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Philip Ridley

フィリップ・リドリー

Firippu Ridorī

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
Bethnal Green, East End of London, England
Nationality
British
Languages
English
Residence History
Bethnal Green, East End of London → Ilford, East London — moved in 2014

Career

Occupations
Writer, Playwright, Screenwriter, Film director, Visual artist, Poet, Photographer, Songwriter, Performance artist
Active Years
1981-
Nominations
Longlisted for the 2016 Off-West End Best New Play Award for 'Karagula', Longlisted for the 2016 Off-West End Best Production Award for 'Karagula', Shortlisted for the 2013 Brian Way Best New Play Award for 'Feathers in the Snow', Shortlisted for the 2012 Off-West End Best New Play Award for 'Shivered', Shortlisted for the 2011 London Festival Fringe Best Play Award (2010 revival of 'Vincent River'), Shortlisted / nominated for The MOBIUS Best Off-West End Production award for 'Piranha Heights' (WhatsOnStage, 2009), Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for 'Mighty Fizz Chilla', Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal for 'Scribbleboy', Shortlisted for the 1995 Whitbread Children's Book Award for 'Kasper in the Glitter', Nominated for Best Screenplay at the 1990 Evening Standard British Film Awards for 'The Krays', Best Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival (nomination/selection for 'The Universe of Dermot Finn')

Education

Saint Martin's School of Art (now part of Central Saint Martins)
Fine Art / Painting
Period: 1980年代
Country: United Kingdom
Studied visual art and began exhibiting and performing as a student; noted for a series of charcoal drawings.

Awards

The Scotsman Fringe First Award
2013
Work: Dark Vanilla Jungle
Organization: The Scotsman (Fringe First Awards)
Result: 受賞
Toronto After Dark Film Festival Vision Award (Best Independent Feature Film)
2010
Work: Heartless
Organization: Toronto After Dark Film Festival
Result: 受賞
Fantasporto Best Film Award
2010
Work: Heartless
Organization: Fantasporto Film Festival
Result: 受賞
Fantasporto Best Director Award
2010
Work: Heartless
Organization: Fantasporto Film Festival
Result: 受賞
Leeds International Film Festival Silver Méliès Award
2009
Work: Heartless
Organization: Leeds International Film Festival
Result: 受賞
W H Smith Mind-Boggling Book Award
1993
Work: Krindlekrax
Organization: W H Smith
Result: 受賞
Meyer-Whitworth Award (Most Promising New Playwright)
1993
Work: The Fastest Clock in the Universe
Category: Most Promising New Playwright
Organization: Meyer-Whitworth Award
Result: 受賞
Time Out Award
1992
Work: The Fastest Clock in the Universe
Organization: Time Out
Result: 受賞
Critics' Circle Theatre Award (Most Promising Playwright)
1992
Work: The Fastest Clock in the Universe
Category: Most Promising Playwright
Organization: Critics' Circle Theatre Awards
Result: 受賞
Evening Standard Theatre Award (Most Promising Playwright)
1992
Work: The Fastest Clock in the Universe
Category: Most Promising Playwright
Organization: Evening Standard Theatre Awards
Result: 受賞
Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (9–11 years category)
1991
Work: Krindlekrax
Category: 9–11 years
Organization: Nestlé Smarties Book Prize
Result: 受賞
Evening Standard British Film Awards (Most Promising Newcomer)
1990
Work: The Krays (screenplay)
Organization: Evening Standard
Result: 受賞
Evening Standard British Film Awards (Best Film)
1990
Work: The Krays
Organization: Evening Standard
Result: 受賞
Locarno Film Festival Silver Leopard
1990
Work: The Reflecting Skin
Organization: Locarno Film Festival
Result: 受賞
Stockholm Film Festival Grand Prize
1990
Work: The Reflecting Skin
Organization: Stockholm Film Festival
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Krindlekrax

1991 Children's novel

A children's novel mixing humour and darker elements; follows a young protagonist and his coming-of-age amid events in his town. One of Ridley's most recognized children's books, winner of awards.

Coming-of-ageFriendshipBlack humour
Adaptations
  • [Theatre] Krindlekrax (stage adaptation) (2002)

The Krays

1990 Biopic / Crime film

Screenplay for the biopic about the Kray twins, directed by Peter Medak. Ridley's screenplay received critical attention and awards recognition.

CrimeFamilyPower

The Reflecting Skin

1990 Horror / Psychological drama

A feature film written and directed by Ridley; a fable-like horror set in a bleak rural landscape that has achieved cult status.

