Richard Sparks

Rowan Atkinson performed Richard's Schoolmaster sketch in John Cleese’s The Secret Policeman’s Ball. To celebrate Rowan’s 70th birthday, the Schoolmaster was nominated in The Guardian in January 2025 as Number One in a list of Rowan's top Ten film appearances. UK TV credits include The Famous Five, The Flying Kiwi, The Optimist, The Worst of Hollywood, and a lifetime of script editing. On being hired by Columbia Pictures TV, Richard moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1992. His lyrics have been recorded by talents as diverse as Dom de Luise, Eric Idle, Vanessa Williams, Plácido Domingo and Hello Kitty. He directed Jack Black in Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale (LACMA). Richard has written libretti for several new operas as well writing new English versions of German and Italian classics. New Rock New Role is Richard’s fiction debut. New Rock New Realm, the first of three sequels that he has written so far in the New Rock fantasy adventure series, was published in November 2024.