Sam Strong is an Australian theatre director and arts leader; he was the artistic director of

Queensland Theatre Company Queensland Theatre, formerly the Queensland Theatre Company and Royal Queensland Theatre Company, is a professional theatre company based in Brisbane, Australia. It regularly performs in its own Bille Browne Theatre and the Queensland Performi ...

(2015–2019) and of

Griffin Theatre Company Griffin Theatre Company is an Australian theatre specialising in new works, based in Sydney. Founded in 1979, it is the resident theatre company at the SBW Stables Theatre in Kings Cross. the artistic director is Declan Green. Artistic direct ...

(2010–2013). He has also been Chair of

Circa Circa is a word of Latin origin meaning 'approximately'. Circa or CIRCA may also refer to: * CIRCA (art platform), art platform based in London * Circa (band), a progressive rock supergroup * Circa (company), an American skateboard footwear com ...

and the Associate Artistic Director of

Melbourne Theatre Company The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre compa ...

Personal life

Strong was born in

Nowra, New South Wales Nowra is a city in the South Coast, New South Wales, South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located south-southwest of the state capital of Sydney (about as the crow flies). As of the 2021 census, Nowra has an estimated popula ...

and is the son of late Australian businessman James Strong. Strong was Dux of

Geelong Grammar School , motto_translation = 1 Corinthians 1:30: "For us, Christ was made wisdom"(1 Corinthians 1:30: Christ, who has been made for us in wisdom) , city = Corio, Victoria , country = Australia , coordinates = , ty ...

and graduated from the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

with a BA(Hons) LLB(Hons) and the

Victorian College of the Arts The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) is the arts school at the University of Melbourne in Australia. It is part of the university's Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. It is located near the Melbourne city centre on the Southbank campus of the ...

with a Graduate Diploma of Dramatic Art (Directing). He was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor in the Supreme Court of Victoria and practised as a solicitor at Freehills.

Career

From 2006 to 2008, Strong was the dramaturg in residence at

Red Stitch Actors Theatre Red Stitch Actors Theatre is an ensemble theatre company based in Melbourne, Australia. Established in 2001 and with its first season in 2002, Red Stitch has presented over 100 contemporary plays. These include works from international playwrig ...

, where he co-founded the Red Stitch Writers residency and directed the

Green Room Award The Green Room Awards are peer awards which recognise excellence in cabaret, dance, drama, fringe theatre, musical theatre and opera in Melbourne. The awards were started in 1982 when Blair Edgar and Steven Tandy formed the Green Room Awards A ...

-winning ''Red Sky Morning''. From 2008 to 2010, he was Literary Associate at Belvoir, where he dramarturged the hit

Brendan Cowell Brendan Cowell is an Australian actor, playwright, and director. Early life and education Cowell was born in Sydney and grew up in the beachside suburb of Cronulla. He credits his mother and high school drama teacher with encouraging him to e ...

play ''Ruben Guthrie''. From 2010 to 2013, Strong was artistic director of

, where he directed successful revivals of contemporary Australian classics, tripled subscribers, and directed the highest selling show in the company's history (''The Boys''). From 2013 to 2015, Strong was the associate artistic director of

, where he directed the theatrical debuts of visual artist Callum Morton and the group

Working Dog Productions Working Dog Productions (originally Frontline Television Productions Pty. Ltd.) is a film and television production company based in Melbourne, Australia. It was formed in 1993 by actors Santo Cilauro, Rob Sitch, Jane Kennedy (actor), Jane Ken ...

. Strong has directed many of Australia's leading actors including

Justine Clarke Justine Clarke (born 16 November 1971) is an Australian actress, singer, musician, author and television host. She has been acting since the age of seven and has appeared in some of Australia's best-known TV shows. She is best known as a presen ...

Lucy Durack Lucy Durack (born 17 November 1982) is an Australian actress, singer and television personality who played Glinda in the Australian production of ''Wicked (musical), Wicked'', and Elle Woods in the Australian production of ''Legally Blonde (musi ...

Colin Friels Colin Friels (born 25 September 1952) is a Scottish-born Australian actor of theatre, TV and film and presenter Early life Friels was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland.Interview with Colin Friels, ''George Negus Tonight'' (ABC Television ...

