Philip Ridley

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Philip Ridley is a British artist working with various media. His work is characterised by an intriguing mix of both the menacing and the magical. The term 'barbaric beauty' has often been used to describe his signature style. You can hear a recording of his voice on TheatreVoice.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Philip Ridley was born in the East End of London, England, where he still lives and works. He studied painting at St. Martin’s School of Art and his work has been exhibited throughout Europe and Japan. He started as both a performance artist and the creator of a long sequence of dark and disturbing charcoal drawings called The Epic of Oracle Foster. One drawing from this sequence, "The Black Bird", portraying a man ejaculating a black bird, was exhibited at the ICA in London while Ridley was still a student and - with calls for it to be displayed behind a curtain - became quite a cause célèbre. Ridley also started his own theatre group as a student, acting in many of the productions, and made several short 'art' films, including Visiting Mr Beak which starred the veteran actor Guy Rolfe. Despite the vast range of his talents - he was once referred to as 'a one man cultural revolution' - Ridley has always described himself as a storyteller.

Ridley has written three books for adults, Crocodilia, In the Eyes of Mr. Fury, and Flamingoes in Orbit; the highly acclaimed screenplay for The Krays[1] feature film; five adult stage plays: The Pitchfork Disney, the multi-award-winning The Fastest Clock in the Universe, Ghost from a Perfect Place, Vincent River, the controversial trilogy Mercury Fur, Leaves of Glass and Piranha Heights: plus a further five plays for young people: Karamazoo, Fairytaleheart, Moonfleece, Sparkleshark and Brokenville.

He has also directed two feature films from his own screenplays: The Reflecting Skin – winner of 11 international awards – and The Passion of Darkly Noon (winner of the Best Director Prize at the Porto Film Festival) and one short film, The Universe of Dermot Finn. He has also written many books for children including Scribbleboy (shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal), Kasper in the Glitter (nominated for the Whitbread Prize), Mighty Fizz Chilla (shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award), ZinderZunder, Vinegar Street, and Krindlekrax (winner of both the Smarties Prize and WH Smith’s Mind-Boggling Books Award), the stage play of which – adapted by Ridley himself – was premièred at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in the summer of 2002. His most recent children's novel is Zip's Apollo, published in 2005.

He is also a photographer — he did his own cover image for his collected first three stage plays, 'RIDLEY: PLAYS ONE', published by Faber and Faber — and a poet (his work has appeared in several collections). He co-wrote, with Nick Bicat, two songs that appeared in his film The Passion of Darkly Noon, ('Who Will Love Me Now?', sung by P.J. Harvey - later covered by Sunscream - and "Look What You've Done" sung by Gavin Friday). Ridley has won both the Evening Standard's Most Promising Newcomer to British Film and Most Promising Playwright Awards. He is the only person ever to receive both prizes.

[edit] List of works (incomplete)

  • 1986 - Embracing Verdi (short story)
  • 1987 - Leviathan (short story)
  • 1988 - Crocodilia (novel)
  • 1989 - In the Eyes of Mr. Fury (novel)
  • 1989 - Mercedes Ice (children's novel)
  • 1990 - The Krays (screenplay)
  • 1990 - The Reflecting Skin (screenplay and director)
  • 1990 - Flamingoes in Orbit (short stories)
  • 1990 - Dakota of the White Flats (children's novel)
  • 1991 - The Pitchfork Disney (stage play)
  • 1991 - Krindlekrax (children's novel)
  • 1992 - The Fastest Clock in the Universe (stage play)
  • 1994 - Ghost from a Perfect Place (stage play)
  • 1994 - Meteorite Spoon (children's novel)
  • 1995 - The Hooligan's Shampoo (short story for children)
  • 1995 - Kasper in the Glitter (children's novel)
  • 1995 - The Passion of Darkly Noon (screenplay and director)
  • 1996 - Fairytaleheart (stage play for young people)
  • 1996 - Sparkleshark (stage play for young people)
  • 1996 - Alien Heart (short story)
  • 1997 - Scribbleboy (children's novel)
  • 1998 - Brokenville (stage play for young people)
  • 1998 - Wonderful Insect (short story)
  • 2000 - Vinegar Street (children's novel)
  • 2000 - Vincent River stage play)
  • 2002 - Krindlekrax (stage play)
  • 2002 - Mighty Fizz Chilla (children's novel)
  • 2003 - Brokenville (play for young people)
  • 2004 - Daffodil Scissors (short children's play)
  • 2004 - Moonfleece (play for young people)
  • 2004 - Karamazoo (play for young people)
  • 2005 - Mercury Fur (stage play)
  • 2005 - Zip's Apollo (children's novel)
  • 2007 - Leaves of Glass (stage play)
  • 2007 - Love Songs for Extinct Creatures (poetry reading)
  • 2007 - Recent Portraits (photography exhibition)
  • 2007 - East End (photography exhibition)
  • 2007 - on such a day (libretto for short concert piece)
  • 2008 - Feathers in the Snow (stage play)
  • 2008 - Piranha Heights (stage play)
  • 2008 - Recent Portraits 2 (photography exhibition)

