Philip Ridley (born 1957 in East London) is an English storyteller working in a wide range of artistic media. As a visual artist he has been cited as a contemporary of the '

Young British Artists The Young British Artists, or YBAs—also referred to as Brit artists and Britart—is a loose group of visual artists who first began to exhibit together in London in 1988. Many of the YBA artists graduated from the BA Fine Art course at Goldsm ...

', and had his artwork exhibited internationally. As a novelist he has created fiction for both children and adults and has had particular success and recognition as a children's author. In the field of cinema he is perhaps best known for his award-winning screenplay for the 1990 film, '' The Krays'' (1990), a

biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudr ...

about

the Kray twins Ronald Kray (24 October 193317 March 1995) and Reginald Kray (24 October 19331 October 2000) were identical twin brothers, gangsters and convicted criminals. They were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in the East End of London, En ...

which was directed by

Peter Medak Peter Medak (born Medák Péter, 23 December 1937) is a Hungarian-born film director and television director of British and American productions. Early life Born in Budapest, Hungary, he was the son of Elisabeth (née Diamounstein) and Gyula Med ...

. As a filmmaker in his own right he is recognised for creating a loose trilogy of horror films: ''

The Reflecting Skin ''The Reflecting Skin'' is a 1990 British-Canadian dramatic horror film written and directed by Philip Ridley and starring Jeremy Cooper, Viggo Mortensen and Lindsay Duncan. Described by its director as a "mythical interpretation" of childhoo ...

'' (1990), ''

The Passion of Darkly Noon ''The Passion of Darkly Noon'' is a 1995 psychological horror drama film written and directed by Philip Ridley. The film stars Brendan Fraser, Ashley Judd, and Viggo Mortensen. The protagonist's name and film title come both from a passage in t ...

'' (1995) and '' Heartless'' (2009) for which he has acquired a cult following. As a playwright he has been described as "a pioneer of

In-yer-face theatre In-yer-face theatre is a term used to describe a confrontational style and sensibility of drama that emerged in Great Britain in the 1990s. This term was borrowed by British theatre critic Aleks Sierz as the title of his book, ''In-Yer-Face Theat ...

", which is a style and sensibility of drama that characterised many new plays that were performed in Britain during the 1990s. Ridley's debut play, '' The Pitchfork Disney'' (1991), is considered by many to be a seminal work that influenced the development of this form of theatre, with one critic even dubbing it "''the'' key play" of the 1990s. A great number of his plays for adults have been perceived as controversial, being met with both condemnation and high acclaim upon their initial reception. As a writer for the stage he is also recognised for creating an ongoing series of plays for young people ('' The Storyteller Sequence'') and has written theatrical works for children and family audiences. As a songwriter he has created songs for his cinematic and theatrical works, frequently collaborating with composer Nick Bicât. He and Bicât have also formed a music group called Dreamskin Cradle with singer Mary Leay. Ridley has also written songs for composer Anna Meredith, particularly operatic work. Ridley is also a poet, photographer, and performance artist and has written drama for radio. Although Ridley creates stories through a wide range of media, he dislikes his work being categorised by the medium in which it is told, often referring to them belonging to each other as "different peaks of the same mountain."

Biography

Ridley was born in

Bethnal Green Bethnal Green is an area in the East End of London northeast of Charing Cross. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the Green, much of which survives today as Bethnal Green Gardens, beside Cambridge Heath Road. By ...

in the

East End of London The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have univ ...

, where he lived and worked for the majority of his life until moving to Ilford. Ridley studied painting at

Saint Martin's School of Art Saint Martin's School of Art was an art college in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1854, initially under the aegis of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Saint Martin's became part of ...

, 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

charcoal drawing Artists' charcoal is charcoal used as a dry art medium. Both compressed charcoal (held together by a gum or wax binder) and charcoal sticks (wooden sticks burned in a kiln without air) are used. The marks it leaves behind on paper are much less ...

s called ''The Epic of Oracle Foster''. One drawing from this sequence, "''Corvus Cum''", 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 a ''

cause célèbre A cause célèbre (,''Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged'', 12th Edition, 2014. S.v. "cause célèbre". Retrieved November 30, 2018 from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/cause+c%c3%a9l%c3%a8bre ,''Random House Kernerman Webs ...

''. Ridley also started his own theatre group as a student, acting in many of the productions, and made several short art films.

Work in literature

Ridley has written three books for adults: ''

Crocodilia Crocodilia (or Crocodylia, both ) is an order of mostly large, predatory, semiaquatic reptiles, known as crocodilians. They first appeared 95 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period ( Cenomanian stage) and are the closest livi ...

'' (1988), '' In the Eyes of Mr. Fury'' (1989), and ''

Flamingoes in Orbit ''Flamingoes in Orbit'' is a collection of short stories by Philip Ridley. It was first published in the United Kingdom by Hamish Hamilton ltd in 1990. It was Ridley's third literary work for adults after his 1988 novella ''Crocodilia'' and his ...

