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Life of ex-miner turned glam rock wrestler Adrian Street being made into a film

Posted: Feb 28th 2016 By: www.walesonline.co.uk

He was the flamboyant Welsh wrestler who lit up the ring ? now a film is being made on Adrian Street?s life.

Film producer and director, Joann Randles, from Newport was looking for inspiration for a new feature film when she came across Street?s story at a museum in Manchester.

When she heard how Street, who was born into a coal mining family in Brynmawr, had become an international sensation, creating his own persona and setting the glam rock look in the wrestling world, she knew his story had to be shared.

?It?s like a Billy Elliot film,? Joann said. ?Adrian pursued his dream despite being set back with people telling him he was too short to be a successful wrestler.

RELATED: Wrestler Adrian Street reveals Quentin Crisp was one of his biggest fans

?He put himself out there in front of a very conservative British audience in the 1960s, blowing kisses at them, wearing face paint and bleaching his hair peroxide blonde.

?Not only was it the time of the industrial revolution but also, before Bowie and Boy George, what Adrian was doing was unheard of and outlandish.

?Nobody was wearing face paint or spandex and no one was entering the ring with a lady valet, but Adrian?s wife Miss Linda would accompany him into the ring.

?He was bold, highly controversial and entertaining and was certainly ground-breaking of his time.

?He was one of the pioneering people behind the glam rock look.

?This controversial character Adrian developed was unique and daring and he thrived on the audience?s response to his then outrageous look.?

At 16 Adrian Street left home and, under the name Kid Tarzan, he had his first professional wrestling match a year later in 1957.

His career took him round the world, winning championships including the Welsh Welterweight title.

He now lives in Florida and runs a wrestling costume business called Bizarre Bizaar, designing and making costumes for wrestlers, performers and circus artists and he
made costumes for the feature film The Wrestler.

Joann added: ?I?ve been in contact with him on a weekly basis via Skype and he was up for the idea of me doing a feature film on him.

?There are five people involved in the production of the film and at the moment we are starting to put the script together and we are in financial discussions.

?It will take around a year to a year and a half to put together so I?m hoping it will be released some time next year - to both independent and mainstream cinemas and it
will also have an international distribution.

?We would like to get someone to play his character but it?s going to be very difficult because of the physical aspect and his persona.

?We will try to film as much as possible in Wales, in Swansea Bay would be ideal, but some shots will have to be taken in London and maybe in the States.?