Martin Riley

Martin is a freelance writer, director and performer. He has worked as a teacher and lecturer in drama and has been a story teller, a Punch & Judy Professor’s assistant, a dustman, a cinema usher as well as a playwright, TV scriptwriter and librettist

Martin was one of the founder members of Alive & Kicking Theatre Co. and, over the years has written and directed many of their shows and projects.

Martin says “I love interactive, improvised and problem solving drama and thoroughly enjoy the magical times when, without prompting, the children climb confidently into the driving seat and take the whole show in the direction they want to go. Even my operas have elements of audience involvement but it is only Alive & Kicking who have participation at the very heart of the experience.

I am committed to furthering literacy amongst children and believe all children, indeed, all of us, are natural storytellers. Terry Pratchett was right to want to abandon our taxonomic label, Homo sapiens, Wise man, and rename us Pans narrans, the Storytelling Chimp. Communicating through drama and dance comes as naturally to us as music: reading and writing is just an extension of this. Given the confidence and the tools and the listening and reflective ear of engaged mentors all children can be authors.”

Elsewhere and between times, Martin’s first opera with Lynne Plowman, Gwyneth & The Green Knight received a British Academy Award and their House of The Gods was also nominated. His recent collaborations with composer Stephen Deazley include Dr Ferret’s Bad Medicine Roadshow for Scottish Opera and Death’s Cabaret, a Love Story for Matthew Sharp. Martin has also written for Jackanory, Playbus, Childrens Ward and Emmerdale and his TV series: Gruey, Kevin’s Cousins and The Worst Witch have all been BAFTA nominated. Much of his theatre work is for children and includes a recent touring version of Wind in The Willows and a best selling dramatisation of The Canterbury Tales for schools, published by Oxford University Press. Martin is currently writing the libretto for a new touring “Pirate” opera for Glyndebourne by Lynne Plowman.