'' (1990). His children's novels include ''Mercedes Ice'' (1989), ''Dakota of the White Flats'' (1989), ''

Krindlekrax ''Krindlekrax'' is a thriller children's novel by author Philip Ridley. It was first published in 1991 by Jonathan Cape and republished in 1992 by Red Fox and then again in 2001 by Puffin Books where it is still in print. The book won the Nes ...

'' (1991) (winner of both the

Smarties Prize Smarties are colour-varied sugar-coated chocolate confectionery. They have been manufactured since 1937, originally by H.I. Rowntree & Company in the United Kingdom, and now by Nestlé. Smarties are oblate spheroids with a minor axis of abou ...

and the

WH Smith Mind-Boggling Book Award The WH Smith Literary Award was an award founded in 1959 by British high street retailer W H Smith. Its founding aim was stated to be to "encourage and bring international esteem to authors of the British Commonwealth"; originally open to all res ...

), ''Meteorite Spoon'' (1994), ''Kasper in the Glitter'' (1994) (nominated for the

Whitbread Prize The Costa Book Awards were a set of annual literary awards recognising English-language books by writers based in UK and Ireland. Originally named the Whitbread Book Awards from 1971 to 2005 after its first sponsor, the Whitbread company, then ...

), ''Scribbleboy'' (1997) (shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal), ''Zinderzunder'' (1998), ''Vinegar Street'' (2000), ''Mighty Fizz Chilla'' (2002) (shortlisted for the

Blue Peter ''Blue Peter'' is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC Te ...

Book of the Year Award), and ''Zip's Apollo'' (2005). He also has written two short stories for younger children, ''Dreamboat Zing'' (1996) and ''The Hooligan's Shampoo'' (1996).

Work in cinema

After graduating from St Martin's, Ridley created the short film, ''Visiting Mr Beak'' (1987), which starred the veteran actor Guy Rolfe. He later created a short film for Channel 4 called ''The Universe of Dermot Finn'' (1988), which featured renowned actress

Sheila Hancock Dame Sheila Cameron Hancock (born 22 February 1933) is an English actress, singer, and author. Hancock trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before starting her career in repertory theatre. Hancock went on to perform in plays and music ...

and was officially selected for the Cannes Film Festival, where it was a critical success and went on to receive theatrical distribution. While still a student at St Martin's, Ridley wrote a screenplay for '' The Krays'' (1990), which was directed by

and starred real life brothers

Gary Kemp Gary James Kemp (born 16 October 1959) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and principal songwriter for the New Romantic band Spandau Ballet. Kemp wrote the lyrics and music ...

and

Martin Kemp Martin John Kemp (born 10 October 1961) is an English musician and actor, best known as the bassist in the new wave band Spandau Ballet and for his role as Steve Owen in ''EastEnders''. He is the younger brother of Gary Kemp, who is also ...

, who previously were recognised for their band,

Spandau Ballet Spandau Ballet () were an English new wave band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids, playing "European D ...

. Ridley has also directed three feature films from his own screenplays: ''

'' (1990) (winner of 11 international awards), ''

'' (1995) (winner of the Best Director Prize at the Porto Film Festival), and '' Heartless'' (2009). Ridley's third film as writer-director, '' Heartless'', premiered at the Frightfest horror film festival in London in August 2009. The film stars

Jim Sturgess James Anthony Sturgess''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 16 May 1978) is an English actor and singer-songwriter. His first major role was as Jude in the musical romance drama film ''Acro ...

Clémence Poésy Clémence Guichard (born 30 October 1982), known professionally as Clémence Poésy (), is a French actress and fashion model. After starting on the stage as a child, Poésy studied drama and has been active in both film and television since 19 ...

Noel Clarke Noel Anthony Clarke (born 6 December 1975) is a British actor, screenwriter, director, and comic book writer. Rising to prominence for playing Mickey Smith in '' Doctor Who'' (2005–2010), he played Sam in the films '' Kidulthood'' (2006), '' ...

Eddie Marsan Edward Maurice Charles Marsan (born 9 June 1968) is an English actor. He won the London Film Critics Circle Award and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film '' Happy-Go-Lucky'' (2008). He has feature ...

Luke Treadaway Luke Antony Newman Treadaway''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 10 September 1984) is a British actor and singer. He won an Olivier Award for Best Leading Actor for his performance as Chris ...

Ruth Sheen Ruth Sheen is an English actress. From the late 1980s, she has appeared in British television shows, films and plays. A participant in the films of Mike Leigh, she won the European Film Award for Best Actress for her performance as Shirley in Leigh ...

, and

Timothy Spall Timothy Leonard Spall (born 27 February 1957) is an English actor and presenter. He became a household name in the UK after appearing as Barry Spencer Taylor in the 1983 ITV comedy-drama series '' Auf Wiedersehen, Pet''. Spall performed in '' ...

, and was released in the UK in May 2010. It was the first mainstream British film to be released across all platforms (theatrical, DVD, Blu-ray, download) at the same time. In 1996 Hungary's Titanic Film Festival had a major retrospective of Ridley's work.

