Ben Elton interview on ROVE (live in studio with
Rove McManus).
Official ROVE site -
http://RoveDaily.com.au
(
Roving Enterprises,
Melbourne Australia)
Broadcast date:
8 November, 2009 -
Episode 35 of 2009 (s10e35) 08-11-09
Plus cameo from
MC Hammer.
Brought to you by Rove McManus site - http://www.RoveOnline.com (unofficial) | http://twitter.com/RoveOnline
Successful British stand-up comic and provocative and entertaining writer of hit international novels and musicals, his latest novel, Meltown, is a biting satire on the credit crunch.
BEN ELTON is a leading figure in the generation of
British comedy stars, which emerged in the
1980s. At 23 he co-wrote the ground breaking smash hit
BBC situation comedy
The Young Ones, which became a worldwide award winning cult hit. Ben went on to write for all the principle comedians of his generation.
In
1985 Ben began his phenomenally successful writing partnership with
Richard Curtis on the
Emmy and
BAFTA award-winning
TV series Blackadder 2,
Blackadder the Third and
Blackadder Goes Forth.
Ben is also a hugely successful an influential stand up comedian, he is one of Britains biggest selling live acts and his
TV shows have won numerous awards.
Ben published his first novel,
Stark in
1988. Set in
Australia, Stark became an instant #1 best-seller and sold over a million copies. He has written 11 novels since then
Gridlock (
1991) UK #1; This Other Den (
1993) UK #1;
Popcorn (
1996) UK #1 and
Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger Award for fiction;
Blast From the Past (
1998) UK top 5;
Inconceivable (
1999) UK top 5;
Dead Famous (
2001) UK #1;
High Society (
2002) UK #1 and WH
Smiths Peoples Choice Fiction Award;
Past Mortem (2004) UK top 5 and winner of best international detective novel at Prix
Polar International 2007;
The First Casualty (
2005 UK top 5;
Chart Throb (
2006)
UK Top 5;
Blind Faith (2007) UK top 10.
Bens novels have all been hugely successful in Australia and around the world.
Bens ambitions were originally theatrical and hes written the hit plays: Gasping (
1990);
Silly Cow (1991); Popcorn (1996); and Blast From the Past (1998) - all performed regularly around the world. In
1992 Ben began his acting career, starring in his own
adaptation of his novel, Stark. This
ABC co-production was filmed entirely in
Australia. That year Ben also appeared alongside
Michael Keaton as
Verges in
Kenneth Branaghs acclaimed feature film
Much Ado About Nothing.
In
2000 Ben wrote and directed his first movie, the hit romantic comedy
Maybe Baby which starred
Hugh Laurie and
Joely Richardson. Ben then gained success in the world of musical theatre collaborating with
Andrew Lloyd Weber on the award-winning
The Beautiful Game; the award-winning international hit
We Will Rock You; and his last musical
Tonights the Night featuring the songs of
Rod Stewart.
In 2005 Ben returned to stand up for the first time since
1997, touring the UK with
Get A Grip. He then took the tour to
Australia and New Zealand in 2006 and a subsequent
DVD release followed.
His latest book Meltown is a biting satire of the credit crunch is out
- published: 09 Nov 2009
- views: 11103