Ben Elton Ben Elton Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May 1959) is an English comedian, author, playwright, actor and director. He was a part of London's alternative comedy movement of the 1980s and became a writer on series such as "The Young Ones" and "Blackadder", as well as continuing as a stand-up comedian on stage and television. His style in the 1980s was left-wing political satire. Since then he has published 15 novels and written the musicals "We Will Rock You" (2002) and "Love Never Dies" (2010), the sequel to "The Phantom of the Opera". His novels cover the dystopian, comedy, and
Alternative comedy Lee promoting the liberal, progressive values of the 1980's alternative comedy scene through his writing, live shows featuring veteran alternative comedians including Alexi Sayle and Norman Lovett, as well as a Comedy Central tv series showcasing a great variety of alternative acts called The Alternative Comedy Experience. Younger acts have banded together into groups dedicated to alternative comedy, including The Alternative Comedy Memorial Society and The Weirdos Collective. In New York City, much of what is called alternative or "downtown comedy" is performed outside of traditional comedy clubs in theatres, such as Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (UCB), Magnet Theater, The