26 Facts About Shaun McKenna

Shaun Patrick McKenna was born on 5 April 1957 in Maidstone, Kent and is an English dramatist, lyricist and screenwriter.

Shaun McKenna was an actor for a few years, then taught drama, and began writing in his late 20s.

Shaun McKenna married former actress and agent Jenny Hayes in 1985; she died in 2014.

Shaun McKenna began an association with Michael Napier Brown at the Royal Theatre in Northampton for whom he adapted Richard Llewellyn's How Green Was My Valley in which Aled Jones made his acting debut, and R F Delderfield's To Serve Them All My Days.

Shaun McKenna subsequently wrote a drama, Ruling Passions, which was presented at the Royal in 1995.

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Shaun McKenna wrote the book for Ben Hur Live, based on the novel by Lew Wallace shown at the O2 arena in September 2009, and in a revised version at the Fiera di Roma, Rome in 2011.

Shaun McKenna has subsequently written a book, Maddie and Us, about the experience.

Shaun McKenna wrote the book for Lautrec, collaborating with Charles Aznavour.

Shaun McKenna wrote book and lyrics for the stage adaptation of JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings with Matthew Warchus.

Shaun McKenna's work was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Musical.

Shaun McKenna co-wrote Murder Mystery Musical with Alister Cameron and composer Richard Brown, which was performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 2009.

Shaun McKenna wrote the book for the arena show The Bible: In The Beginning, with lyrics by Maribeth Derry, planned to open in the US in 2020.

Shaun McKenna has written lyrics for Celtic Warrior, a new musical by Marti Pellow and lyrics for four songs on Pellow's album Stargazer.

Shaun McKenna wrote the lyrics, with music by Leighton James House and book by Simon Spencer.

ITV Shaun McKenna wrote The Crooked Man, and the two part thriller Like Father, Like Son.

Shaun McKenna wrote seven episodes for the last three series of TV series Heartbeat.

Shaun McKenna had a two-part drama Cuckoo in development for ITV with TXTV.

Shaun McKenna wrote and researched several films in the Great West End Theatres series presented by Sir Donald Sinden.

In 2020 Shaun McKenna wrote two series of Eleanor Rising, a BBC Radio 4 drama series about Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Shaun McKenna spent much of 2018 writing China Towns, an eleven hour BBC Radio 4 series based on five novels by Arnold Bennett which was broadcast over six weekend in 2019 and is available on Audible.

Shaun McKenna was a core writer on the BBC's 600-episode First World War drama Home Front, which began broadcasting daily episodes on 4 August 2014.

Shaun McKenna was commissioned by BBC Radio 4, alongside Lyn Coghlin, to adapt all nine of John Galsworthy's Forsyte novels, to be transmitted from 2016.

Shaun McKenna adapted four of the eight John le Carre George Smiley novels shown in BBC Radio Four's "Complete Smiley" season – A Murder of Quality, The Looking Glass War, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Honourable Schoolboy, all of which have been released on BBC audiobooks.

Shaun McKenna later adapted Winston Graham's novel Marnie for Radio 4 and Rosemary Sutcliff's Brother Dusty Feet for Radio 4 Extra.

Shaun McKenna wrote both original and adapted radio dramas for BBC Radio: The Postman Always Rings Twice, Meeting Jack, The Ghost Train, East of Eden, Me and Little Boots a comedy about Caligula's horse with Leslie Phillips, Smiles of a Summer Night with Samuel West and Nicholas Farrell, Seawyf and Biscuit, The Cry of the Owl, a World Service adaptation of Mrs Warren's Profession, and the radio adaptation of To Serve Them All My Days.

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Shaun McKenna edited eight books of 'Scenes for Actors' for Oberon Books.