into a mildly risqué erotic publication...
. Ken was also commissioned for productions of Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as then antagonist of the Victorian penny dreadful The String of Pearls and he was later introduced as an antihero in the broadway musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and its film adaptation...
, Little Shop Of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...
, and a Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels for children by C. S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 100 million copies in 47 languages...
Trilogy. He also adapted and directed two books by Catherine Cookson
Catherine Cookson
Dame Catherine Cookson DBE was a British author. She became the United Kingdom's most widely read novelist, with sales topping 100 million, while retaining a relatively low profile in the world of celebrity writers...
and completed a third for the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre is a theatre and theatre company based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England...
.
He cut a conspicuous front-of-house figure, joking with customers at the bar, and patrolling the stage with little solo dances until the audience was settled. In rehearsal
Rehearsal
For other uses, see Rehearsal or Dress rehearsal A rehearsal is a preparatory event in music and theatre that is performed before the official public performance, as a form of practice, and to ensure that all details of the performance are adequately prepared and coordinated for professional...
he would leap about the stage to demonstrate ideas to his actors, a sight made even more alarming by his height and shock of red hair. He could be stinting with praise for his actors and had little small talk; but he always got the best out of his cast.He also got the best out of his backstage crew with his direct approach to achieving his desired effect on stage, particularly his approach to set design encapsulated in often heard phrase " jig it out of a bit of ply" when facing budgetary pressures.
He left Theatre Workshop in 1976 and worked for some years as the Director of Productions at the Newcastle Playhouse. That same year, he first staged his version of The Phantom of the Opera
Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera
Phantom of the Opera is a 1976 musical with book and lyrics by Ken Hill. It is the first musical adaptation of the novel The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, about the hideously disfigured Phantom's amorous obsession with the magnificent, naive singer, Christine...
at the Duke's Playhouse
Duke's Playhouse
The Dukes in Lancaster, England, formerly known as the Duke's Playhouse, is a professional producing theatre, currently producing six theatre productions a year. It also hosts outside companies and arts festivals. It has two auditoria, the larger seating approximately 313 and a newly refurbished...
in Lancaster (and also on Morecambe Pier). In 1984, an updated version of The Phantom of the Opera was revived and produced in a joint-production with the Newcastle Playhouse and the Theatre Royal Stratford East. Andrew Lloyd Webber saw and liked it, and for a while there was talk about his bringing it into the West End. Nothing came of this, however, and Lloyd Webber's own version duly opened in the West End in 1986. Hill's Phantom went abroad to St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1987 and also had another major production in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in 1988. The musical then embarked on a two-year long national tour of the US from 1989–1991. The show also transferred to the West End in 1991 but, despite excellent notices, did badly at the box office and was forced to close earlier than expected. Since then, The Phantom of the Opera has arguably become one of his most famous works, and has toured the world - the most recent production was in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in November 2004.
The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man is a science fiction novella by H.G. Wells published in 1897. Wells' novel was originally serialised in Pearson's Weekly in 1897, and published as a novel the same year...
, with illusions by the magician, Paul Kieve
Paul Kieve
Paul Kieve is an English professional illusionist and whose consulting work for both stage and screen has contributed to changing how magical special effects in productions are approached...
, fared much better in the West End, transferring from Stratford East to the Vaudeville Theatre
Vaudeville Theatre
The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on The Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each new building retained elements of the previous...
in 1993. This show was a particular favourite of Hill's, combining his love of stage trickery and childish optical jokes in scenes in which, for instance, the unbandaged 'invisible' head of the Invisible Man
The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man is a science fiction novella by H.G. Wells published in 1897. Wells' novel was originally serialised in Pearson's Weekly in 1897, and published as a novel the same year...
smokes a cigar. Hill made everyone working in the theatre, from the cleaning staff upwards, sign a document forbidding them to reveal how this was done to the press.
Despite having cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
intermittently for 12 years, Hill still continued to deluge Stratford East with ideas for new productions right up until his death from his cancer on January 23, 1995 aged 57, and only five days before his 58th birthday. He died just two weeks before the opening of what was his final production, Zorro
Zorro
Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
The Musical!, which he directed. Zorro
Zorro
Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
opened on February 14, 1995, to rave reviews and immense box office success.
Hill was survived by his wife, the actress Toni Palmer (who appeared in many of his shows), and two sons from a previous marriage.
Other information
The Ken Hill Memorial Trust was set up after Hill died in 1995, to aid the Theatre Royal in supporting new talent in musical theatreMusical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
. It now offers a biennial Musical Theatre Award annually to help nurture new talent in theatrical writers. The award in 1997 was a total of £5,000 for the winner - £1000 in cash, with the balance going towards the production costs of a week's showcase at the Theatre Royal, where many of Ken Hill's works were premiered. In addition, royalties were paid to the writer for the showcase. The trustees also offered small cash prizes to five runners up. There is now news as to whether this trust or award still exists today or not.
There are also "Ken Hill awards" for new talented playwrights and for the Best New Musical.
Some of Hill's plays, The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man is a science fiction novella by H.G. Wells published in 1897. Wells' novel was originally serialised in Pearson's Weekly in 1897, and published as a novel the same year...
, The Curse of the Werewolf
The Curse of the Werewolf
The Curse of the Werewolf is a British film based on the novel The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore. The film was made by the British film studio Hammer Film Productions and was shot at Bray Studios.-Plot:...
, The Mummy's Tomb
The Mummy's Tomb
The Mummy's Tomb is the 1942 sequel to The Mummy's Hand .Lon Chaney, Jr. disliked the role of Kharis the mummy. Make-up artist Jack Pierce spent up to eight hours to wrap Lon Chaney. A rubber mask was used for long shots...
and his version of The Phantom of the Opera, are available to purchase from Samuel French Ltd.
Samuel French Ltd.
Samuel French Ltd is the UK sister company of Samuel French Inc., an American company, bearing the name of its co-founder Samuel French. The company publishes stage plays for the UK market, mostly acting editions, serves as licensing agent for performance rights, and runs the UK's leading...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The rights to produce these shows can also be obtained by theatre groups, professional and amateur, who wish to perform them.
External links
- Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera fan website
- Theatre Royal Stratford East's official website
- Samuel French Ltd. in London control the performance rights for Ken Hill's The Invisible ManThe Invisible ManThe Invisible Man is a science fiction novella by H.G. Wells published in 1897. Wells' novel was originally serialised in Pearson's Weekly in 1897, and published as a novel the same year...
, The Curse of the WerewolfThe Curse of the WerewolfThe Curse of the Werewolf is a British film based on the novel The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore. The film was made by the British film studio Hammer Film Productions and was shot at Bray Studios.-Plot:...
, The Mummy's TombThe Mummy's TombThe Mummy's Tomb is the 1942 sequel to The Mummy's Hand .Lon Chaney, Jr. disliked the role of Kharis the mummy. Make-up artist Jack Pierce spent up to eight hours to wrap Lon Chaney. A rubber mask was used for long shots...
and The Phantom of the OperaKen Hill's Phantom of the OperaPhantom of the Opera is a 1976 musical with book and lyrics by Ken Hill. It is the first musical adaptation of the novel The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, about the hideously disfigured Phantom's amorous obsession with the magnificent, naive singer, Christine... - Playwright listing for Ken Hill includes links to purchase Ken Hill's published works.