{{Short description|British writer and director}} {{other people}} '''Richard Hurst''' is a British writer and director of comedy, theatre and television.
==Biography== Born Richard Turner in Surrey, he attended Boston Grammar School and Oakham School before studying at St Hugh's College, Oxford, and training as a director at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Royal National Theatre Studio.
==Early career== He was a founding member of the sketch group The Four Horsemen, whose series ''This Is Pop!'' was broadcast on BBC Choice. His Edinburgh work has included work with Pegabovine and Girl and Dean, ''Moon The Loon'' (a play about Keith Moon), the sell-out children's shows ''Potted Potter'', ''Potted Pirates'', which he co-wrote, and ''Silly Billy Bum Breath''. ''Potted Potter'', which condenses all the ''Harry Potter'' novels into 80 minutes, has had two off-Broadway runs for a total of 30 weeks, and five West End runs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/5993749/harry-potter-in-under-an-hour-and-a-half/|title=Harry Potter in under an hour and a half|last=Cerabona|first=Ron|date=8 March 2019|work=Canberra Times|accessdate=3 August 2020}}</ref>
In 2004, he directed ''Bill Hicks: Slight Return'', which he co-wrote with Chas Early.<ref name="lt010606">{{cite web|url=https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/bill-hicks-slight-return|title=Bill Hicks: Slight Return|last=Brown|first=Peter|date=1 June 2006|work=London Theatre co.uk|accessdate=3 August 2020}}</ref> The play suggests what would happen if Bill Hicks returned to Earth for one final show.<ref name="lt010606" /> The show toured extensively in the UK, including four West End runs, and also appeared in Éire, Belgium and Australia. In 2010 he co-wrote and directed ''Potted Panto'', which opened at the Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh, and subsequently transferred to the Vaudeville Theatre, London, where it was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Entertainment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/35th-laurence-olivier-awards-nominations-announced|title=35th Laurence Olivier Awards nominations announced|date=7 February 2011|work=London Theatre co.uk|accessdate=3 August 2020}}</ref> It has also run for five seasons at the Southwark Playhouse, most recently in 2019–20.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thereviewshub.com/potted-panto-southwark-playhouse-london/|title=Potted Panto – Southwark Playhouse, London|date=11 December 2019|work=The Reviews Hub|accessdate=3 August 2020}}</ref>
==Cooperative work== He has also worked extensively with Miranda Hart as a writer, director and script editor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bbc-gives-pilot-order-remake-384745|title=BBC Gives Pilot Order to Remake of US Gay Dad Comedy 'It Takes A Village'|last=Kemp|first=Stuart|date=31 October 2012|work=Hollywood Reporter|accessdate=3 August 2020}}</ref> He co-wrote seventeen episodes of the multi-award-winning ''Miranda'' for BBC2, having script edited the first episode. In 2010 he was nominated for a Royal Television Society Award for his work on ''Miranda.''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8543887.stm|title=RTS Awards: Full list of winners|date=17 March 2010|work=BBC News|access-date=3 August 2020}}</ref> Other television work includes writing three episodes of Secret Diary Of A Call Girl for Tiger Aspect for ITV2 / Showtime.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sho.com/secret-diary-of-a-call-girl/season/3/episode/3/303|title=Secret Diary S3 E3|work=Showtime|accessdate=3 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sho.com/secret-diary-of-a-call-girl/season/3/episode/6/306|title=Secret Diary S3 E6|work=Showtime|accessdate=3 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sho.com/secret-diary-of-a-call-girl/season/4/episode/2/402|title=Secret Diary S4 E2|work=Showtime|accessdate=3 August 2020}}</ref>
In March 2013 Bluestone 42, which he co-wrote and co-created with James Cary, was broadcast by the BBC.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/516f1e72771bb|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116102251/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/516f1e72771bb|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 16, 2021|title=Bluestone 42[23/04/2013] (2013)|work=BFI|accessdate=3 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/mar/05/bluestone-42-tv-review|title=Bluestone 42; The Crash – TV review|last=Williams|first=Zoe|date=5 March 2013|work=The Guardian|accessdate=3 August 2020}}</ref> It was subsequently renewed for its second (2014) and third (2015) seasons.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/533019010b94f|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203045954/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/533019010b94f|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 3, 2020|title=Bluestone 42[20/03/2014] (2014)|work=BFI|accessdate=3 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/5517bd1801d42|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603110929/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/5517bd1801d42|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 3, 2018|title=Bluestone 42[09/03/2015] (2015)|work=BFI|accessdate=3 August 2020}}</ref> He also co-wrote three episodes of the second series of ''The Rebel'' on Gold in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/the_rebel/cast_crew/|title=The Rebel|work=British Comedy Guide|accessdate=7 August 2020}}</ref>
==Drama festival== He has been involved in the National Student Drama Festival in various capacities, since winning the Sunday Times’ Harold Hobson Student Drama Critic Award in 1994 and the RSC Buzz Goodbody Award in 1995.
==References== <!--- See Wikipedia:Footnotes on how to create references using <ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically --> {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|id=3650479|name=Richard Hurst}} *[http://www.richardhurst.co.uk Richard Hurst homepage]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hurst, Richard}} Category:English theatre directors Category:English comedy writers Category:People educated at Oakham School Category:Alumni of St Hugh's College, Oxford Category:Alumni of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Category:Living people Category:People from Surrey Category:People educated at Boston Grammar School Category:Year of birth missing (living people)