Simon Dormandy is an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
theatre director
A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...
,
teacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
and
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
. As an actor, he worked with
Cheek by Jowl
Cheek by Jowl is an international theatre company founded in the United Kingdom by director Declan Donnellan and designer Nick Ormerod in 1981. Donnellan and Ormerod are Cheek by Jowl's artistic directors and together direct and design all of ...
and the
Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), as well as at
The Donmar Warehouse,
The Old Vic
The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, not-for-profit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...
,
Chichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...
and
The Royal Exchange, amongst many others. He is perhaps best known on screen for his performances in ''
Little Dorrit (film)'' and ''
Vanity Fair''. Between 1997 and 2012, he taught drama at
Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...
,
Berkshire, and held the posts of Director of Drama, Head of Theatre Studies and Deputy Head of English.
[
][
] He worked as a freelance theatre director until 2019
[http://www.linkedin.com/pub/simon-dormandy/23/98a/911 ] and has been Head of Academic Drama at
St Paul's School, London
(''By Faith and By Learning'')
, established =
, closed =
, type = Independent school Public school
, religion = Church of England
, president =
, h ...
since 2020.
His directing credits include
''Julius Caesar'' at the
Bristol Old Vic
Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a f ...
and ''
Much Ado About Nothing
''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...
'' at the
Rose Theatre, Kingston
The Rose Theatre Kingston is a theatre on Kingston High Street in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. The theatre seats 822 around a wide, thrust stage.
It officially opened on 16 January 2008 with ''Uncle Vanya'' by Anton Chekhov, with ...
, and his own adaptations of ''
A Passage to India
''A Passage to India'' is a 1924 novel by English author E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of 20th century English liter ...
'' and the
Coen Brothers
Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...
' film ''
The Hudsucker Proxy
''The Hudsucker Proxy'' is a 1994 screwball comedy film co-written, produced, and directed by the Coen brothers. Sam Raimi co-wrote the script and served as second unit director. The film stars Tim Robbins as a naïve but ambitious business scho ...
''.
Background
Simon Dormandy was born on December 13, 1957.
He attended
Marlborough College and studied English Language and Literature at
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...
between 1976 and 1979.
Simon Dormandy was, as an actor, known largely for his work with the
Royal Shakespeare Company between 1988 and 1995. Over the period, he worked with many well known directors, including
Adrian Noble
Adrian Keith Noble (born 19 July 1950) is a theatre director, and was also the artistic director and chief executive of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1990 to 2003.
Education and career
Noble was born in Chichester, Sussex, England. After le ...
,
Sam Mendes,
Deborah Warner
Deborah Warner (born 12 May 1959) is a British director of theatre and opera, known for her interpretations of the works of Shakespeare, Bertolt Brecht, Benjamin Britten and Henrik Ibsen.
Early life
Warner was born in Oxfordshire, England, t ...
,
Katie Mitchell
Katrina Jane Mitchell (born 23 September 1964) is an English theatre director.
Life and career
Mitchell was born in Reading, Berkshire, raised in Hermitage, Berkshire, and educated at Oakham School. Upon leaving Oakham, she went up to Mag ...
and
Max Stafford-Clark
Maxwell Robert Guthrie Stewart "Max" Stafford-Clark (born 17 March 1941) is a British theatre director.
Life and career
Stafford-Clark was born in Cambridge, England. the son of David Stafford-Clark, a physician, and Dorothy Crossley (née Old ...
. He also took part in several films and television series. He was perhaps best known for his performances in ''
Little Dorrit
''Little Dorrit'' is a novel by Charles Dickens, originally published in serial form between 1855 and 1857. The story features Amy Dorrit, youngest child of her family, born and raised in the Marshalsea prison for debtors in London. Arthur Cl ...
'' (as Sparkler) and ''
Vanity Fair'' (as Dobbin). He was also known for his work with the theatre company Cheek By Jowl.
He taught Drama and English at Eton College for fifteen years from 1997 to 2012, where he was Director of Drama, Head of Theatre Studies and Deputy Head of English.
His pupils included the actors
Tom Hiddleston
Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is an English actor. He gained international fame portraying Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), starting with ''Thor'' in 2011 and most recently in the Disney+ series ''Loki'' in 2021 ...
,
Eddie Redmayne
Edward John David Redmayne (; born 6 January 1982) is an English actor. Known for his roles in biopics and blockbusters, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Olivier Awards.
He ...
,
Harry Lloyd
Harry Charles Salusbury Lloyd (born 17 November 1983) is an English actor. His performance in the Channel 4 miniseries '' The Fear'' (2012) earned him a British Academy Television Award nomination. He gained prominence through his roles as Wil ...
and
Adetomiwa Edun, director
James Dacre
James Charles Dacre (born May 1984) is a British theatre director. He has been artistic director of Royal & Derngate Theatres in Northampton since 2013.
Early years
James Dacre was born in 1984, the son of Paul Dacre, former editor of the '' ...
and comedians Tom Palmer and Tom Stourton of comedy duo
Totally Tom and
Humphrey Ker
David Humphrey Rivers Ker (; born 11 October 1982) is a British actor, writer and comedian who is a member of the sketch comedy troupe The Penny Dreadfuls.
Early life and education
Ker was born to David Peter James Ker, a fine art dealer, ...
. School productions include ''Henry VI'' with Eddie Redmayne, ''Waiting for Godot'' with Harry Lloyd, ''King Lear'' (where he directed
Edward Stourton's son in the title role), ''Three Sisters, Pool, No Water'', ''Henry IV'', (a joint version of both Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2), ''Joseph K'' and ''Spring Awakening''.
