Herbert Kretzmer
b. 5 October 1925, Kroonstad, South Africa. Kretzmer started in journalism and came to London in 1954, following a twin career as newspaperman (drama critic for DAILY EXPRESS, television critic for DAILY MAIL) and lyricist. He wrote Can This Be Love? with George Martin which was a UK Top 30 entry for Matt Monro and Goodness Gracious Me and Bangers And Mash, both novelty hits for Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren. This led to further comedy duets including Kinky Boots, an AVENGERS spinoff for Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman. His work for BBC television's THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS included the much-recorded In The Summer Of His Years, which was written, and performed by Millicent Martin, within hours of the assassination of President Kennedy. He wrote the London West End musicals OUR MAN CRITCHTON (book and lyrics) and THE FOUR MUSKETEERS (lyrics) as well as the lyrics for Anthony Newley's cult musical film, CAN HEIRONYMOUS MERKIN EVER FORGET MERCY HUMPPE AND FIND TRUE HAPPINESS?. When You Gotta Go has become a closing song for many cabaret singers, while On The Boards, performed in the film by Bruce Forsythe, is a skilfully-worded tribute to music hall. His English lyrics for Charles Aznavour's songs (Yesterday When I Was Young, Happy Anniversary and, for the ITV series The Seven Faces Of Woman, She) came to the attention of Cameron Mackintosh, who invited him to write an English version of the French musical based on Victor Hugo's novel, LES MISÉRABLES, extending the two-hour original into a three-hour show. The all-sung musical has been a West End success since 1985 and includes the witty and ingenious rhymes of Master Of The House as well as the well-covered ballads, I Dreamed A Dream, On My Own and Bring Him Home. Kretzmer's lyrics have been translated into several languages to enable LES MISÉRABLES to be performed with enormous success throughout the world.