Elton grew up in Catford, south London, before moving with his family to Guildford, Surrey in 1968, where he became involved in amateur dramatics groups.[9] Reflecting on those times at an event in Guildford in 2013, Elton said:
I started with the Curtain Raisers in Onslow Village. Yes, we did Peter Pan in 1969 and mum persuaded me to go along to the audition. For me it was literally an Epiphany. My road to Damascus was Friar’s Gate. I had an absolute revelation. I loved the theatre and I knew I wanted to be involved in story telling and the public arts. From that moment onwards I was completely hooked.[9]
Upon university graduation in 1980, Elton joined the BBC and became their youngest ever scriptwriter.[16]
His first television appearance came in 1981 as a stand-up performer on the BBC1 youth and music programme Oxford Road Show.[17][16] His first TV success, at 23, came as co-writer of the television sitcom The Young Ones, in which he occasionally appeared.
Elton and Curtis were inspired to write Blackadder Goes Forth upon finding World War I to be apt for a situation comedy. This series, which dealt with greater, darker themes than prior Blackadder episodes, was praised for Curtis's and Elton's scripts, in particular the final episode. Before writing the series, the pair read about the war and found that:
All the lead up to the first World War was very funny. All the people coming from communities where they'd never bumped into posh people and all being so gung ho and optimistic. The first hundred pages of any book about the world war are hilarious, then of course everybody dies.[18]
Elton and Curtis also wrote Atkinson's 1986 stage show The New Revue, and Mr. Bean's "exam" episode.
Elton became a stand-up comedian primarily to showcase his own writing, but became one of Britain's biggest live comedy acts.[19] After a regular slot on Saturday Live – later moved and renamed Friday Night Live – which was seen as a UK version of the US's Saturday Night Live, he became the host of the programme.
In 1990 he starred in his own stand-up comedy and sketch series, Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie, which had a second series in 1994. (The title plays on The Man from UNCLE: "Auntie" is a nickname for the BBC.) In 1989 Elton won the Royal Television Society Writers' Award.
The Ben Elton Show (1998) followed a format similar to The Man from Auntie and featured Ronnie Corbett, a comedian of the old guard that the "alternative comedians" of the 1980s were the direct alternative to, as a regular guest. It was Elton's last high-profile network programme in the UK as a stand-up comedian.
Elton wrote the six-part sitcom Blessed, starring Ardal O'Hanlon as a record producer, first broadcast on BBC1 in 2005. No further series was commissioned.
In April 2007, Get a Grip, a new show, began on ITV1. Featuring comic sketches similar to those on The Ben Elton Show and staged studio discussion between Elton and 23-year-old Alexa Chung, the show's aim was to "contrast Elton's middle-aged viewpoint with Chung's younger perspective" (although Elton was responsible for the scripts).
In Third Way Magazine, Elton accused the BBC of allowing jokes about vicars but not imams. "And I believe that part of it is due to the genuine fear that the authorities and the communities have about provoking the radical elements of Islam".[20]
Elton worked on Ben Elton Live From Planet Earth, a live one-hour comedy show which debuted on 8 February 2011 on the Nine Network in Australia.[21] Live from Planet Earth was axed by the Nine Network on Wednesday 23 February 2011 after three episodes, despite having six commissioned.[22] The show's final airing rated 200,000 viewers.[23]
In 2016 Elton wrote the sitcom Upstart Crow, parodying the writing and family life of William Shakespeare, and starring David Mitchell as Shakespeare. This programme ran for a second series in 2017, and a third series in 2018.
Elton wrote and produced The Thin Blue Line, a studio-based sitcom set in a police station, also starring Rowan Atkinson, which ran for two series in 1995 and 1996. A prime-time family show, its traditional format and characters won it the 1995 British Comedy Award and both the public and professional Jury Awards at Reims.