Work in theatre

Ridley has written 15 adult stage plays: the seminal '' The Pitchfork Disney'' (1990), the multi-award-winning ''

The Fastest Clock in the Universe ''The Fastest Clock in the Universe'' is a two act play by Philip Ridley. It was Ridley's second stage play and premiered at the Hampstead Theatre, London on 14 May 1992 and featured Jude Law in his first paid theatre role, playing the part of F ...

'' (1992), '' Ghost from a Perfect Place'' (1994), '' Vincent River'' (2000), the controversial '' Mercury Fur'' (2005), ''

Leaves of Glass ''Leaves of Glass'' is the sixth adult stage play by Philip Ridley. It premiered at the Soho Theatre in London, England, on 3 May 2007. The play was commissioned and directed by Lisa Goldman after being greatly impressed by Ridley's previous a ...

'' (2007), ''

Piranha Heights ''Piranha Heights'' is a one act play by Philip Ridley. It is Ridley's seventh stage play for adults and premiered at the Soho Theatre, London in 2008. The production was the second collaboration between Ridley and Soho Theatre Artistic Director ...

'' (2008), ''

Tender Napalm ''Tender Napalm'' is a 2011 play by Philip Ridley. Ridley's eighth stageplay for adults, it premiered at The Southwark Playhouse, London on 19 April 2011. The original production was directed by David Mercatali, who previously directed the pro ...

'' (2011), '' Shivered'' (2012), ''Dark Vanilla Jungle'' (2013), ''Radiant Vermin'' (2015), ''Tonight with Donny Stixx'' (2015), ''Karagula'' (2016), and '' The Poltergeist'' (2020). Ridley has also written various monologues, many of which have been selectively performed together onstage. This includes ''Killer'' (consisting of the monologues ''Killer'', ''Sledgehammers'', and ''Vesper'') performed in 2017, ''Angry'' (consisting of the monologues ''Angry'', ''Okay'', ''Bloodshot'', ''Dancing'', ''Now'', and ''Air'') performed in 2018, and ''The Beast Will Rise'' (consisting of the monologues ''Performance'', ''Gators'', ''Star'', ''Rosewater'', and ''Cactus'') performed in 2020. Ridley is additionally known for his series of plays for young people (known collectively as '' The Storyteller Sequence''), consisting of '' Karamazoo'' (2004), '' Fairytaleheart'' (1998), '' Moonfleece'' (2004), '' Sparkleshark'', and '' Brokenville'' (2003). He has also written two plays for young children, ''Daffodil Scissors'' (2004) and ''Krindlekrax'' (2002) - a stage adaptation of his successful children's novel of the same name - as well as a play for the whole family, ''Feathers in the Snow'' (2012). 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 The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

in London.

Work in music

Ridley's output as a lyricist has produced a wide range of songs, a number of which have featured in a variety of his plays, films, and novels. As a student Ridley participated in music by creating work with a band called Haunted Staircase (who released their double-sided record ''Flutters'' in the early 1980s) and also worked as a DJ at a nightclub. As a songwriter he has regularly collaborated with the composer, Nick Bicât. For Ridley's film, ''The Passion of Darkly Noon'', they created two songs: "Look What You've Done" (sung by

Gavin Friday Gavin Friday (born Fionán Martin Hanvey, 8 October 1959) is an Irish singer and songwriter, composer, actor and painter, best known as a founding member of the post-punk group The Virgin Prunes. Early life Friday was born in Dublin and attend ...

) and "Who Will Love Me Now?" (sung by

PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...

), the latter of which was voted as

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance ...

's Best Film Song of 1998. It was later covered by the techno/house band

Sunscreem Sunscreem are a techno/house music band from Essex, England that scored a number of hits on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century. Sunscreem also has the rare reputation as a techno-based band ...

as ''Please Save Me'', whose cover entered the UK top 40 chart, became a cult hit in clubs, and featured in the film '' South West 9''. For his film ''Heartless'' Ridley and Bicât created ten songs (performed by Mary Leay, Joe Echo, and lead actor Jim Sturgess). In 2010 Ridley and Bicât formed the music group, 'Dreamskin Cradle' (with singer Mary Leay). The group's first album, ''Songs from Grimm'' (2014), consisted of twelve songs inspired by female characters in

Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among th ...

fairy tales A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...

and was released on all major download sites. Some songs from the album were performed as part of a live performance called ''Grimm Tales'', which was developed by the St Paul's Institute and featured readings from the actress Jeany Spark, reflections from

Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

Edmund Newell, and extracts from Brothers Grimm fairy tales adapted by

poet laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch ...

Carol Ann Duffy Dame Carol Ann Duffy (born 23 December 1955) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Poet Laureate in May 2009, resigning in 2019. She was the first ...

. Dreamskin Cradle have also released two singles: ''Fade and Float'' (written for Ridley's stage play, ''Tender Napalm'') and ''Ladybird First'' (written for Ridley's stage play, ''Dark Vanilla Jungle''). Ridley also has written the libretto of an opera for teenagers titled ''Tarantula in Petrol Blue'', composed by Anna Meredith, which had its premiere in 2009.