[edit] Works in anthologies etc (incomplete)

  • Poem 'The Silver Hat' in collection 'Love' (edited by Fiona Waters)
  • Poem 'The Prince and the Snail' in collection 'The Works 4' (edited by Gaby Morgan)
  • Three poems in collection 'Poems For The Retired Nihilist' (edited by Graham Bendel)

[edit] Miscellaneous

  • Ridley's image 'Rainbow Kiss' was used on the cover of the short story collection Oranges and Lemons (edited by Davis Rees and Peter Robins)
  • Ridley designed the poster image for the uk release of The Passion of Darkly Noon
  • Ridley designed the badges (of butterflies with heart-shaped wings) used to promote the world premiere of his play Fairytaleheart (Hampstead Theatre, London)
  • The song "Fury Eyes" (from The Creatures' second album, Boomerang) is dedicated to Ridley's novel In The Eyes Of Mr. Fury.
  • Ridley's charcoal drawing The Conversation was used as the cover to cult band Blowzabella's 1988 album "Pingha Frenzy".
  • Ridley was one of 25 contemporary British writers asked to contribute a scene to NT25 Chain Play, celebrating 25 years of the Royal National Theatre in London.
  • "Who Will Love me Now?" (as sung by P.J. Harvey) was selected as Favourite Film Song by Radio 1 in 1998. As covered by Sunscreem, the song entered the top 40 UK chart.
  • In 1996 Hungary's The Titanic Film Festival had a major retrospective of Ridley's work.

[edit] Awards won (incomplete)

  • Silver Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival for The Reflecting Skin.
  • Fipresci Prize at the Locarno Flim Festival for The Reflecting Skin.
  • CICAE at the Locarno Film Festival for The Reflecting Skin.
  • Prix de la Jeunesse at the Locarno Film Festival for The Reflecting Skin.
  • Barclay Prize at The Locarno Film Festival for he Reflecting Skin.
  • Grand Prize at the Stockholm Film Festival for The Reflecting Skin.
  • Best British Film at the Birmingham Film Festival for The Reflecting Skin.
  • Best Original Screenplay Award from the Guild of Screenwriters for The Reflecting Skin.
  • George Sadoul Prize for Best First Film for The Reflecting Skin.
  • Evening Standard Best British Film Award for The Krays.
  • The Evening Standard Most Promising Newcomer to Film for The Krays.
  • The Evening Standard Most Promising Newcomer to Stage for The Fastest Clock In The Universe.
  • The Meyer Whitworth Prize for The Fastest Clock In The Universe.
  • The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards-Most Promising New Playwright Award for The Fastest Clock In The Universe.
  • Time Out Award for The Fastest Clock In The Universe.
  • The Smarties Prize for Krindlekrax
  • The W.H. Smith Mind Boggling Books for Krindlekrax
  • International Fantasy Film Best Director Award forThe Passion of Darkly Noon
  • Commendation from the NASEN Special Educational Needs Children's Book Award for Scribbleboy
  • Malta's Showtime Theatre Award for Best Theatre Production for Mercury Fur.

[edit] Award nominations (incomplete)

[edit] Awards won - Associated (incomplete)

[edit] Awards associated - nominations (incomplete)

[edit] Selected quotes of Ridley

  • "I'm creating rituals to make sense of a world that scares the shit out of me."
  • "I open the window and demons fly in."