In 2012 a new sitcom for BBC1 was commissioned, written and produced by Elton starring David Haig.[25] Filming for a full six-part series of the sitcom The Wright Way (formerly known as Slings and Arrows) was completed in late February 2013.[26] It debuted in April 2013 to negative reviews.[27][28]
Friday Night Live
Elton returned to live British television on Channel 4 on 21 October 2022 as "Ringmaster"/host of a revival of Friday Night Live, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the founding of Channel 4 and as part of their Truth and Dare season.[29] Speaking to Adrian Chiles on BBC Radio 5 Live on broadcast day, Elton readily admitted that because of the fluid UK political situation, "I honestly haven't written the first five minutes yet!"[30][31]
On a publicity tour for Past Mortem in 2004, Elton mused on the high school reunion theme and his own drama college reunion:
We'd had a very happy time all together, so there were no old scores to be settled really, we'd been a pretty happy bunch. And yet one person, who'd been a bit of a golden boy – he certainly went out with a girl I was besotted and unrequitedly in love with – he came up and he said, 'Why did you come? Was it to show off?' That really surprised me, that anyone would think that ... he came kind of carrying my agenda. It was weird. I hasten to add I didn't think my life to be more successful than anybody else's. If you're happy and honest and fulfilled in what you do, then you're having a successful life.[33]
Films
Elton appeared in amateur dramatic productions as a youth, notably as The Artful Dodger in the musical Oliver![34]
While in bit parts in his own TV series, he began professional film acting as CD in Stark, the Australian/BBC TV series adaptation of his novel, in 1993. This was directed by Nadia Tass and filmed in Australia.
Elton wrote and directed the film adaptation of his novel Inconceivable, under the title Maybe Baby (2000) starring Hugh Laurie and Joely Richardson. It was a moderate UK success and distributed globally. The film was also nominated for a prize at Germany's Emden Film Festival.
In 2015, Elton wrote a song for The Wiggles for the Wiggle Town DVD and CD: The Wonder of Wiggle Town.[36]
In September 2016, filming began in Western Australia on Three Summers, a romantic comedy film written and directed by Elton, which was released in 2017.[37]
Elton wrote All is True, released 2018, a speculative story of William Shakespeare's years in Stratford-upon-Avon after his retirement from the theatre and move from London. Along with the filmcraft and acting, returning collaboration with Kenneth Branagh, All is True shows Elton giving a more serious and biographical perspective to some of the same characters who appear in Upstart Crow.
Musicals
Elton collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber on The Beautiful Game in 2000, writing the book and lyrics (Lloyd Webber wrote the music). The Beautiful Game won the London Critics Circle Award for best new musical.
He went on to write compilation shows featuring popular songs from the catalogues of pop/rock artists. The first was the musical We Will Rock You with music by Queen. Despite unfavourable early reaction, this was successful in the West End and won the 2003 Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best New Musical.[38] It has since opened in the US, Australia, Russia, Spain, South Africa, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada, and The Netherlands. Elton also directed the 10th Anniversary Arena tour, in 2013.[39] The musical ran for 12 years in London.[40] The character of Pop was originally played by Elton's The Young Ones, co-star, Nigel Planer.
His second compilation musical was Tonight's the Night, based on the songs of Rod Stewart, which opened in London's West End in November 2003.[41]
Elton directed a new 20th anniversary tour of We Will Rock You, that opened in February 2022 and visited over 25 cities in the United Kingdom.[43] He will also make his theatre debut as the Rebel Leader (previously known as Pop) in a production of the show in 2023 at the London Coliseum from 2 June to 27 August. The 3 main cast members from the touring production will also be starring.[44]
Elton wrote and directed Close Up: The Twiggy Musical (2023) which had its world premier at the Menier Chocolate Factory, London.
Silly Cow (1991) again at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London. It was written for and starred Dawn French.
Popcorn (1996) was adapted for the stage and went on a UK tour. It also toured Australia in a production starring Marcus Graham and Nadine Garner in its Eastern-States seasons. Popcorn won the TMA Barclays Theatre Award for new play and the Olivier Award for comedy. The Paris production of Popcorn ran for a year and was nominated for seven Molière awards.
Blast From the Past (1998) was also adapted for the stage and was produced at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.
