Peter Buckley Hill
Encyclopedia
Peter Buckley Hill is a musical comedian and head of the Free Fringe
at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, for which he was, in 2009, awarded the Panellists' Edinburgh Comedy Award. In 2008, he was nominated for the Malcolm Hardee
Award for Comic Originality.
He was born Edward Peter Hill in Burnley
, Lancashire
and educated at Poynton Primary School, Stockport Grammar School
and Leeds Grammar School
. Graduating from University College London
in 1969 with a degree in English, he embarked on a career with BASF AG in Switzerland and Germany. He returned to the UK in 1973 to complete an MSc
at London Business School
.
From 1975, he was involved in various small business ventures and in 1980 became a temporary lecturer at the Polytechnic of Central London, now University of Westminster
. He served spells with PCL, South Bank Polytechnic and other educational institutions before becoming Senior Lecturer and Co-ordinator of Computing at ILEA Paddington College. He returned to PCL in 1985, became Principal Lecturer in 1989 and Teaching Fellow in 2005. He gained the degree of Doctor of Education from the University of Bristol
in 2004.
He embarked on a parallel career in musical comedy in 1980, using as a basis material he had written for LBS revues and for the amusement of friends. He found a niche at the Cambridge Folk Festival
, sometimes at marathon solo sessions lasting up to three hours.
Hill guested regularly at folk circuit venues and also played alternative cabaret venues such as the Earth Exchange in the early 1980s. He was present at the outset of the Alternative Comedy
movement of the 1980s, but not central to it.
In 1994, he took a solo show to the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time. It was savaged by critics. He repeated the experience in 1995, before realising that the basic model of the Fringe needed altering in favour of the unknown or non-established artist. [ref to Scotsman article 1]. In 1996, he founded the Free Fringe with a single show, Peter Buckley Hill and Some Comedians, at the Footlights and Firkin.
The Free Fringe
works on a moneyless principle: premises charge no rent to the Free Fringe; the Free Fringe charges no fees to the performers (not even voluntary charges) and the performers do not charge the public to get in. For fourteen years, the Free Fringe was financed personally by Buckley Hill; in 2009, a benefit was held to defray the central expenses. Also in that year, Buckley Hill's solo Edinburgh show, 40 Words, earned a five-star review from The Scotsman
newspaper.
Free Fringe
The Free Fringe is an organisation that promotes free shows at the annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Free Fringe venues are commonly independently run bars and nightclubs which create performance spaces in their premises for the duration of the Fringe Festival...
at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, for which he was, in 2009, awarded the Panellists' Edinburgh Comedy Award. In 2008, he was nominated for the Malcolm Hardee
Malcolm Hardee
Malcolm Hardee was an English comedian, author, comedy club proprietor, compère, agent, manager and "amateur sensationalist"....
Award for Comic Originality.
He was born Edward Peter Hill in Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and educated at Poynton Primary School, Stockport Grammar School
Stockport Grammar School
Stockport Grammar School is a co-educational independent school in Stockport, England, founded in 1487 by the 1482 Lord Mayor of London Sir Edmund Shaa.The school motto is "Vincit qui patitur" – He who endures, conquers....
and Leeds Grammar School
Leeds Grammar School
Leeds Grammar School was an independent school in Leeds established in 1552. In August 2005 it merged with Leeds Girls' High School to form The Grammar School at Leeds. The two schools physically united in September 2008....
. Graduating from University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
in 1969 with a degree in English, he embarked on a career with BASF AG in Switzerland and Germany. He returned to the UK in 1973 to complete an MSc
MSC
- Computers:* Mario Strikers Charged* Microsoft Common Console Document, file for the Microsoft Management Console* Microelectronics Support Centre* Microsoft Corporation* MIDI Show Control* Message Sequence Chart...
at London Business School
London Business School
London Business School is an international business school and a constituent college of the federal University of London, located in central London, beside Regent's Park...
.
From 1975, he was involved in various small business ventures and in 1980 became a temporary lecturer at the Polytechnic of Central London, now University of Westminster
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
. He served spells with PCL, South Bank Polytechnic and other educational institutions before becoming Senior Lecturer and Co-ordinator of Computing at ILEA Paddington College. He returned to PCL in 1985, became Principal Lecturer in 1989 and Teaching Fellow in 2005. He gained the degree of Doctor of Education from the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
in 2004.
He embarked on a parallel career in musical comedy in 1980, using as a basis material he had written for LBS revues and for the amusement of friends. He found a niche at the Cambridge Folk Festival
Cambridge Folk Festival
The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival held on the site of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is renowned for its eclectic mix of music and a wide definition of what might be considered folk. It occurs...
, sometimes at marathon solo sessions lasting up to three hours.
Hill guested regularly at folk circuit venues and also played alternative cabaret venues such as the Earth Exchange in the early 1980s. He was present at the outset of the Alternative Comedy
Alternative comedy
Alternative comedy is a term that originated in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era, and typically avoids relying on a standardised structure of a sequence of jokes with punch lines. Patton Oswalt defines it as "comedy where the...
movement of the 1980s, but not central to it.
In 1994, he took a solo show to the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time. It was savaged by critics. He repeated the experience in 1995, before realising that the basic model of the Fringe needed altering in favour of the unknown or non-established artist. [ref to Scotsman article 1]. In 1996, he founded the Free Fringe with a single show, Peter Buckley Hill and Some Comedians, at the Footlights and Firkin.
The Free Fringe
Free Fringe
The Free Fringe is an organisation that promotes free shows at the annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Free Fringe venues are commonly independently run bars and nightclubs which create performance spaces in their premises for the duration of the Fringe Festival...
works on a moneyless principle: premises charge no rent to the Free Fringe; the Free Fringe charges no fees to the performers (not even voluntary charges) and the performers do not charge the public to get in. For fourteen years, the Free Fringe was financed personally by Buckley Hill; in 2009, a benefit was held to defray the central expenses. Also in that year, Buckley Hill's solo Edinburgh show, 40 Words, earned a five-star review from The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
newspaper.