Other artistic work

Riley is a photographer, with his images appearing on the covers of a number of his published plays. He also has had a number of photography exhibitions mainly consisting of portraits of his friends and images of East London. Ridley is also a poet, with some of his poetry published in a number of anthologies, and has earned a following for his ongoing series of performance poetry, ''Lovesongs for Extinct Creatures''. Ridley has won both the ''

Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

''s Most Promising Newcomer to

British Film The United Kingdom has had a significant film industry for over a century. While film production reached an all-time high in 1936, the "golden age" of British cinema is usually thought to have occurred in the 1940s, during which the directors D ...

and Most Promising Playwright Awards. He is the only person ever to receive both prizes. He featured on BBC2's flagship arts programme, ''The Culture Show'', on 2 March 2012.

List of works (incomplete)

Literature

''Works for Adults'' * 1986 – ''Embracing Verdi'' (short story) * 1987 – ''Leviathan'' (short story) * 1988 – ''

'' (novella) * 1989 – '' In the Eyes of Mr. Fury'' (novel, expanded and rewritten version published in 2016) * 1990 – ''

'' (short story collection, rewritten new version published in 2018) * 1995 – ''Alien Heart'' (short story) * 1997 – ''Introduction'' to ''Philip Ridley Plays: 1'' (semi-autobiographical prose, extended and updated version published in 2012) * 1998 – ''Wonderful Insect'' (short story) * 2009 – ''Introduction'' to ''Philip Ridley Plays: 2'' (semi-autobiographical prose) ''Works for Children'' * 1989 – ''Mercedes Ice'' (novel) * 1989 – ''Dakota of the White Flats'' (novel) * 1991 – ''

'' (novel) * 1994 – ''Meteorite Spoon'' (novel) * 1995 – ''Kasper in the Glitter'' (novel) * 1997 – ''Scribbleboy'' (novel) * 1998 – ''Zinderzunder'' (novel) * 2000 – ''Vinegar Street'' (novel) * 2002 – ''Mighty Fizz Chilla'' (novel) * 2005 – ''Zip's Apollo'' (novel) ''Works for Younger Children'' * 1996 – ''The Hooligan's Shampoo'' (short story) * 1996 – ''Dreamboat Zing'' (short story)

Poetry

Ongoing performance sequence - ''Lovesongs for Extinct Creatures'': * ''Your Love'' * ''Dark Sky Craving'' * ''The Silver Hat'' * ''I'm Waiting to be Killed'' * ''The Seams'' Performance sequence - ''Heartbeat on the Horizon'': * ''Press Conference'' * ''After'' * ''Flash Boom'' * ''Shrapnel'' * ''I Will'' Miscellaneous poetry: * ''The Dying Lizard Man'' * ''Someone Wants to Kill Me Again'' * ''Getting Through The Day'' * ''The Prince and the Snail'' * ''Waiting For Faces To Fall'' * ''I Am The Boy'' * ''Sparkling Cannibals''

Theatre

''Adult Stage Plays'' * 1991 – '' The Pitchfork Disney'' * 1992 – ''

'' * 1994 – '' Ghost from a Perfect Place'' * 2000 – '' Vincent River'' * 2001 – ''NT25 Chain Play'' (produced for The National Theatre's 25th anniversary, featuring 25 scenes each written by a different playwright, with Ridley writing the second scene. The script was published on the National Theatre's website.) * 2005 – '' Mercury Fur'' * 2007 – ''

'' * 2008 – ''

'' * 2011 – ''

'' * 2012 – '' Shivered'' * 2013 – ''Dark Vanilla Jungle'' (monologue) * 2015 – ''Radiant Vermin'' * 2015 – ''Tonight with Donny Stixx'' (monologue) * 2016 – ''Karagula'' * 2020 – '' The Poltergeist'' (monologue) * 2021 – ''

Tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...

'' (monologue) ''Libretto'' * 2007 – ''On Such A Day'' (short operatic piece) * 2009 – ''Tarantula in Petrol Blue'' (opera for teenagers) ''Plays for Young People ( The Storyteller Sequence)'' * 1997 – '' Sparkleshark'' (professional premiere in 1999) * 1998 – '' Fairytaleheart'' (also worked as the director of the original stage production) * 2000 – '' Brokenville'' (performed earlier as a work-in-progress under the title ''Apocalyptica'' in 1998) * 2004 – '' Moonfleece'' (professional premiere in 2010) * 2004 – '' Karamazoo'' (monologue) ''Play for the Whole Family'' * 2012 – ''Feathers in the Snow'' ''Plays for Children'' * 2000 – ''Scribbleboy'' (adapted by Ridley from his children's novel of the same name. Play unproduced and script unpublished) * 2002 – ''