The Upstart Crow, like the TV series Upstart Crow, a comic version of William Shakespeare's life and society, and sharing some of the same actors and characters, opened in London on 7 February 2020. Starring David Mitchell as Shakespeare and Gemma Whelan as Kate, the play was intended to run until 25 April 2020, but only ran up to mid-March, with the remainder cancelled as a result of restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[45] The play reopened in the West End at the Apollo Theatre for a ten-week season from 23 September until 3 December 2022.
He made two albums of comedy, Motormouth (1987) and Motorvation (1988).
In 2005 Elton toured for the first time since 1997, touring the UK with Get a Grip. He toured Australia and New Zealand with the same show in 2006.
In September 2019, Elton embarked on a three-month UK stand-up tour, his first tour since 2005.[46]
The New Zealand leg of the tour was interrupted in February 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic. He resumed it over a year later once trans-Tasman quarantine-free travel was launched.[47]
In 2022, his sell out UK stand up final show was held at the Palace Theatre Southend. It was filmed for broadcast on free to air, Channel 4.[48]
Awards
Elton received an honorary doctorate in 2004, from The University of Manchester.[49] In 2007 he was awarded an Honorary Rose for lifetime achievement at the Rose d'Or festival,[50] and was also made a Companion of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, in recognition of his work with students.[51] He has won 3 BAFTAs for Best Comedy Series for The Young Ones, Blackadder the Third and Blackadder Goes Forth. Popcorn and We Will Rock You each won an Olivier Award[52][53] and The Beautiful Game was awarded the Best Musical at the Critics' Circle Awards.[54]The Man From Auntie won him a Royal Television Society Writer's Award and The Thin Blue Line won a British Comedy Award as well as Jury Award at Reims.[citation needed]. The 2022 revival of Channel 4's " Friday Night Live " won a Royal Television Society Award and BAFTA for Best Comedy Entertainment programme. Ben Elton has also been awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
His books have won the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger Award for Crime Fiction (Popcorn), the Swedish Kaliber Award (Popcorn), WH Smiths People's Choice Fiction Award (High Society) and Prix Polar International Crime Writer Award (Amitiès Mortelles for Past Mortem, French edition).[citation needed]
Personal life
Elton first met 18 year old Australian saxophone player Sophie Gare in 1986 while working in Melbourne (he had a girlfriend called Kate at the time). A year later in Edinburgh, a newly single Elton rekindled their friendship and they became a couple.[55] The two married in 1994[56] and have three children (including twins). They decided to settle in North Fremantle, Western Australia[57] and they also maintain a home in East Sussex, England.[57] Elton holds dual British/Australian citizenship, the latter since 2004.[58] He has speculated on a future move back to London when their children have completed their schooling.[59]
Elton was a longstanding Labour Party supporter and was named as one of the biggest private financial donors to the party in 1998.[64] Elton subsequently distanced himself from the party under Tony Blair, although in April 2015, he stated that he was "back with Labour" for the general election.[65] Describing his brand of satire in 2022 as a criticism of those in power, he encouraged the Channel 4 viewing audience to elect Labour.[citation needed]
Responding to criticism for writing a musical with Conservative Party supporter Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton said, "If I were to refuse to talk to Tories, I would narrow my social and professional scope considerably. If you judge all your relationships on a person's voting intentions, I think you miss out on the varieties of life."[66] Elton added, "I would have loved a honeymoon period, but I've been irritating journos from the beginning. Originally I was knocked for being too left-wing, and now apparently I've sold out and I'm too right-wing, but all the time I've been being me, and that certainly isn't the person I recognise in anything that's written about me." He has denied being anti-establishment. He also said he was a socialist at a time when "the media was on the whole slavishly worshipping of Thatcher".[67] He said of his political views, "I believe in the politics of Clement Attlee. I'm a Welfare State Labour voter."[67]
Elton parodied himself in the sketch "Benny Elton" for Harry Enfield and Chums in 1994, using the style of Benny Hill to send up his (Elton's) "right on" socialist image as a politically correct spoilsport, chasing Page 3 models around a park to chastise them and tricking heterosexual couples into becoming gay.[68]
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↑ Tryhorn, Chris (2 April 2008). "BBC 'scared' of Islam jokes, says Elton". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 March 2014. Elton described himself as an atheist but said he was in favour of God defined as "the mystery of the universe".
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