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*'''''The Peacemaker''''' is the name of a film; see ''[[The Peacemaker (film)|The Peacemaker]]''.
==Overview==
*'''Peacemaker''' is the name of a comic book character; see [[Peacemaker (comics)]].
'''Ken Hill''' ([[January 28th]], [[1937]] - [[January 23rd]], [[1995]]) was a critically acclaimed [[British]] [[playwright]], and [[theatre director]].<Br><Br>
*'''''The Peacemaker''''' is the name of an anti-duelling pamphlet by [[Thomas Middleton]].
*'''Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers''' is a rock band [[Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers]].
He was a protege of [[Joan Littlewood]] at [[Theatre Workshop]]. He was happiest directing chaotic [[musicals]] on the tiny stage of the old [[Theatre Royal Stratford East]], [[Theatre Workshop]]'s home in [[Stratford, London]], for many years but he also had hits in the [[West End]] and abroad, among them ''[[The Invisible Man]]'' and the original stage version of ''[[Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera|The Phantom of the Opera]]'', which inspired [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]] to create his famed musical blockbuster of the same title.<br><Br>
*'''The Peacemaker''' is a name for the [[Colt Single Action Army handgun]], a pistol first manufactured in 1873.
*'''The Great Peacemaker''', a prophet who helped found the [[Haudenosaunee|Haudenosaunee nation]]
His stock-in-trade was musical adventure stories. Like [[Joan Littlewood]], his aim was to make things look fresh and improvised, to which end he might spend hours working on one tiny scene with his cast. He set his lyrics to out-of-copyright popular tunes, so that the audience felt familiar with his songs without ever quite being able to place them, and, more importantly, so that music could be adapted without paying royalties the budgets at [[Theatre Workshop]] being famously small. He had an encyclopaedic musical knowledge. For example, in his final show, ''[[Zorro]] The Musical!'', his lyrics were accompanied by melodies from [[19th-century]] Spanish [[operetta]].<br><Br>
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==Biography==
'''Ken Hill''', was born in [[Birmingham]], [[England]] on [[January 28th]], [[1937]], and was educated at [[King Edward's School]], after which he joined an amateur theatrical company, [[Crescent Theatre]], sweeping the floor, making props, writing and directing. His first play, ''[[Night Season]]'', was put on at the [[Alexandra Theatre]], [[Birmingham]], in [[1963]]. For a time he worked as an [[investigative journalist]] for [[ATV]] and it was there that he caused a minor uproar with his report on corruption in Birmingham's local government. <br><Br>
In [[1970]] [[Joan Littlewood]]'s [[Theatre Workshop]] returned to its old home, the dilapidated [[Theatre Royal Stratford East]]. A satire on local authorities was discussed as a good subject for a new production, and Hill's name was put forward as a possible [[writer]]. The result of the collaboration Hill's ''[[Forward Up Your End]]'' ([[1970]]) was condemned by some of the press for its juvenile humour but [[Joan Littlewood]] liked it and Hill stayed on. <br><Br>
He was roped in as an actor in numerous productions but writing, not acting, remained his first love. He was made [[associate director]] and [[resident writer]] at [[Theatre Workshop]] from [[1970]] to [[1974]] and from [[1974]] to [[1976]] he took over as [[artistic director]], [[Joan Littlewood]] by this time having left for projects in [[Tunisia]]. <br><Br>
Hill's productions there included ''[[Is Your Doctor Really Necessary?]]'' ([[1973]]), ''[[The Count of Monte Cristo]]'' ([[1974]]), ''[[Gentlemen Prefer Anything]]'' ([[1974]]) and ''[[Dracula]]'' ([[1974]]). He then became [[artistic director]] of the [[Musical Theatre Company]], directing for the [[West End]]: ''[[Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat]]'' at the [[Winchester Theatre]] (for [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]), ''[[The Mikado]]'', and ''[[Fiddler on the Roof]]''. Other [[West End]] credits include [[playdoctoring]] productions of ''[[Drake's Dream]]'' and ''[[Wren]]''.<br><Br>
Shortly after, he was commissioned by the [[National Theatre]] for a version of ''[[The Hunchback Of Notre Dame]]''. He then wrote and directed for television: ''[[All The Fun Of The Fair]]'' - over the course of his life, Ken managed to write over 100 scripts for various television programmes! His other commissions for various theatres include: ''[[The Curse of the Werewolf]]'', ''[[The Mummy's Tomb]]'', ''[[Mafeking]]'', ''[[The Three Musketeers]]'', ''[[Bel Ami]]'', ''[[The Living Dead]]'', and a new translation of ''[[La Vie Parisienne]]''. Ken was also commissioned for productions of ''[[Sweeney Todd, Little Shop Of Horrors]]'', and a ''[[Narnia]]'' Trilogy. He also adapted and directed two books by [[Cathering Cookson]] and completed a third for the [[Birmingham Repertory Theatre]].<br><Br>
