Ken Whitmore, born in Hanley, Staffordshire, December 22, 1937, is a British author of radio plays, stage plays, short stories and poetry. His writing is characterized by black comedy and fantastic ideas, such as the complete disappearance of a man’s house, family and dog (One of Our Commuters is Missing) and the need for all mankind to jump in the air simultaneously (Jump!).
His first radio play Haywire at Humbleford Flag was produced in 1974 and was followed by many more original works, ending with The Final Twist in 1996. In 1986, he received a Giles Cooper Award for The Gingerbread House.
Whitmore’s adaptations for radio include Going Under from the novel by Lydia Chukovskaya, a five-part adaptation of Brighton Rock by Graham Greene, and an eight-part adaptation of Fame is the Spur by Howard Spring.
His published stage plays are Jump for Your Life, Pen Friends, La Bolshie Vita, The Final Twist and The Turn of the Screw, adapted from the story by Henry James.
Paul Donovan on TimesOnline quoted Whitmore as saying that his dearest wish was to write a drama that would stop people ironing.
Plays[]
- Haywire at Humbleford Flag (1974)[1]
- One of Our Commuters is Missing (1975)
- Jump! (1975)
- The Story of a Penny Suit (1976)
- Colder Than of Late (1976)
- Out for the Count (1976)
- The Caucasian in the Woodpile (1977)
- Pen Friends (1977)
- Watch the Forest Grow (1978)
- The Lackey's Daughter (1979)
- Always in Love with Amy (1979)
- Fame is the Spur (1979)
- A Decent British Murder (1980)
- The Sport of Angels (1981)
- The Great Times Crossword Conspiracy (1982)
- Travelling Hopefully (1983)
- La Bolshie Vita (1984)
- Dithering Heights (1985)
- The Red Telephone Box (1986)
- The Town that Helped Itself (1986)
- The Gingerbread House (1986)
- The Cold Embrace (1987)
- Winter Music (1989)
- A Room in Budapest (1990)
- Going Under (1992)
- The Final Twist (1996)
- Brighton Rock (1997)