Noni Hazlehurst Leonie Elva "Noni" Hazlehurst , (born 17 August 1953) is an Australian actress, director, writer, presenter and broadcaster who has appeared on television and radio, in dramas, mini-series and made for television films, as well also on stag ...

Asher Keddie Asher Keddie (born 31 July 1974) is an Australian actress. Beginning her career in the television series ''Five Mile Creek'' in the mid 1980s, Keddie received wide recognition for her role in the television series ''Offspring''. Her significant ...

Lachy Hulme Lachy Hulme (born 1 April 1971) is an Australian actor and screenwriter. He has written several films and has appeared in a number of successful Australian and US film and television productions. Early life Hulme was born in Melbourne, Victori ...

Robyn Nevin Robyn Anne Nevin (25 September 1942) is an Australian actress, director, and stage producer, recognised with the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards and the JC Williamson Award at the Helpmann Awards for her outstanding contributions to Austral ...

Josh McConville Josh McConville is an Australian actor. He was nominated for the 2018 AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in 1%. Filmography TV *'' Mr Inbetween'' (2019) TV series – Alex (2 episodes) *'' Home and Away'' (2017) TV s ...

Luke Mullins Luke Mullins (born 24 December 1984) is an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood in the Australian Football League (AFL). Mullins played his early football with the Wangaratta Rovers and was picked up by Collingwood in the ...

Pamela Rabe Pamela may refer to: *''Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded'', a novel written by Samuel Richardson in 1740 *Pamela (name), a given name and, rarely, a surname *Pamela Spence, a Turkish pop-rock singer. Known as her stage name "Pamela" * MSC ''Pamela'', ...

Kat Stewart Katherine Louise Stewart (born 30 November 1972) is an AACTA and Logie Award-winning Australian actress who has made numerous appearances in television series, movies and on-stage. Early life Kat Stewart is the daughter of Tony and Kitty Stewar ...

Erik Thomson Erik Thomson is a Scottish-born New Zealand-Australian actor. He is known for playing Hades in the television series ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', ''Xena Warrior Princess'' and ''Young Hercules'', Dr. Mitch Stevens in '' All Saints'' an ...

Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is an English actor. Born in Colonial Nigeria to English parents, he has resided in Australia for the entirety of his career. He is the recipient of six AACTA Awards, Australian Academy of Cinema and Tel ...

, and

David Wenham David Wenham (born 21 September 1965) is an Australian actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre. He is known for his roles as Faramir in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, Friar Carl in ''Van Helsing'', Dilios in ''300'' and ...

. Strong commenced as

artistic director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the ...

in November 2015 and was appointed chair of contemporary circus company,

in April 2015. Strong launched his first season as artistic director on 12 September 2016 with a rebranding of the company to Queensland Theatre (QT). Strong also announced nine commitments for his 2017 season that will deliver on the company's vision to lead the nation from Queensland, including opening a world premiere production in Cairns, performing in 15 interstate venues, gender parity of writers and directors and one third diverse casting. Strong's first season at Queensland Theatre (2017) achieved the largest box office in the company's history. In the same year, Strong became only the second director in the history of the awards to have two productions nominated for Best Play in the one year at the Helpmann Awards. Strong announced his departure from QT in March 2019, stating that he was relocating to Melbourne to support his wife's career"Queensland Theatre Boss Sam Strong Announces His Not-So Imminent Departure"
by Phil Brown, ''

The Courier-Mail ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, ...

'', 28 March 2019 Highlights of Strong's four years at Queensland Theatre include the renovation of the Bille Brown Theatre, achieving subscriber growth that made the company the fastest growing in Australia, directing the highest selling new Australian play in the company's history, and securing

RACQ The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland Limited (RACQ) is a mutual organisation and Queensland’s largest Club, providing services including roadside assistance, insurance, banking and travel to its approximately 1.75 million members. RACQ is ...

as an inaugural principal partner. Strong's time at Queensland Theatre was also marked by a focus on new plays (leading the company to be described as the "National home of new stories", and creating the next generation of

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

stories such as My Name is Jimi and City of Gold. Strong's fourth season 2020 will include him directing the stage premiere of

Trent Dalton Trent Dalton is an Australian journalist and literary fiction author. Early life Trent Dalton grew up in a Housing Commission house in Bracken Ridge, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Brisbane. Journalism Dalton worked as a journalist f ...

