Shaun McKenna
Encyclopedia
Shaun McKenna is an English dramatist, lyricist
and screenwriter
.
and the University of Bristol
(1975–78). He was an actor for a few years, then taught drama, and began writing in his late 20s.
, Old Red Lion
1990, a rehearsed reading directed by Kathy Burke). He began an association with Michael Napier Brown at the Royal Theatre, Northampton for whom he adapted Richard Llewellyn
’s How Green Was My Valley
(1990) in which Aled Jones
made his acting debut, and R. F. Delderfield
’s To Serve Them All My Days
(1992). He subsequently wrote an original drama, Ruling Passions, which was presented at the Royal in 1995.
He wrote the Book for the arena spectacular Ben Hur Live
based on the novel by Lew Wallace
which premiered at the O2 arena in September 2009. He is currently adapting Charles Dance
's screenplay for Ladies in Lavender
for the stage and working with The Generating Company
devising a new circus show, Soho Circus.
and Stephen Keeling
. He wrote the Book for Lautrec (West End 2000), collaborating with Charles Aznavour
. Also that year, he and Stephen Keeling contributed additional material for La Cava
. He wrote Book and Lyrics for the large scale stage adaptation of JRR Tolkien
’s The Lord of the Rings (Toronto 2006, West End 2007) with Matthew Warchus
.
In 2004, Shaun's musical adaptation of Terry Pratchett
's Only You Can Save Mankind
was premiered at the Edinburgh Festival
, with music by Leighton James House and lyrics by Shaun McKenna. An album of songs was released in 2009, prior to a new production.
In 2005 Shaun and Stephen Keeling wrote Heidi, entwining the famous children’s story and the life of its creator Johanna Spyri
, which was first performed in an open-air production in Walenstadt
, Switzerland. Heidi II, a sequel, followed in 2007 and 2008. Heidi III, a prequel, has been commissioned
He co-wrote Murder Mystery Musical with Alister Cameron and composer Richard Brown, which was performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 2009.
Shaun McKenna has written The Crooked Man (2003, a feature directed by David Drury for ARG), and the two part thriller Like Father, Like Son (2005, directed by Nick Laughland for Ecosse Films
). He also wrote episodes for the last three series of Heartbeat. He has several other TV projects in development.
He has written both original and adapted radio dramas for BBC Radio
: The Postman Always Rings Twice
(1993), Meeting Jack (1995), The Ghost Train (1997), East of Eden
(Classic Serial, 2000), Me and Little Boots (2000) a comedy about Caligula’s horse with Leslie Phillips
, Smiles of a Summer Night
(2001) with Samuel West
and Nicholas Farrell
, Seawyf and Biscuit (2002), The Cry of the Owl
(2002), a World Service adaptation of Mrs. Warren's Profession
(2002) with an all-star cast, and the radio adaptation of To Serve Them All My Days
(2005). He adapted four of the eight John le Carré
George Smiley
novels featured in BBC Radio Four's "Complete Smiley" season - A Murder of Quality
, The Looking Glass War, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Honourable Schoolboy
(2009–2010), all of which have been released on BBC audiobooks.
For Oberon Books, Shaun has edited eight books of scenes for actors.
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
.
Biography
Shaun studied at Maidstone Grammar SchoolMaidstone Grammar School
Maidstone Grammar School is a grammar school located in Maidstone, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1549.-Admissions:The school takes boys at the age of 11 and over by examination and boys and girls at 16+ on their GCSE results. The school currently has almost 1200 students and approximately 120...
and 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...
(1975–78). He was an actor for a few years, then taught drama, and began writing in his late 20s.
Theatre
His early credits include Killing Camille (Paines PloughPaines Plough
Paines Plough is a London-based British touring theatre company founded in 1974 by writer David Pownall and director John Adams. They named the company after their favourite pub, the Plough, where they would drink pints of Paines....
, Old Red Lion
Old Red Lion Theatre
The Old Red Lion Theatre is a fringe theatre, situated above a pub at The Angel, in the London Borough of Islington.It was founded in 1948 as the Old Red Lion Theatre Club.-Construction:...
1990, a rehearsed reading directed by Kathy Burke). He began an association with Michael Napier Brown at the Royal Theatre, Northampton for whom he adapted Richard Llewellyn
Richard Llewellyn
Richard Dafydd Vivian Llewellyn Lloyd , better known by his pen name Richard Llewellyn, was a Welsh novelist.Llewellyn Richard Dafydd Vivian Llewellyn Lloyd (8 December 1906 – 30 November 1983), better known by his pen name Richard Llewellyn, was a Welsh novelist.Llewellyn Richard Dafydd...
