26 Facts About Philip Ridley

Philip Ridley is an English storyteller working in a wide range of genres and artistic media.

Philip Ridley has written novels for both adults and children.

Philip Ridley has written theatrical works for children and family audiences.

Philip Ridley has written songs for composer Anna Meredith, particularly operatic work.

Philip Ridley is a poet, photographer, and performance artist, and has written drama for radio.

Philip Ridley was born in Bethnal Green in the East End of London.

Philip Ridley has lived and worked for the majority of his life until moving to Ilford, in East London.

Philip Ridley studied painting at Saint Martin's School of Art, and his work has been exhibited throughout Europe and Japan.

Philip Ridley started as both a performance artist and the creator of a long sequence of charcoal drawings 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 Philip Ridley was still a student.

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

Philip Ridley has written three books for adults: Crocodilia, In the Eyes of Mr Fury, and Flamingoes in Orbit.

Philip Ridley has written two short stories for younger children, Dreamboat Zing and The Hooligan's Shampoo.

Philip Ridley has directed three feature films from his own screenplays: The Reflecting Skin, The Passion of Darkly Noon, and Heartless.

Philip Ridley has written 15 adult stage plays: the seminal The Pitchfork Disney, the multi-award-winning The Fastest Clock in the Universe, Ghost from a Perfect Place, Vincent River, the controversial Mercury Fur, Leaves of Glass, Piranha Heights, Tender Napalm, Shivered, Dark Vanilla Jungle, Radiant Vermin, Tonight with Donny Stixx, Karagula, and The Poltergeist.

Philip Ridley has written various monologues, many of which have been selectively performed together onstage.

Philip Ridley is additionally known for his series of plays for young people, consisting of Karamazoo, Fairytaleheart, Moonfleece, Sparkleshark, and Brokenville.

Philip Ridley has written two plays for young children, Daffodil Scissors and Krindlekrax - 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.

Philip 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.

Philip Ridley has written a wide range of songs, some of which have featured in his plays, films, and novels.

Philip Ridley has written the libretto of an opera for teenagers titled Tarantula in Petrol Blue.

Philip Ridley is a photographer, and his images have appeared on the covers of some of his published plays.

Philip Ridley has had photography exhibitions, mainly consisting of portraits of his friends and images of East London.

Philip Ridley has won the Evening Standard awards for Most Promising Newcomer to British Film and Most Promising Playwright.

Philip Ridley is the only person ever to receive both prizes.

Philip Ridley was featured on BBC2's arts programme, The Culture Show, on 2 March 2012.