Violence and lossChildhood fearFable-like elements

The Pitchfork Disney

1991 Stage play (adult)

One of Ridley's landmark plays; a controversial and influential work frequently cited in discussions of 1990s 'In-yer-face' theatre.

ViolenceFearIdentity

The Fastest Clock in the Universe

1992 Stage play (adult)

The play that helped establish Ridley as a promising playwright; noted for its provocative tone and intense characterisation.

DesireVanityTime and ageing

Mercury Fur

2005 Stage play (adult)

A controversial and provocative play staged in the 2000s, exploring violent and extreme situations to expose societal darkness.

ViolenceMoral collapseExtreme circumstances

Heartless

2010 Horror / Drama (film)

A feature film written and directed by Ridley; a dark urban tale that won several festival awards.

Urban darknessNightmare vs realitySelf and other

Sparkleshark

1997 Play for young people (part of The Storyteller Sequence)

A play for young people dealing with school, friendship and imagination; one of Ridley's popular youth plays performed professionally.

Youth conflictImaginationCommunity

In the Eyes of Mr. Fury

1989 Novel (adult)

A novel for adults; an expanded edition was published in 2016 and the book has been part of Ridley's long-form literary output.

MemoryIdentityThe uncanny

Bibliography

  • Embracing Verdi (short story, 1986)
  • Leviathan (short story, 1987)
  • Crocodilia (novel, 1988)
  • In the Eyes of Mr. Fury (novel, 1989)
  • Flamingoes in Orbit (short story collection, 1990)
  • Mercedes Ice (children's novel, 1989)
  • Dakota of the White Flats (children's novel, 1989)
  • Krindlekrax (children's novel, 1991)
  • Meteorite Spoon (children's novel, 1994)
  • Kasper in the Glitter (children's novel, 1995)
  • Scribbleboy (children's novel, 1997)
  • Zinderzunder (children's novel, 1998)
  • Vinegar Street (children's novel, 2000)
  • Mighty Fizz Chilla (children's novel, 2002)
  • Zip's Apollo (children's novel, 2005)
  • Dreamboat Zing (short story for younger children, 1996)
  • The Hooligan's Shampoo (short story for younger children, 1996)
  • Numerous plays (The Pitchfork Disney, The Fastest Clock in the Universe, Mercury Fur, Tender Napalm, etc.)
  • Films (The Reflecting Skin, The Passion of Darkly Noon, Heartless, etc.)

Adaptations

  • Krindlekrax (stage adaptation of the children's novel, 2002)
  • The Krays (screenplay credit; film, 1990)
  • The Reflecting Skin (writer-director, 1990)
  • Heartless (writer-director, premiered 2009, released 2010)
  • Community arts project 'Behind the Eyes' inspired by Mercury Fur (2011)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Provocative, confrontational stage style associated with In-yer-face theatreCross-genre multimedia practice (theatre, film, fiction, visual art)Dark realism often with fable-like or symbolic elements
Recurring Motifs
Violence and exposureChildhood and lossUrban marginality and isolationFairy-tale / fable imagery

Legacy

Philip Ridley is a cross-disciplinary storyteller working in theatre, film, children's literature and visual art. His provocative work influenced British theatre of the 1990s and beyond; he remains an important figure in contemporary theatre and independent film.

Archives

  • Library of Congress catalogue records (LCCN: n90672846)

In Popular Culture

  • The character Vicky Pollard in the British comedy 'Little Britain' references a place-name derived from Ridley's 'The Passion of Darkly Noon' (influence on popular naming/imagery).
  • Influence on music and pop culture: the band Troy Flamingo took its name from a Ridley character, and the band Reflecting Skin is named after his film; various musicians have sampled or quoted his films.
  • Music and sampling: artists such as Uniform, Phil Western and Biosphere have used dialogue excerpts from Ridley's films in their works.

Quotes

  • I dislike my work being categorised by the medium; I often refer to different genre pieces as 'different peaks of the same mountain.'
    Source: Wikipedia (summary/biographical article)

Trivia

  • One of the few people to win both film- and theatre-related 'Most Promising' awards at the Evening Standard awards.
  • A charcoal drawing from his student series 'The Epic of Oracle Foster' provoked controversy when exhibited at ICA.
  • Regular collaborator with composer Nick Bicât; they formed the music group Dreamskin Cradle.
  • 'Krindlekrax' won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize and other children's book awards and has been adapted for the stage.