’s How Green Was My Valley
How Green Was My Valley
How Green Was My Valley is a 1939 novel by Richard Llewellyn, telling the story through narration of the main character, of his Welsh family and the mining community in which they live. The author had claimed to have based the book on his own knowledge of the Gilfach Goch area, but this was proven...
(1990) in which Aled Jones
Aled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
made his acting debut, and R. F. Delderfield
R. F. Delderfield
Ronald Frederick Delderfield was a popular English novelist and dramatist, many of whose works have been adapted for television and are still widely read.-Childhood in London and Surrey:...
’s To Serve Them All My Days
To Serve Them All My Days
To Serve Them All My Days is a novel by British author R. F. Delderfield.First published in 1972, the book was adapted for television in 1980...
(1992). He subsequently wrote an original drama, Ruling Passions, which was presented at the Royal in 1995.
He wrote the Book for the arena spectacular Ben Hur Live
Ben Hur Live
BEN HUR LIVE is a 2009 stage adaptation of Lew Wallace's novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Produced by Franz Abraham with music and narration by Stewart Copeland, it premièred on 17 September 2009 at the O2 Arena in London, the first date of its European tour....
based on the novel by Lew Wallace
Lew Wallace
Lewis "Lew" Wallace was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, territorial governor and statesman, politician and author...
which premiered at the O2 arena in September 2009. He is currently adapting Charles Dance
Charles Dance
Walter Charles Dance, OBE is an English actor, screenwriter and director. Dance typically plays assertive bureaucrats or villains. His most famous roles are Guy Perron in The Jewel in the Crown , Dr Clemens, the doctor of penitentiary Fury 161, who becomes Ellen Ripley's confidante in Alien 3 ,...
's screenplay for Ladies in Lavender
Ladies in Lavender
The film's original music was written by Nigel Hess and performed by Joshua Bell and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Hess received a Classical BRIT Awards nomination for Best Soundtrack Composer....
for the stage and working with The Generating Company
The Generating Company
The Generating Company is an international touring circus company producing large scale commercially successful shows and events around the world. Most recent shows include 'Voyage de la Vie' at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore and 'Aqua' the worlds largest water show in Shenzhen southern China...
devising a new circus show, Soho Circus.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre credits include Maddie (Salisbury Playhouse 1996, West End 1997) which he wrote with Steven DexterSteven Dexter
Steven Dexter is a theatre director and writer. Born in South Africa, he moved to London in 1984 and studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.- West End productions :...
and Stephen Keeling
Stephen Keeling
Stephen Keeling is a British composer and musician who works predominantly in musical theatre.- Biographical details :Born in 1966 in Staffordshire, England, he trained at Goldsmith's College, University of London, gaining an honours degree in music...
. He wrote the Book for Lautrec (West End 2000), collaborating with Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour, OC is an Armenian-French singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world...
. Also that year, he and Stephen Keeling contributed additional material for La Cava
La Cava
La Cava is a musical with a book by Dana Broccoli, lyrics by John Claflin and Laurence O'Keefe, additional lyrics by Shaun McKenna and music by O'Keefe and Stephen Keeling....
. He wrote Book and Lyrics for the large scale stage adaptation of JRR Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
’s The Lord of the Rings (Toronto 2006, West End 2007) with Matthew Warchus
Matthew Warchus
-Life:Warchus studied music and drama at Bristol University. He has directed for the National Youth Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Donmar Warehouse, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre, Opera North, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Welsh National Opera, English National Opera and in the West...
.
In 2004, Shaun's musical adaptation of Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
's Only You Can Save Mankind
Only You Can Save Mankind
Only You Can Save Mankind is the first novel in the Johnny Maxwell trilogy of children's books and fifth young adult novel by Terry Pratchett, author of the Discworld sequence of books. The following novels in the Johnny Maxwell Trilogy are Johnny and the Dead and Johnny and the Bomb...
was premiered at the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
, with music by Leighton James House and lyrics by Shaun McKenna. An album of songs was released in 2009, prior to a new production.
In 2005 Shaun and Stephen Keeling wrote Heidi, entwining the famous children’s story and the life of its creator Johanna Spyri
Johanna Spyri
Johanna Spyri was an author of children's stories, and is best known for her book Heidi. Born Johanna Louise Heusser in the rural area of Hirzel, Switzerland, as a child she spent several summers in the area around Chur in Graubünden, the setting she later would use in her novels.-Biography:In...
