Actor
Writer
Commmunications
“From childhood sketches to debut novel:
a life in stories, strategy, and performance.”
Paul Riddell is a writer, performer and Chartered PR Practitioner whose career bridges business, theatre and film. For more than thirty years he has shaped the reputations of major financial-services firms; alongside that work he has written plays shortlisted in national competitions, appeared in more than thirty film and television productions, and served as executive producer on the feature film Summit Fever (2022).
His debut novel, the psychological thriller Palimpsest, is complete and seeking representation. Its sequel, Pentimento, is in editing, and the third book, Shadowglass, is in development. In 2025 he was elected Chairman of Chesil Theatre, Winchester’s Grade II*-listed community theatre, which he is leading through a major redevelopment due to open in 2028.
His storytelling began with comic sketches in childhood. It was nurtured by his teacher William ‘Bill’ Holmes, a former RSC actor married to the British film star Barbara Murray, and later by a Winchester writing group led by the tutor Margret Geraghty, author of The Five-Minute Writer.
Paul Riddell is a writer, performer and Chartered PR Practitioner based in Winchester, where he chairs Chesil Theatre.
His short plays have been shortlisted in national competitions, and he has appeared in more than thirty film and television productions, from Darkest Hour to Slow Horses. He was executive producer of Summit Fever (2022) and holds an MA in Film and Screen Media from Birkbeck.
His debut novel, the psychological thriller Palimpsest, is the first in a trilogy featuring Saoirse Kearney and Orestes Theodorou.
Paul Riddell blends strategic communications expertise with a lifelong passion for creative writing and performance. He is Chairman of Chesil Theatre, and his debut novel, Palimpsest, is complete and seeking representation.