'' (adapted by Ridley from his children's novel of the same name) * 2004 – ''Daffodil Scissors'' ''Monologues'' (sometimes performed as Live Art) * 1986 – ''Vesper'' (first performed as a live art piece by Ridley in the ''Ten Painters Exhibition'' at St Martins School of Art) * ???? – ''Bloodshot'' * ???? – ''Angry'' * ???? – ''Vooosh!'' * ???? – ''Now'' * ???? – ''Okay'' * ???? – ''Wound'' * ???? – ''It'' * 2013 – ''Dark Vanilla Jungle'' * 2015 – ''Tonight with Donny Stixx'' * 2017 – ''Killer'' * 2017 – ''Sledgehammers'' * 2018 – ''Dancing'' Monologues presented as theatre pieces: * 2017 – ''Killer'' (a theatrical presentation of three monologues: ''Killer'', ''Sledgehammers'', and ''Vesper'') * 2018 – ''Angry'' (a theatrical presentation of six monologues: ''Angry'', ''Okay'', ''Bloodshot'', ''Dancing'', ''Now'', and ''Air'') * 2020 – ''The Beast Will Rise'' (a theatrical presentation of five monologues: ''Performance'', ''Gators'', ''Star'', ''Rosewater'', and ''Cactus'') * 2020 – '' The Poltergeist'' * 2021 – ''

'' Online monologues: * 2014 - ''Mercury Fur - New Monologues'' (Four monologues written by Ridley to promote The Greenhouse Theatre Company's production of ''Mercury Fur'' transferring to the West End: ''Elliot'', ''Naz'', ''Lola'', ''Darren''. Presented o
The Greenhouse Theatre Company's YouTube channel
) * 2020 - '' The Beast Will Rise'' (a series of monologues in response to

Coronavirus Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the co ...

performed by the cast of Ridley's postponed play ''The Beast of Blue Yonder'': ''Gators'', ''Zarabooshka'', ''Chihuahua'', ''Origami'', ''Wound'', ''Telescope'', ''River'', ''Eclipse'', ''Performance'', ''Star'', ''Night'', ''Puzzle'', ''Snow'', ''Rosewater'', ''Cactus''. Presented online a
The Beast Will Rise (Tramp)
)

Radio plays

* 1989 – ''October Scars the Skin'' (script unpublished) * 1989 – ''The Aquarium of Coincidences'' (script unpublished) * 1991 – ''Shambolic Rainbow'' (script unpublished)

Film

''Feature Films'' * 1990 – '' The Krays'' (screenwriter) * 1990 – ''

'' (director and screenwriter) * 1995 – ''

'' (director and screenwriter) * 2010 – '' Heartless'' (director and screenwriter) ''Short Films'' * 1987 – ''Visiting Mr Beak'' (director and screenwriter) * 1988 – ''The Universe of Dermot Finn'' (director and screenwriter)

Songs

''As part of Dreamskin Cradle'' (with Nick Bicât) 2011 – From the stage play ''Tender Napalm'' * ''Fade and Float'' (sung by Mary Leay) 2013 – From the stage play ''Dark Vanilla Jungle'' * ''Ladybird First'' (sung by Mary Leay) 2014 – From the Album ''Songs from Grimm'' * The Path You Know (sung by Mary Leay) *Fearless (sung by Mary Leay) *Waiting For You (sung by Mary Leay) *Don't Call Me Magic (sung by Mary Leay) *Not Here (sung by Mary Leay) *Did That Just Happen (sung by Mary Leay) *Things Will Change (sung by Mary Leay) *Somewhere Something's Spinning (sung by Mary Leay) *I Found You (Sung by Mary Leay) *A Million Magic Things (sung by Mary Leay) *Bring You Back (sung by Mary Leay) *Tenderly Tender Me (sung by Mary Leay) ''Songs in Cinematic Works'' 1995 – From the film ''

'' (music Nick Bicât) * ''Who Will Love Me Now?'' (sung by

) * ''Look What You've Done (To My Skin)'' (sung by

) 2010 – From the film '' Heartless'' (music Nick Bicât) * ''Heartless'' (sung by

) * ''This Is The World We Live In'' (sung by

Joe Echo Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...

) * ''What Skin Is All About'' (sung by Joe Echo) * ''The Other Me'' (sung by Joe Echo) * ''Lie to Me'' (sung by Joe Echo) * ''It Must Be Somewhere'' (sung by Mary Leay) * ''The Darker It Gets'' (sung by Joe Echo) * ''In You Are All The Stories'' (sung by Joe Echo) * ''Beautiful'' (sung by Joe Echoe) * ''Phoenix in Dynamite Sky'' (sung by Joe Echo) ''Other musical works'' 198? – From the record single ''Flutters'' (double sided record featuring Philip Ridley as part of the band ''Haunted Staircase'') * Side A: ''Flutters (A New Kind of Lovesong)'' * Side B: ''Something for the Children (A New Kind of Lullaby)'' 2009 – ''Fin Like a Flower'' (music by Anna Meredith, sung by

Michael Chance Michael Chance CBE (born in Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom 7 March 1955) is an English countertenor and the founder and Artistic Director of The Grange Festival. Chance was born in Penn, Buckinghamshire, into a musical family. After growing ...

. On the album '' The NMC Songbook'') 2009 – ''Songless'' (music by Anna Meredith. Premiered at the Twickenham Choral Society. Unreleased) 2010 – ''Heal You'' (music by Anna Meredith, sung by Juice Vocal Ensemble. Performed as part of ''Laid Bare: 10 love songs''. Released as a single in 2014) 2016 – ''Love and Defection'' (Mix-tape made for The Voice of Cassandre, a French Radio show which invites international artists to create their own mix-tapes.)

