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Horror star's talent tribute
He's terrified thousands of cinema-goers starring in horror films alongside zombies and a killer Egyptian mummy.
Now Portsmouth-born film star Michael Ripperhas been honoured by pupils at his former school.
Drama students at Portsmouth Grammar School will tonight pay tribute to him during a talent contest at the New Theatre Royal.
The new annual competition has been named after the Southsea-born actor, who appeared in 34 Hammer horror films, more than anyone else.
They have also named the sixth form caf after the actor who was a pupil at the school between 1923 and 1927.
Headteacher Tim Hands said: 'This new speech and voice competition aims to raise standards of dramatic speaking in the school and Michael Ripper is the school's most distinguished actor, hence the name.'
Born in 1913, Ripper, who died in 2000, was encouraged from a young age to participate in diction and public speaking competitions by his father.
During his school years he performed in the 1926 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream before he went to the Central School of Speech and Drama.
Mr Ripper's first film Twice Branded was in 1935 and he soon went into acting in both television and film, joining Hammer films in 1947.
His grandson Nic Peters still lives in Portsmouth.
The Michael Ripper Competition Final tonight will see more than 20 pupils recite their own choice of verse and read a small section of prose.
The event is being judged by Dr Hands and a panel of governors and guests.
The competition is open to the public at the New Theatre Royal in Guildhall Walk tonight at 7.30pm.
Tickets priced 6 are available from the Box Office on (023) 9264 9000.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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