, which was first performed in an open-air production in Walenstadt
Walenstadt
Walenstadt is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Sarganserland in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It is located on Lake Walen .-Geography:...
, Switzerland. Heidi II, a sequel, followed in 2007 and 2008. Heidi III, a prequel, has been commissioned
He co-wrote Murder Mystery Musical with Alister Cameron and composer Richard Brown, which was performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 2009.
Screen and radio writing
For ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Shaun McKenna has written The Crooked Man (2003, a feature directed by David Drury for ARG), and the two part thriller Like Father, Like Son (2005, directed by Nick Laughland for Ecosse Films
Ecosse Films
Ecosse Films is a British film and television production company based in London. Ecosse Films is a multi award-winning company, specialising in high-quality drama for film and television, producing 11 films and over 300 hours of network television for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Showtime, Starz Channel...
). He also wrote episodes for the last three series of Heartbeat. He has several other TV projects in development.
He has written both original and adapted radio dramas for BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
: The Postman Always Rings Twice
The Postman Always Rings Twice
The Postman Always Rings Twice is a 1934 crime novel by James M. Cain.The novel was quite successful and notorious upon publication, and is regarded as one of the more important crime novels of the 20th century...
(1993), Meeting Jack (1995), The Ghost Train (1997), East of Eden
East of Eden
East of Eden is a novel by Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck, published in September 1952.Often described as Steinbeck's most ambitious novel, East of Eden brings to life the intricate details of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, and their interwoven stories. The novel was originally...
(Classic Serial, 2000), Me and Little Boots (2000) a comedy about Caligula’s horse with Leslie Phillips
Leslie Phillips
Leslie Samuel Phillips, CBE is an English actor with a highly recognisable upper class accent. Originally known for his work as a comedy actor, Phillips subsequently made the transition to character roles.-Early life:...
, Smiles of a Summer Night
Smiles of a Summer Night
Smiles of a Summer Night a.k.a. Smiles on a Summer Night is a 1955 Swedish comedy film directed by Ingmar Bergman. It was the first of Bergman's films to bring the director international success, due to its exposure at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival...
(2001) with Samuel West
Samuel West
Samuel Alexander Joseph West is an English actor and theatre director. He is perhaps best known for his role in Howards End and his work on stage. He also starred in the award-winning play ENRON...
and Nicholas Farrell
Nicholas Farrell
Nicholas Farrell is an English stage, film and television actor. His early screen career included the role of Aubrey Montague in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. In 1983, he starred as Edmund Bertram in a television adaptation of the Jane Austen novel, Mansfield Park...
, Seawyf and Biscuit (2002), The Cry of the Owl
The Cry of the Owl
The Cry of the Owl is a psychological thriller novel by Patricia Highsmith.- Plot summary:Following a messy divorce from his vindictive wife Nickie, Robert Forrester leaves New York and moves to a small Pennsylvania town, where he develops an obsession with the seemingly happy, 23-year old Jenny...
(2002), a World Service adaptation of Mrs. Warren's Profession
Mrs. Warren's Profession
Mrs Warren's Profession is a play written by George Bernard Shaw in 1893. The story centers on the relationship between Mrs Kitty Warren, a brothel owner, described by the author as "on the whole, a genial and fairly presentable old blackguard of a woman" and her daughter, Vivie...
(2002) with an all-star cast, and the radio adaptation of To Serve Them All My Days
To Serve Them All My Days
To Serve Them All My Days is a novel by British author R. F. Delderfield.First published in 1972, the book was adapted for television in 1980...
(2005). He adapted four of the eight John le Carré
John le Carré
David John Moore Cornwell , who writes under the name John le Carré, is an author of espionage novels. During the 1950s and the 1960s, Cornwell worked for MI5 and MI6, and began writing novels under the pseudonym "John le Carré"...
George Smiley
George Smiley
George Smiley is a fictional character created by John le Carré. Smiley is an intelligence officer working for MI6 , the British overseas intelligence agency...
novels featured in BBC Radio Four's "Complete Smiley" season - A Murder of Quality
A Murder of Quality
A Murder of Quality is the second novel by John le Carré. It follows George Smiley, the most famous of le Carré's recurring characters, in his only book set outside the espionage community.-Plot summary:...
, The Looking Glass War, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Honourable Schoolboy
The Honourable Schoolboy
The Honourable Schoolboy is a spy novel by John le Carré. George Smiley tries to reconstruct an intelligence service and to run a successful offensive espionage operation to save the service from falling to the "war hawks" in government...
(2009–2010), all of which have been released on BBC audiobooks.
For Oberon Books, Shaun has edited eight books of scenes for actors.