1951 – 54 Reporter and entertainment columnist, Sunday Express, Johannesburg.
1954 – 59 Feature writer and columnist, Daily Sketch, London
1959 – 61 Columnist, Sunday Despatch, London
1962 – 78 Feature writer and theatre critic, Daily Express, London
1979 – 87 TV critic, Daily Mail, London
Lyricist
1960 As lyric writer, contributed weekly songs to: That Was The Week That Was, Not So Much A Programme.., BBC3, That’s Life. Wrote Lyrics of Goodness Gracious Me, (Ivor Novello Award)
1963 The Summer of Our Years (tribute to JF Kennedy) Goodness Gracious Me, Bangers and Mash from the film the Millionairess (music by Dave Lee)
1964 Our Man Crichton, Shaftesbury Theatre (Book and lyrics.)
1967 The Four Musketeers, Drury Lane Theatre (Lyrics)
1969 Film: Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe And Find True Happiness? (Lyrics) Yesterday When I was Young (lyrics) Charles Aznavour
1974 She (lyrics) Charles Aznavour. Written for the BBC TV series Seven Faces of a Woman.
1985 Les Miserables (lyrics). The Barbican, London
2008 Marguerite (lyrics), Theatre Royal, Haymarket, composer Michel Le Grand
2009 Kristina, Carnegie Hall, New York. Co-lyricist with Bjorn Ulvaeus
2010 Kristina, Royal Albert Hall, London
2012 London. World Premiere of the film Les Miserables (Working Title/Universal) , directed by Tom Hooper. One new song Suddenly (lyrics)
Publications
1965 Our Man Crichton (music by Dave Lee)
1970 (jointly) Every Home Should Have One
2002 Irma La Goose. Children’s verse, privately printed
2014 Snapshots: Conversations with Twentieth Century Legends. An Anthology of Herbert Kretzmer’s showbusiness journalism
Awards and nominations
1969 Yesterday When I was Young (ASCAP award). (Lyrics)
1974 Gold Record for She (Lyrics)
1980 TV Critic of the Year, Philips Industries Award
1981 Commended in the British Press Awards
1985 Les Misérables, RSC (Lyrics, Tony Award, 1987, Grammy Award 1988)
1988 Appointed Chevalier De L’Ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres
1989 Jimmy Kennedy Award, British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors
1996 Hon. Dr of Letter, Richmond College, American International University in London
2008 Marguerite. Lyrics. Shortlisted Evening Standard Drama Awards Best Musical.
2011 Awarded OBE (Order of the British Empire) for Services to Music
2011 PRS for Music Award for Extraordinary Achievement
2011 Honorary Doctorate, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
2012 Satellite Awards Winner Best Original Song Suddenly
2012 Phoenix Film Critics Society Nominated Best original Song Suddenly and Best Screenplay Adapted from another medium
2013 BAFTA Awards. Nominated Best Outstanding British Film
2013 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards. Nominated Best Song Suddenly
2013 Golden Globes Nominated for Best Original Song Suddenly
2013 Academy Award nomination for Original Song Suddenly
2013 The New York Chapter Recording Academy Honors Award