’s novel Boy Swallows Universe. In September 2019 it was announced that

Lee Lewis Lee Lewis is an Australian theatre director. Early life and education Lewis trained as an actor at Columbia University in New York. Returning to Australia, she completed a Masters of Directing at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) ...

(who succeeded Strong at

Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late Latin, Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail ...

) would be the next Artistic Director of Queensland Theatre.

Productions

2008 * ''Red Sky Morning'' by Tom Holloway (Red Stitch Actors Theatre) * ''Shedding'' by Melissa Bubnic (La Mama) 2009 * ''Faces in the Crowd'' by Leo Butler (Red Stitch Actors Theatre) * ''Thom Pain (based on nothing)'' by

Will Eno Will Eno (born 1965) is an American playwright based in Brooklyn, New York. His play, '' Thom Pain (based on nothing)'' was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 2005. His play ''The Realistic Joneses'' appeared on Broadway in 2014, wher ...

(B Sharp) * ''Tender'' by Nicki Bloom taged Reading(Melbourne Theatre Company) * ''The Sea Project'' by Elise Hurst taged Reading(Melbourne Theatre Company) * ''Red Sky Morning'' by Tom Holloway (Red Stitch Actors Theatre return season) 2010 * ''Madagascar'' by

J.T. Rogers J. T. Rogers is a multiple-award-winning, internationally recognized American playwright who lives in New York. Rogers has written several plays including ''Oslo'', ''Blood and Gifts'', ''The Overwhelming'', ''White People'', and ''Madagascar''. ...

(Melbourne Theatre Company) * ''The Power of Yes'' by

David Hare David Hare may refer to: *David Hare (philanthropist) (1775–1842), Scottish philanthropist *David Hare (artist) (1917–1992), American sculptor and photographer *David Hare (playwright) (born 1947), English playwright and theatre and film direc ...

(Belvoir St Theatre) * ''Red Sky Morning'' by Tom Holloway (Red Stitch Actors Theatre national tour) 2011 * ''

And No More Shall We Part ''And No More Shall We Part'' is a play by the Australian playwright Tom Holloway. Plot The play is about Pam and Don; after a long and successful marriage, they are still very much in love. But Pam is ill and has to make a heartbreaking decisi ...

'' by Tom Holloway (Griffin Theatre Company) * ''Speaking in Tongues'' by

Andrew Bovell Andrew Bovell (born 23 November 1962) is an Australian writer for theatre, film and television. Life Bovell was born on 23 November 1962 in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and completed his secondary school education in Perth. He graduated from t ...

(Griffin Theatre Company) 2012 * ''

Between Two Waves ''Between Two Waves'' is a play by Australian playwright Ian Meadows. It was first produced by Griffin Theatre Company in 2012. Plot Daniel - a climatologist and advisor to the government - loses a lifetime of research in a flood. When Fiona ...

'' by Ian Meadows (Griffin Theatre Company) * ''

Les Liaisons dangereuses ''Les Liaisons dangereuses'' (; English: ''Dangerous Liaisons'') is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu from March 23, 1782. It is the story of the Marquise de Merteuil and ...

'' by

Christopher Hampton Sir Christopher James Hampton ( Horta, Azores, 26 January 1946) is a British playwright, screenwriter, translator and film director. He is best known for his play ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' based on the novel of the same name and the film ...

(Sydney Theatre Company) * ''The Boys'' by Gordon Graham (Griffin Theatre Company/Sydney Festival) 2013 * ''

Other Desert Cities ''Other Desert Cities'' is a play by Jon Robin Baitz. The play premiered Off-Broadway in January 2011 and transferred to Broadway in November 2011, marking the Broadway debut of a Baitz play. The play was a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize fo ...

'' by

Jon Robin Baitz Jon Robin Baitz (born November 4, 1961) is an American playwright, screenwriter and television producer. He is a two time Pulitzer Prize finalist, as well as a Guggenheim Museum, Guggenheim, American Academy of Arts and Letters, and NEA fellowshi ...

(Melbourne Theatre Company) * ''

The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Miller wrote the play as a ...

'' by

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' ( ...

