Kit Hesketh-Harvey

Kit Hesketh-Harvey (born Christopher J. Hesketh-Harvey on 30 April 1957 in Nyasaland, now Malawi) is a British comic performer, translator and scriptwriter.

He was educated as a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral and then Tonbridge School in Kent before moving on as a choral scholar under John Rutter to Clare College, Cambridge, later becoming a member of the Cambridge Footlights.

He wrote the script for Merchant Ivory's "Maurice" (1987), and has worked on the "Vicar of Dibley" series for the BBC.

He is one part of the musical comedy act Kit and The Widow, which has had a number of West End and Broadway theatre runs and tours internationally. They have had their own series on BBC Radios 3 and 4, and two TV specials on Channel 4. He starred in the 1996 production of "Salad Days" at the Vaudeville Theatre. He makes occasional appearances on the many BBC Radio 4 series requiring witty panellists such as "Just a Minute" and "Quote Unquote". He was also a panellist on the unbroadcast pilot episode of "QI".

Winner of the 1988 Vivian Ellis Award for writers for music theatre, he subsequently studied as a pupil of Stephen Sondheim, and his musicals include "Writing Orlando" (Barbican 1988) and "Yusupov" (Bridewell Theatre). He adapted the English version of Jacques Offenbach's "La Belle Hélène" (2006) directed by Laurent Pelly for English National Opera. He translated "The Bartered Bride" for Charles Mackerras at the Royal Opera House, and has translated many other operas. His plays include "Five O'Clock Angel" at the Hampstead Theatre. He writes regularly for "Country Life" magazine.

He is married to the actress Catherine Rabett and they have two children. He is the brother of novelist and journalist Sarah Sands.

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