Exhibitions

''Group Shows'' * 1981 – '' New Contemporaries'', ICA, London. * 1982 – ''New Contemporaries'', ICA, London. * 1983 – ''Christie's Student Show'', Christie's, London. * 1984 – ''The Leicester Exhibition'', Leicester. * 1985 – ''Open Drawing Exhibition'', Tettenhall Gallery, Wolverhampton. * 1985 – ''Open Exhibition'', Lamont Gallery, London. * 1986 – ''Ten Painters'', 7th Floor Gallery, St. Martin's School of Art, London. * 1986 – ''Summer Exhibition'', Bernard Baron Gallery, London. * 1987 – ''Group Show'', Tom Allen Centre, London. * 1987 – ''Selected Show'', Lamont Gallery, London. * 1987 – ''Young Contemporaries'', Birch & Conran, London. * 1988 – ''Decency'', Discreetly Bizarre Gallery, London. * 1988 – ''Selected Show'', Lamont Gallery, London. * 1988 – ''Mendacity'', Discreetly Bizarre Gallery, London. * 1988 – ''Magical Cats'', Lamont Gallery, London. * 1988 – ''Art Jonction International'', Nice, France. * 1988 – ''Bergamo Art Fair'', Bergamo, Italy. * 1996 – ''Freezeframe'', Lamont Gallery, London. * 2011 – ''Behind The Eyes'', The Sassoon Gallery, London. (Photographic portraits. ''Behind The Eyes'' was a community arts project inspired by Ridley's play ''Mercury Fur'')Behind The Eyes event on the Art Licks Website
/ref> ''Solo Shows'' * 1985 – ''The Roaring Dreams Show'', Tom Allen Centre, London. * 1985 – ''The Feeling Landscapes Show'', Bernard Baron Gallery, London. * 1985 – ''The Glittering Gargolyes Show'', The Fallen Angel, London. * 1986 – ''Mermaids, Monsters and Sleeping Moons'', Mermaid Theatre, London. * 1986 – ''Recent Images'', The Fallen Angel, London. * 1986 – ''The Epic of Oracle Foster'', Lamont Gallery, London. * 1987 – ''Shy Moon'', The Garden Gallery, London. * 1989 – ''The Vinegar Blossoms'', Lamont Gallery, London. * 2007 – ''Recent Portraits'', The Soho Theatre, London (photography exhibition) * 2007 – ''East London'', Trafalgar Studios, London (photography exhibition) * 2008 – ''Recent Portraits 2'', The Soho Theatre, London (photography exhibition) * 2017 – ''Rebels and Rubble'',

Shoreditch Town Hall Shoreditch Town Hall is a municipal building in Shoreditch, London. It is a Grade II listed building. History In the mid-20th century, the vestry board decided to procure a vestry hall for the Parish of St. Leonard's; the site they selected ...

, London (mini photography exhibition)

Selected works in anthologies

* 1987 – Short Story ''Embracing Verdi'' in the collection ''Oranges and Lemons: Stories by Gay Men'' (edited by

David Rees David or Dai Rees may refer to: Entertainment * David Rees (author) (1936–1993), British children's author * Dave Rees (born 1969), American drummer for SNFU and Wheat Chiefs * David Rees (cartoonist) (born 1972), American cartoonist and televis ...

and Peter Robbins) * 1988 – Short Story ''Leviathan'' in the collection ''20 Under 35: Original Stories by Britain's Best New Young Writers'' (edited by Peter Straus) * 1995 – Short Story ''Alien Heart'' in ''Projections 4½'' (edited by

John Boorman Sir John Boorman (; born 18 January 1933) is a British film director, best known for feature films such as '' Point Blank'' (1967), ''Hell in the Pacific'' (1968), ''Deliverance'' (1972), '' Zardoz'' (1974), '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'' (1977 ...

and Walter Donohue) * 1996 – Extract from ''The Fastest Clock in the Universe'' in the collection ''Live 3: Critical Mass'' (edited by David Tushingham) * 1997 – Short Story ''Embracing Verdi'' in the collection ''The Mammoth Book of Gay Short Stories'' (edited by

Peter Burton Peter Ray Burton (4 April 1921 – 21 November 1989) was an English film and television actor. Early life Peter Ray Burton, was born in Bromley, Kent, to Frederick Ray Burton and Gladys Maude (née Frazer). Career He is perhaps best known fo ...

) * 1997 – Three poems: ''Someone Wants to Kill Me'', ''The Seams'' and ''Getting Through the Day'' in '' The Bush Theatre Book'' (edited by

Mike Bradwell Mike Bradwell (born July 11, 1986) is a former Canadian football wide receiver who played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted in the second round of the 2008 CFL Draft by the Toronto Argonauts. He began playi ...