(Melbourne Theatre Company) * ''The Floating World'' by

John Romeril John Henry Romeril (born 1945) is an Australian playwright and teacher. He has written around 60 plays for theatre, film, radio, and television, and is known for his 1975 play ''The Floating World''. Early life and education John Henry Romeril ...

(Griffin Theatre Company) 2014 * ''

Private Lives ''Private Lives'' is a 1930 comedy of manners in three acts by Noël Coward. It concerns a divorced couple who, while honeymooning with their new spouses, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetuall ...

'' by

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

* ''The Speechmaker'' by

Santo Cilauro Santo Luigi Cilauro (born 25 November 1961) is an Australian comedian, television and feature film producer, screenwriter, actor, author and cameraman who is also a co-founder of ''The D-Generation''. Known as the weatherman in ''Frontline'', ...

Tom Gleisner Thomas Edmund Gleisner (born 24 October 1962) is an Australian comedian, television presenter, producer, director, writer, occasional actor and author. Gleisner currently hosts Network 10's ''Have You Been Paying Attention?''. Early life and ...

Rob Sitch Robert Ian Sitch (born 17 March 1962) is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter, actor and comedian. Early life Sitch was born in 1962, the son of Melbourne bus proprietor Charles (Charlie) Sitch. Sitch attended St Kevin's College and ...

(Melbourne Theatre Company) * ''The Sublime'' by

(Melbourne Theatre Company) 2015 * ''

Masquerade Masquerade or Masquerader may refer to: Events * Masquerade ball, a costumed dance event * Masquerade ceremony, a rite or cultural event in many parts of the world, especially the Caribbean and Africa * Masqueraders, the performers in the West ...

'' by Kate Mulvany (

Sydney Festival Sydney Festival is a major arts festival in Australia's largest city, Sydney that runs for three weeks every January, since it was established in 1977. The festival program features in excess of 100 events from local and international artists an ...

/Griffin Theatre Company/

State Theatre Company of South Australia The State Theatre Company of South Australia (STCSA), branded State Theatre Company South Australia, formerly the South Australian Theatre Company (SATC), is South Australia's leading professional theatre company, and a statutory corporation. It ...

Melbourne Festival Melbourne International Arts Festival, formerly Spoleto Festival Melbourne – Festival of the Three Worlds, then Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, becoming commonly known as Melbourne Festival, was a major international arts festi ...

) * ''

The Weir ''The Weir'' is a play written by Conor McPherson in 1997. It was first produced at The Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London, England, on 4 July 1997. It opened on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on 1 April 1999. As well as several other ...

'' by

Conor McPherson Conor McPherson (born 6 August 1971) is an Irish playwright, screenwriter and director of stage and film. In recognition of his contribution to world theatre, McPherson was awarded a doctorate of Literature, Honoris Causa, in June 2013 by the Un ...

(Melbourne Theatre Company) * ''

Endgame Endgame, Endgames, End Game, End Games, or similar variations may refer to: Film * ''The End of the Game'' (1919 film) * ''The End of the Game'' (1975 film), short documentary U.S. film * ''Endgame'' (1983 film), 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic f ...

'' by

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...

(Melbourne Theatre Company) 2016 * ''

Jasper Jones ''Jasper Jones'', is a 2009 novel by Australian writer Craig Silvey. It has won and been shortlisted for several major awards including being shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award. The novel was selected by the American Librar ...

'' based on the novel by

Craig Silvey Craig Silvey (born 1 January 1982) is an Australian novelist. Silvey has twice been named one of the Best Young Australian Novelists by ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' and has been shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award. His 200 ...

, adapted by

Kate Mulvany Kate Mulvany (born 24 February 1977) is an Australian actress, playwright and screenwriter. She works in theatre, television and film, with roles in ''Hunters '' (2020–2023), ''The Great Gatsby'' (2013), ''Griff the Invisible'' (2010) and '' ...

(Melbourne Theatre Company) * ''

Double Indemnity ''Double Indemnity'' is a 1944 American crime film noir directed by Billy Wilder, co-written by Wilder and Raymond Chandler, and produced by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Sistrom. The screenplay was based on James M. Cain's 1943 novel of the same ...

'' by

Tom Holloway Tom Holloway is an Australian playwright, based in Melbourne . Holloway's plays have been performed across Australia and internationally, including ''Beyond the Neck'' at Belvoir St Theatre (2007), ''Red Sky Morning'' at Red Stitch Actors Theat ...

