Christopher John "Kit" Hesketh Harvey (born 30 April 1957) is a British musical comic performer, translator, composer and scriptwriter.
Born in Nyasaland (now Malawi), he was educated as senior chorister at Canterbury Cathedral and then Tonbridge School in Kent before moving on as a choral scholar under John Rutter to Clare College, Cambridge, later becoming a member of the Cambridge Footlights.
He wrote the script for Merchant Ivory's Maurice (1987), and has worked on the Vicar of Dibley series for the BBC. He wrote Full Throttle, starring Rowan Atkinson, and Hans Andersen: My Life As A Fairytale (Hallmark).
He is the writer and singer of the musical comedy act Kit and The Widow, which has had a number of West End and Broadway theatre runs and tours internationally. They have had their own series on BBC Radios 3 and 4, and two TV specials on Channel 4. They have toured internationally on several occasions as paid escorts to Joan Rivers. He starred in the 1996 production of Salad Days at the Vaudeville Theatre, and in Tom Foolery (Jermyn Street and national tour). He co-devised and starred in the original production of the Sondheim revue, Putting It Together. He makes occasional appearances on the many BBC Radio 4 series requiring witty panellists such as Just a Minute and Quote Unquote. He was also a panellist on the unbroadcast pilot episode of QI.
Winner of the 1988 Vivian Ellis Award for writers for music theatre, he subsequently studied as a pupil of Stephen Sondheim, and his musicals include Writing Orlando (Barbican 1988) and Yusupov (Bridewell Theatre). He adapted the English version of Jacques Offenbach's La Belle Hélène (2006) directed by Laurent Pelly for English National Opera. His translation of The Bartered Bride for Charles Mackerras at the Royal Opera House was Grammy-nominated, and he has translated many other operas, including The Turk In Italy, Le Roi Malgre Lui, The Marriage Of Figaro, The Daughter of the Regiment, Veronique, Bluebeard and Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. Original libretti include Varjak Paw (composer Julian Phillips). He co-produced Shadwell Opera's Magic Flute at the Rosslyn Chapel, Edinburgh,(Herald Angel Award 2009). His plays include Five O'Clock Angel at the Hampstead Theatre. He writes regularly for Country Life magazine (2009 IPC's Writer Of The Year). His radio play, A La Villa Bab Azzoun, produced by Moving Theatre, won the 2009 Prix Europa.
His translation of The Merry Widow is currently in Opera North's 2010/11 season, transferring in July 2011 to the Sydney Opera House. Armonico Consort are currently touring his piece Monteverdi's Flying Circus. In early 2011 he directed (for Merry Opera) his own adaptation of La Belle Helene, Troy Boy, currently on tour. This summer he will be collaborating with Gifford's Circus as lyricist for War And Peace at the Circus, directed by Irina Brown. He himself will be on tour with the Widow and Fascinating Aida, in Cowardy Custard, from April onwards.
In 1986, he married the actress and academic Catherine Rabett and they have two children, Augusta (b 1987) and Rollo (b 1990). He is the brother of novelist and journalist Sarah Sands. He lives in Norfolk and Cornwall.