He cut a conspicuous [[front-of-house]] figure, joking with customers at the bar, and patrolling the stage with little solo dances until the audience was settled. In [[rehearsal]] he would leap about the stage to demonstrate ideas to his actors, a sight made even more alarming by his height and shock of red hair. He could be stinting with praise for his actors and had little small talk; but he always got the best out of his cast. <br><Br>
He left [[Theatre Workshop]] in [[1976]] and worked for some years as the [[Director of Productions]] at the [[Newcastle Playhouse]], where he created his version of ''[[Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera|The Phantom of the Opera]]''. He returned to the [[Theatre Royal Stratford East]] in [[1984]] with this very musical. [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]] saw and liked it, and for a while there was talk about his bringing it into the [[West End]]. Nothing came of this, however, and [[Lloyd Webber]]'s own version duly opened in the [[West End]] in [[1986]]. Hill's ''[[Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera|Phantom]]'' went abroad to [[St. Louis]] in the [[United States]] in [[1987]] and also had another major production in [[San Francisco]] in [[1988]]. The musical then embarked on a two-year long national tour of the [[US]] from [[1989]] - [[1991]]. The show also transferred to the [[West End]] in [[1991]] but, despite excellent notices, did badly at the box office and was forced to close earlier than expected. Since then, ''[[Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera|The Phantom of the Opera]]'' has arguably become one of his most famous works, and has toured the world - the most recent production was in [[Tokyo, Japan]] in [[November 2004]]. <br><Br>
''[[The Invisible Man]]'', with illusions by the magician, [[Paul Kieve]], fared much better in the [[West End]], transferring from [[Stratford East]] to the old [[Vaudeville Theatre]] in [[1993]]. This show was a particular favourite of Hill's, combining his love of stage trickery and childish optical jokes in scenes in which, for instance, the unbandaged 'invisible' head of the [[Invisible Man]] smokes a cigar. Hill made everyone working in the theatre, from the cleaning staff upwards, sign a document forbidding them to reveal how this was done to the press. <br><Br>
Despite having [[cancer]] intermittently for 12 years, Hill still continued to deluge [[Stratford East]] with ideas for new productions right up until his death from his [[cancer]] on [[January 23rd]], [[1995]] aged 57, and only five days before his 58th birthday. He sadly passed away just two weeks before the opening of what was his final production, ''[[Zorro]] The Musical!'', which he directed. ''[[Zorro]]'' opened on [[February 14th]], [[1995]], to rave reviews and immense box office success - a very fitting finale to the life of [[Britain]]'s greatest, but most underrated [[directors]].<br><Br>
Ken Hill is survived by his wife, the actress [[Toni Palmer]] (who appeared in many of his shows), and two sons from a previous marriage.<br><Br>
==Other Information==
'''The Ken Hill Memorial Trust''' was set up after Ken passed away in 1995, to aid the [[Theatre Royal Stratford East]] in supporting new talent in [[musical theatre]]. It now offers a biennial [[Musical Theatre Award]] annually to help nurture new talent in theatrical [[writers]]. The award in [[1997]] was a total of £5,000 for the winner - £1000 in cash, with the balance going towards the production costs of a week's showcase at the [[Theatre Royal Stratford East]], where many of Ken Hill's works were premiered. In addition, royalties were paid to the writer for the showcase. The trustees also offered small cash prizes to five runners up. There is now news as to whether this trust or award still exists today or not.<br><Br>
There are also "Ken Hill awards" for new talented playwrights and for the Best New Musical.<br><Br>
Some of Ken's plays, ''[[The Invisible Man]]'', ''[[The Curse of the Werewolf]]'', ''[[The Mummy's Tomb]]'' and his version of ''[[Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera|The Phantom of the Opera]]'', are available to purchase from [[Samuel French Ltd.]] in [[London]]. The rights to produce these shows can also be obtained by theatre groups, professional and amateur, who wish to perform them.<Br><Br>
==Related Links==
*[http://www.kenhillsphantomoftheopera.co.uk/ ''Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera'' fan website]
*[[Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera|Wikipedia entry for Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera]]
*[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11016254 Ken Hill's virtual grave on FindAGrave.com]
*[http://www.stratfordeast.com/ Theatre Royal Stratford East's official website]
*[http://www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk/ Samuel French Ltd.] in London control the performance rights for Ken Hill's ''[[The Invisible Man]]'', ''[[The Curse of the Werewolf]]'', ''[[The Mummy's Tomb]]'' and ''[[Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera|The Phantom of the Opera]]''
*[http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsH/HillKen.htm Playwright listing for Ken Hill] includes links to purchase Ken Hill's published works.
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