, adapted from the book by James M Cain (Melbourne Theatre Company) 2017 *''

Noises Off ''Noises Off'' is a 1982 play by the English playwright Michael Frayn. Frayn conceived the idea in 1970 while watching from the wings a performance of ''The Two of Us'', a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He said, "It was funnier f ...

!'' by

Michael Frayn Michael Frayn, FRSL (; born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce ''Noises Off'' and the dramas ''Copenhagen'' and ''Democracy''. His novels, such as '' Towards the End of the Mo ...

(Queensland Theatre/Melbourne Theatre Company) *''Once in Royal David's City'' by

Michael Gow Michael Gow is an Australian playwright and director most famed for his 1986 work '' Away''. Early life As a student at Sydney University, Gow acted and directed with the Dramatic Society from 1973-1976. After graduation, Gow went on to act pro ...

(Queensland Theatre/Black Swan State Theatre Company) 2018 *''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

(

Queensland Theatre Queensland Theatre, formerly the Queensland Theatre Company and Royal Queensland Theatre Company, is a professional theatre company based in Brisbane, Australia. It regularly performs in its own Bille Browne Theatre and the Queensland Performi ...

) with music by

Tim Finn Brian Timothy Finn (born 25 June 1952) is a New Zealand singer and musician. His musical career includes forming 1970s and 1980s New Zealand rock group Split Enz, a number of solo albums, temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowde ...

*''

'' based on the novel by

, adapted by

(Queensland Theatre restaging the Melbourne Theatre Company production) * ''Nearer the Gods'' by

David Williamson David Keith Williamson Officer of the Order of Australia, AO (born 24 February 1942) is an Australians, Australian dramatist and playwright. He has also written screenplays and teleplays. Early life David Williamson was born in Melbourne, Vi ...

(Queensland Theatre) 2019 * ''Hydra'' by Sue Smith (Queensland Theatre/

State Theatre Company South Australia The State Theatre Company of South Australia (STCSA), branded State Theatre Company South Australia, formerly the South Australian Theatre Company (SATC), is South Australia's leading professional theatre company, and a statutory corporation. It ...

) * '' Storm Boy'' by

Colin Thiele Colin Milton Thiele AC (; 16 November 1920 – 4 September 2006) was an Australian author and educator. He was renowned for his award-winning children's fiction, most notably the novels '' Storm Boy'', ''Blue Fin'', the ''Sun on the Stubble'' s ...

, adapted for the stage by Tom Holloway (Queensland Theatre/Melbourne Theatre Company)

Awards

* Winner Best Director

Sydney Theatre Awards The Sydney Theatre Awards are annual awards to recognise the strength, quality and diversity of professional theatre in Sydney, Australia. They were established in 2005 by a group of major Sydney theatre critics. The awards recognise mainstage and ...

2013 (''The Floating World'') * Nominated for Best Director Green Room Awards 2014 (''The Sublime'') * Nominated for Best Production Sydney Theatre Awards 2013 (''The Floating World'') * Nominated for Best Director Sydney Theatre Awards 2012 (''The Boys'') * Nominated for Best Production Sydney Theatre Awards 2012 (''The Boys'') * Nominated for Best Production Sydney Theatre Awards 2012 (''Les Liaisons dangereuses'') * Nominated for Best Play Helpmann Awards 2012 (''The Boys'') * Nominated for Best Director Helpmann Awards 2012 (''The Boys'') * Nominated for Best Director Sydney Theatre Awards 2010 (''The Power of Yes'') * Nominated for Best Director Greenroom Awards 2009 (''Red Sky Morning'') * Nominated for Best Play Helpmann Awards 2017 (''Once in Royal David's City)'' * Nominated for Best Play Helpmann Awards 2017 (''Jasper Jones)'' * Nominated for Best Production Green Room Awards 2017 (''Jasper Jones'') *Nominated for Best Director Green Room Awards 2017 (''Jasper Jones)''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strong, Sam Australian theatre directors Living people People educated at Geelong Grammar School University of Melbourne alumni Year of birth missing (living people) People from the South Coast (New South Wales)

Personal life

Career

Productions

Awards

Further reading

References