Richy Hughes
 |
Richy Hughes | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Richard Paul Hughes |
| Born | July 5, 1974 Orsett, England |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Musical theatre |
| Occupation(s) | Lyricist, Bookwriter, Theatre Maker |
| Years active | 2012-present |
| Website | www |
Richy Hughes is an English musical theatre lyricist and theatre maker from Thurrock, England.
Early life[edit]
Richy Hughes was born in 1974, and attended Coopers' Company and Coborn School in Upminster, Essex. He regularly wrote and performed end of year revues, and won the school's Prize for Art in 1992. He went on to study Illustration at the Kent Institute of Art and Design.[citation needed]
From an early age Hughes was an active member of the amateur dramatics scene in his home town of Thurrock, starring in numerous roles including Sidney Carton in a musical premiere of A Tale of Two Cities, Riff in West Side Story, and Billy Bigelow in Carousel.[citation needed]
In 1999, he founded a youth theatre company known as Arts Factory.[1]
Career[edit]
Early career[edit]
Hughes' break into professional theatre came in 2012, when he entered a song into an open submission for A Song Cycle For Soho at the Soho Theatre. The comic song, entitled 'It's What He Would’ve Wanted', written with composer Scott Dean, tells the story of ‘Jimmy The Fox’ whose corpse is ‘borrowed’ from the undertakers on the eve of his funeral for one last bender in Soho.[2]
In 2012, he joined the Book, Music, Lyrics professional writers’ workshop.[3] Here he honed his lyric-writing craft under the tutelage of such esteemed theatre practitioners as Jeremy Sams, Charles Hart, Tim Sutton, David Firman, Mark Warman, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.[4]
2015 – Mr Popper's Penguins[edit]
Hughes' first professional commissions came after producer Kenny Wax attended a showcase of Book, Music, Lyrics alumni. Wax was impressed with Hughes' lyrics and invited him to collaborate on a new family musical adaptation of children's book, Mr Popper's Penguins.[5] The production premiered at The Lowry in Manchester in 2015,[6] and has had runs at the Criterion Theatre in London's West End,[7] the New Victory Theater in New York City,[8] and the Seattle Children's Theatre,[9] as well as extensive US and UK tours. The show was co-produced by Pins & Needles Productions, Kenny Wax Family Entertainment, and TC Beech, with songs written in collaboration with composer Luke Bateman.[10]
2017 – Superhero[edit]
At the Book, Music, Lyrics Workshop, Hughes met composer Joseph Finlay and bookwriter Michael Conley, his collaborators on Superhero, which premiered at Southwark Playhouse in June 2017.[11] The song 'Don't Look Down', taken from the show won The Stiles and Drew Best New Song Prize in 2015, at an event at the Wyndham's Theatre, produced by Mercury Musical Developments and hosted by Elaine Paige.[12] The show went on to win the Off West End Theatre Award (Offie) for best new musical in 2018. Micheal Rouse also won the Offie for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Colin Bradley in the same year.[13]
2019 – Oi Frog and Friends[edit]
In 2019, Hughes and Pins & Needles Productions adapted Kes Gray and Jim Field's best-selling children's book series Oi Frog and Friends for the stage.[14] This time, Hughes played a key role in the development and writing of the script with his co-collaborators Emma Earle, Zoe Squire and Luke Bateman, as well as writing lyrics. The production premiered at Frensham Heights in October 2019[15] before going on to a critically acclaimed run at the Lyric Theatre in the West End.[16] In 2020, the show was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Family Show.[17]
Personal life[edit]
Hughes currently lives in Orsett, Essex with his wife, Nikki, and his children Jessie and Harry.[1]
In May 2022 Hughes appeared on the fifth series of ITV game show Beat the Chasers.[18]
Musical theatre credits[edit]
- A Song Cycle For Soho (2012) - lyrics
- Mercury Musical Developments 25th Anniversary Gala (2013) - lyrics
- Mr Popper's Penguins (2015) - lyrics
- Superhero (2017) - lyrics
- Oi Frog and Friends (2019) - lyrics & script
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Year | Song/Musical | Award | Composer | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Pushy | Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Prize | Ed Bell | Finalist | [19] |
| 2015 | Don't Look Down (from Superhero) | Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Prize | Joseph Finlay | Winner | [12] |
| 2015 | The Original Headline Act For Christmas | Xmas Factor Best Song | Ed Bell | Finalist | [20] |
| 2017 | The Beautiful Game | Xmas Factor All Stars Best Song | Darren Clark | Winner | [21] |
| 2018 | Superhero | Off West End Theatre Award Best New Musical | Joseph Finlay | Winner | [13] |
| 2020 | Oi Frog and Friends | Laurence Olivier Award Best Family Show | Luke Bateman | Nominated | [17] |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Hughes, Richy (14 April 2020). "Early and Personal Life". Artsfactory@btopenworld.com.
- ^ "A SONG CYCLE FOR SOHO - Original Cast Recording". simgproductions.com. No. 14 in Track Listing. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Richy Hughes Official Website". www.richyhughes.com. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Meet the Team". Book Music and Lyrics Workshop. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Mr Popper's Penguins". Book Music and Lyrics Workshop. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Mr Popper's Penguins – Lowry, Salford". Musical Theatre Review. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Mr Popper's Penguins, The Criterion Theatre". London Theatre Guide. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Show Review: Mr. Popper's Penguins at The New Victory Theater". www.themamamaven.com. 18 October 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Mr. Popper's Penguins". Seattle Children's Theatre. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Mr Popper's Penguins Live Tour". www.mrpopperspenguinslive.com. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Superhero". Book Music and Lyrics Workshop. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ a b "Sondheim Society 2015". Sondheim Society. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
- ^ a b "Offies 2018: Full list of Off West End Award winners". London Theatre Guide. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
- ^ "Oi Frog & Friends!". Nimax Theatres. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Oi Frog & Friends! Comes to Frensham". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Oi Frog & Friends Tickets". London Theatre Guide. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ a b Masso, Giverny (3 March 2020). "Olivier Awards 2020: the nominations in full". The Stage. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ Hallam, Katy (20 May 2022). "Beat the Chasers viewers instantly recognise contestant as boxing legend". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ "Shortlisted songs for the Stiles & Drewe Best New Song Award 2014". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
- ^ "XMAS FACTOR 2014". Iris Theatre. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Xmas Factor Writer Focus: Darren Clark". Iris Theatre. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2020.