Among them were The Invisible Man and the original stage version of Phantom of the Opera,[2] which inspired Andrew Lloyd Webber to create his musical blockbuster of the same title.
He was educated at King Edward VI's Grammar School, Camp Hill, Birmingham, after which he joined an amateur theatrical company, Crescent Theatre, sweeping the floor, making props, writing and directing.
His other commissions for various theatres include: The Curse of the Werewolf, The Mummy's Tomb, Mafeking, The Three Musketeers, Bel Ami, The Living Dead, and a new translation of Jacques Offenbach's La Vie parisienne.
In 1984, an updated version of Phantom of the Opera was revived and produced in a joint production with the Newcastle Playhouse and the Theatre Royal Stratford East.
Andrew Lloyd Webber was inspired by the production and wrote his musical The Phantom of the Opera, which opened in the West End in 1986 after talks of staging Hill's version fell through.
The Invisible Man, with illusions by the magician, Paul Kieve, fared much better in the West End, transferring from Stratford East to the Vaudeville Theatre in 1993.
This show was a particular favorite of Hill's, combining his love of stage trickery and optical jokes, including the unbandaged 'invisible' head of the Invisible Man smoking a cigar.
The award in 1997 was a total of £5,000 for the winner – £1000 in cash, with the balance going towards the production costs of a week's showcase at the Theatre Royal, where many of Ken Hill's works were premiered.