[edit] Selected quotations from Ridley's works

  • "Shall I tell you my dream?" (from The Krays)
  • "The glamour is fear." (from The Krays)
  • "Sometimes terrible things happen quite naturally." (from The Reflecting Skin)
  • "Innocence can be hell." (from The Reflecting Skin)
  • "It's a short leap from kissing to killing." (from The Reflecting Skin)
  • "No miracles. Nothing. Just freak accidents and freaks." (from The Pitchfork Disney')
  • "I've seen photographs of what happens to people when they fall in love. Their skin falls off. Like they've been in a nuclear war or something. It's terrible, Mr Chocolate." (from The Pitchfork Disney)
  • "Fitness has got fuck all to do with it. It's survival of the sickest." (from The Pitchfork Disney)
  • "Who gives a fuck about my insides? I can have a gut full of maggots for all I care, so long as I've got a suntan." (from The Fastest Clock In The Universe)
  • "We're all as bad as each other. All hungry little cannibals at our own cannibal party. So fuck the milk of human kindness and welcome to the abbattoir." (from The Fastest Clock in The Universe)
  • "Sometimes I wonder if it's worth having a face at all." (from The Fastest Clock In The Universe)
  • "I bet you could put a bird through a mangle feet first and the look on its face wouldn't change one jot." (from The Fastest Clock In The Universe)
  • "The heydays are like a perfect place for me. A perfect place I visited once, but can never visit again." (from Ghost From A Perfect Place)
  • "You strike me as a pina colada sort of woman." (from Ghost From A Perfect Place)
  • "It's what you do to skin that matters." (from Ghost From A Perfect Place)
  • "No faith without blood." (from The Passion of Darkly Noon)

[edit] Selected press quotes

  • "Ridley is a visionary." ''Rolling Stone
  • "Ridley is the master of modern myths." The Guardian
  • "Ridley is fast becoming a cult figure." The Daily Telegraph
  • "Philip Ridley is a marvellous writer ... he solders humour and fear." The Observer
  • "A major literary talent who pulls new poetry out of the literary jungle." The Independent
  • "There is often a jagged lyricism and a savage beauty about Ridley's plays. He is a writer who sees not only the worst but also the best in humanity; he has a genuine faith in the possibility of redemption. When he puts the audience through the nightmare, it is to show us that stars still shine." (Lyn Gardner, The Guardian)
  • "Ridley has to be Dahl's successor." Books For Keeps
  • "One of the most imaginative writers in British Theatre." (Aleks Sierz from In-Yer-Face Theatre)
  • "Ridley is a singular writer, a prolific polymath, probably a genius, and the creator of some of the most peculiar, grotesque and compelling British plays (and films) of the last several years." Time Out
  • "Ridley is delving into a sulphurous imagination for some of the most potent and indelible images you're likely to find this side of sleep." Scotland on Sunday
  • "Philip Ridley's work is compelling, original and about as nasty as you can get...it should be burnt by the public executioner." Daily Telegraph
  • "Philip Ridley uses theatre as a vehicle for the imagination. His rooms are claustrophobic crucibles, in which the modern age disgorges its most hideous imagary." from The Full Room by Dominic Dromgoole
  • "One of today's most exciting writers." The Bookseller
  • "Ridley is the Pied Piper of contemporary children's fiction." The Big Issue
  • "A god amongst storytellers." Blackwell's Student Choice
  • "I rely on Philip Ridley to leave me shaken and shocked. His considerable imagination reaches places I prefer not to visit, unless escorted by a writer of his moral seriousness." Nicholas de Jongh, Evening Standard
  • "Philip Ridley doesn't write plays so much as dark hallucinations in which the world is skewed through his penetrating vision, so we look at it through new eyes..." The Guardian
  • "Philip Ridley...his writing is among the very sharpest in British theatre.’ Time Out
  • "Few writers have dug into the dark recesses of our unsettled times as Ridley. But, although he has achieved a certain notoriety for the incidental atrocities that can be found in his work...his real forte is the ability to find love and humanity in the unlikeliest places. Out of Ridley’s darkness comes a twinkle of light, like compressed carbon producing diamond. It’s a light born of a ferocious honesty and an instinctive understanding of the transformative power of the theatre." Aleks Siers (author of In-Yer-Face Theatre)

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Krays film http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/childrenandteens/story/0,,1471235,00.html Retrieved 19/09/07

[edit] External links

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