) * 2000 – Extract from ''Krindlekrax'' in the collection ''Out of this world'' * 2003 – Poem ''The Silver Hat'' in the collection ''Love'' (edited by Fiona Waters) * 2005 – Poem ''The Prince and the Snail'' in the collection ''The Works 4'' (edited by Gaby Morgan) * 2007 – Three poems: ''Dark Sky Craving'', ''Waiting For Faces To Fall'' and ''I Am The Boy'' in the collection ''Poems for the Retired Nihilist: Volume 2'' (edited by

Graham Bendel Graham Bendel is a British writer and filmmaker. He has written for ''The Big Issue'', ''New Statesman'', '' Hotdog'' and ''Prospect''. In 2005, he directed the documentary '' Billy Childish Is Dead'', which was nominated for a British Independen ...

) * 2009 – Monologue ''Vesper'' in ''Modern British Playwriting: The 1990s: Voices, Documents, New Interpretations'' (edited by

Aleks Sierz Aleks Sierz is a British theatre critic. He is known for coining the term " In-yer-face theatre", which was the title of a book he published in 2001. Sierz was educated at Manchester University and holds a PhD from Westminster University. He wo ...

)

Derivative works

* In the British radio and TV comedy

Little Britain Little Britain may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little Britain'' (sketch show), a British radio and then TV show ** ''Little Britain USA'', an American spin-off * "Little Britain", a song by Dreadzone from the 1995 album ''Second Light'' * ...

the character of

Vicky Pollard This is a list of characters for the British television and radio sketch show '' Little Britain'' (and its American spin-off, '' Little Britain USA''). Overview ;Key : Characters that appear for only one sketch are not listed in the table A ...

comes from Darkley Noone council estates which is named after Ridley's film ''

''. * The music track ''The Light at the End (Effect)'' by industrial/noise rock duo Uniform (from their 2017 LP ''Wake in Fright'') uses a dialogue excerpt from ''The Reflecting Skin''. * In 2011 the Schema Arts Collective used Ridley's 2005 play '' Mercury Fur'' as the basis for a community arts project called '' Behind the Eyes'', which took place at the Sassoon Gallery, London. The project featured an amateur production of ''Mercury Fur'', displayed artwork inspired by the play and Ridley himself collaborated by exhibiting a series of photographic portraits he had created of the production's cast. A behind the scenes documentary about the project called ''Mercury Fur Unveiled'' was also made and later broadcast on the Community Channel in 2013 and i
free to watch online
* In 2007 performance pieces inspired by Ridley's semi-autobiographical ''Introduction'' to ''Philip Ridley Plays: 1'' were presented by young directors under the title ''Gleaming Dark''. This received a one-off performance at

Trafalgar Studios Trafalgar Theatre is a new West End theatre in Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square, in the City of Westminster, London. It is set to open in spring 2021 following a major multi-million pound restoration project aiming to reinstate it back to its ...

in conjunction with the venue's revival of Ridley's play '' Vincent River''. * A quote from Ridley's children novel ''Dakota of the White Flats'' is used as the epigraph for chapter 6 of

Cornelia Funke Cornelia Maria Funke () (born 10 December 1958) is a German author of children's fiction. Born in Dorsten, North Rhine-Westphalia, she began her career as a social worker before becoming a book illustrator. She began writing novels in the late 19 ...

's young adult fantasy novel ''

Inkspell ''Inkspell'' (German title: ''Tintenblut'') is a 2005 young adult fantasy novel by Cornelia Funke. It was named the 2006 Book Sense Book of the Year in the Children's Literature category. ''Inkspell'' is the second novel in Cornelia Funke's ''I ...

''. * The German band Troy Flamingo are named after a character from one of Ridley's short stories. * The American band the Reflecting Skin is named after Ridley's film of the same name. * Reece Nagra's remix of

Buju Banton Mark Anthony Myrie (born 15 July 1973),Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, professionally known by his stage name Buju Banton, is a Jamaican reggae dancehall musician. He is considered to be one of the most s ...

's song ''Murderer'' opens with an expert of dialogue from '' The Krays'' and became a drum and bass anthem. *

Phil Western Phillip Charles Western (August 12, 1971 – February 4, 2019) was a Canadian musician, based in Vancouver and a founding member of the bands Download, PlatEAU, Frozen Rabbit, and Off and Gone. Biography Having started his career as a dru ...

's 1998 album ''The Escapist'' features excerpts of dialogue from ''The Reflecting Skin''. *The song '' Fury Eyes'' (from

the Creatures The Creatures were an English band formed in 1981 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie of the group Siouxsie and the Banshees. The Creatures released their first EP '' Wild Things'' in 1981. They recorded four studio albums: '' Feas ...

' second album, ''

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning ...

'') is dedicated to Ridley's novel '' In the Eyes of Mr. Fury''. * The Song ''Troy Flamingo'' from Madonna Hip Hop Massaker's 1995 album ''Teenie Trap'' is based on the title story of Ridley's 1999 book ''

''. * Ridley's song ''Who Will Love Me Now?'' was covered by the techno/house band

under the title ''Please Save Me''. The song became a cult hit in clubs, entered the top 40 UK chart, top 30 US dance chart and featured in the film '' South West 9''. * The song ''Omlagus Garfungiloops'' (from Coil's 1992 album ''

Stolen & Contaminated Songs ''Stolen & Contaminated Songs'' was the first of two albums recorded and produced by the band Coil in 1992. The album is composed of outtakes and unreleased songs from their prior album, ''Love's Secret Domain''. Background Although track one ...

'') features excerpts of dialogue from ''The Reflecting Skin''. *The Scottish band River Head used a photography still from ''The Reflecting Skin'' on the cover of their 1992 single sided 7" EP ''Was Away / Haddit''. * Ridley's image ''Rainbow Kiss'' was used on the cover of the short story collection ''Oranges and Lemons: Stories by Gay Men'', to which he also contributed as a writer. * Ridley's charcoal drawing ''The Conversation'' was used as the cover to cult band

Blowzabella Blowzabella is an English folk band formed in London in 1978. The band currently consists of Andy Cutting, Jo Freya, Paul James, David Shepherd, Barn Stradling, and Jon Swayne; members of the band have changed multiple times since their incept ...

's 1988 album ''Pingha Frenzy''.

Notable awards won

* The 2013

Scotsman The Scots ( sco, Scots Fowk; gd, Albannaich) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged in the early Middle Ages from an amalgamation of two Celtic-speaking peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who fou ...

Fringe First The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

Award for ''Dark Vanilla Jungle''. * The 2010

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Toronto After Dark Film Festival is a showcase of horror, sci-fi, action and cult cinema held annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The festival premieres a diverse selection of feature-length and short-films from around the world including n ...

Vision Award for Best Independent Feature Film for ''Heartless''. * The 2010 Fantasporto Film Festival Best Film Award for ''Heartless''. * The 2010 Fantasporto Film Festival Best Director Award for ''Heartless''. * The 2009

Leeds International Film Festival The Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF) is the largest film festival in England outside London. Founded in 1987, it is held in November at various venues throughout Leeds, West Yorkshire. In 2015, the festival welcomed over 40,000 visit ...

Silver Melies Award for ''Heartless''. * The 1993

for ''Krindlekrax''. * The 1993 Meyer-Whitworth Award for Most Promising New Playwright for ''The Fastest Clock in the Universe''. * A 1992 Time Out Award for ''The Fastest Clock in the Universe''. * The 1992

Critics' Circle Theatre Award The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, originally called ''Drama'' Theatre Awards up to 1990, are British theatrical awards presented annually for the closing year's theatrical achievements. The winners, from theatre throughout the United Kingdom, ar ...

for Most Promising Playwright for ''The Fastest Clock in the Universe''. * The 1992

Evening Standard Theatre Award The ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Awards, established in 1955, are the oldest theatrical awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. They are presented annually for outstanding achievements in London Theatre, and are organised by the ''Evening Standa ...

for Most Promising Playwright for ''The Fastest Clock in the Universe''. * The 1991 Nestle Smarties Book Prize (9–11 years category) for ''Krindlekrax''. * The 1990

Evening Standard British Film Award The Evening Standard British Film Awards were established in 1973 by London's ''Evening Standard'' newspaper. The Standard Awards is the only ceremony "dedicated to British and Irish talent," judged by a panel of "top UK critics." Each ceremony ...

for Most Promising Newcomer for ''The Krays''. * The 1990 Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Film for ''The Krays'' * Silver Leopard at the

Locarno Film Festival The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, sh ...

for ''

''. * Grand Prize at the

Stockholm Film Festival The Stockholm International Film Festival ( sv, Stockholms filmfestival, italic=no) is an annual film festival held in Stockholm, Sweden. It was launched in 1990 and has been held every year since then during the second half of November. The w ...

for ''The Reflecting Skin''.

Notable award 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 2011 London Festival Fringe Best Play Award for the 2010 London revival of ''Vincent River''. * 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 for the 2010 London revival of ''Vincent River''. * Nominated for the 2011 London Festival Fringe Best Play Award for ''Tender Napalm'' * Shortlisted for ''The MOBIUS Best Off-West End Production'' award for ''

'' at the 2009 WhatsOnStage.com Theatregoers Choice Awards * Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for ''Mighty Fizz Chilla'' * Shortlisted for the

Blue Peter Book Award The Blue Peter Book Awards were a set of literary awards for children's books conferred by the BBC television programme ''Blue Peter''. They were inaugurated in 2000 for books published in 1999. The Awards have been managed by reading charity, ...

: The Book I Couldn't Put Down 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'' * Shortlisted for the 1990

Evening Standard British Film Awards The Evening Standard British Film Awards were established in 1973 by London's ''Evening Standard'' newspaper. The Standard Awards is the only ceremony "dedicated to British and Irish talent," judged by a panel of "top UK critics." Each ceremony ...

for Best Screenplay for ''The Krays'' * Best Short Film at

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...

for ''The Universe of Dermot Finn''

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ridley, Philip 1964 births 20th-century English novelists 21st-century English novelists English dramatists and playwrights English children's writers English screenwriters English male screenwriters English film directors Writers from London Alumni of Saint Martin's School of Art Living people English male dramatists and playwrights English male novelists 20th-century English male writers 21st-century English male writers