Since January 2013, he has been working as a freelance theatre director. In 2013, he was assistant director on the world premiere of ''The Low Road'' by
Bruce Norris at
The Royal Court Theatre. In 2014 he directed the UK Premiere of ''Eldorado'' by Marius von Mayenburg and a production of ''Waiting for Godot'' with young comedians in the leading roles, both at The Arcola Theatre in London. In 2015, he co-directed his own stage adaptation of the
Coen Brothers
Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...
' film ''The Hudsucker Proxy'' with Toby Sedgwick at the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton and the Liverpool Playhouse in association with
Complicite. The production won Best Design at the 2015 UK Theatre Awards. He was also an artistic collaborator on
Simon McBurney
Simon Montagu McBurney (born 25 August 1957) is an English actor, playwright, and theatrical director. He is the founder and artistic director of the Théâtre de Complicité, London. He has had roles in the films '' The Manchurian Candidate'' ...
's ''The Encounter'' for Complicite at the Edinburgh International Festival and subsequently at the Barbican, London and on tour. In 2016, he directed
Mel Giedroyc
Melanie Clare Sophie Giedroyc (; , born 5 June 1968) is a British actress, comedian and television presenter. With Sue Perkins, she has co-hosted series including ''Light Lunch'' for Channel 4, ''The Great British Bake Off'' for the BBC and c ...
in the highly acclaimed UK Premiere of ''Luce'' by J. C. Lee at Southwark Playhouse. In 2017, he directed ''
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...
'' at the
Bristol Old Vic
Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a f ...
, and developed and co-directed his own adaptation of ''
A Passage to India
''A Passage to India'' is a 1924 novel by English author E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of 20th century English liter ...
'', which toured early in 2018 before a five-week run at The Park in London. His production of ''
Much Ado About Nothing
''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...
'' opened at the
Rose Theatre, Kingston
The Rose Theatre Kingston is a theatre on Kingston High Street in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. The theatre seats 822 around a wide, thrust stage.
It officially opened on 16 January 2008 with ''Uncle Vanya'' by Anton Chekhov, with ...
in April 2018.
He returned to teaching in 2019 at
City of London Freemen's School and has served as Head of Academic Drama at St Paul’s School, London since 2020.
He also teaches and directs at
Shakespeare's Globe
Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse for which William Shakespeare wrote his plays, in the London Borough of Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames. The original theatre was built in ...
,
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...
,
Drama Centre,
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. It became a ...
, and the
British American Drama Academy
The British American Drama Academy is a drama school in London, in the United Kingdom. It is affiliated with Sarah Lawrence College and Yale University.
Background
The British American Drama Academy (BADA) was founded in 1983 by Tony Branch and ...
.
Filmography
Film credits
Television credits
Selected stage appearances
Non-Royal Shakespeare Company
*''Death and the King's Horsemen'', Royal Exchange, 1990 (dir.
Phyllida Lloyd
Phyllida Christian Lloyd, (born 17 June 1957) is an English film director and producer, best known for ''Mamma Mia!'' (2008) and '' The Iron Lady'' (2011). Her theatre work includes directing productions at the Royal Court Theatre and Royal Na ...
)
*''Adam Was A Gardener'', Minerva Studio, Chichester, 1991
* ''Losing Venice'' (
Traverse Theatre
The Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1963 by John Calder, John Malcolm, Jim Haynes and Richard Demarco.
The Traverse Theatre company commissions and develops new plays or adaptations from contemporary p ...
, Edinburgh 1992)
[
]
*''
The Threepenny Opera
''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a " play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, '' The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with mu ...
'' (
Donmar Warehouse
The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977.
Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage and Josie Rourke have all served as artistic director, a post held since 2019 by Mi ...
, London, 1994)
With the Royal Shakespeare Company
All Royal Shakespeare Company performances taken from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT) is an independent registered educational charity based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, that came into existence in 1847 following the purchase of William Shakespeare's birthplace for preserva ...
archive history[
]
1988
* ''
Much Ado About Nothing
''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...
'' (
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) (originally called the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) is a grade II* listed 1,040+ seat thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the English playwright and poet William Shakespea ...
,
Stratford-upon-Avon, April)
* ''
Henry VI'' (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, October)
* ''
Richard III'' (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, October)
* ''
Edward IV'' (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, October)
* ''
Stars in the Morning Sky''
The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, December)
1989
* ''
Henry VI'' (
Theatre Royal,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, February)
* ''
Edward IV'' (
Theatre Royal,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, February)
* ''
Richard III'' (
Theatre Royal,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, February)
* ''
Henry VI'' (
Barbican Theatre
The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhib ...
,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, April)
[
]
* ''
Richard III'' (
Barbican Theatre
The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhib ...
,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, April)
* ''
Edward IV'' (
Barbican Theatre
The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhib ...
,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, April)
* ''
King John'' (Pit,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, May)
* ''
King John'' (Pit,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, May)
* ''
Mary and Lizzie'' (Pit,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, September)
* ''
Stars in the Morning Sky'' (
Almeida Theatre
The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325-seat producing house with an international reputation, which takes its name from the street on which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diver ...
, London, October)
* ''
The Liar'' (
Old Vic
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
*Old, Baranya, Hungary
*Old, Northamptonshire, England
* Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
, London)
1980s Theatre Programs
/ref>
1992
* '' Richard III'' (The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, August)
* '' Richard III'' (On tour, September)
1993
* '' Richard III'' ( Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, March
* ''King Lear
''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.
It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...
'' (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, May)
* '' The Country Wife'' (Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, August)
1994
* ''King Lear
''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.
It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...
'' (Theatre Royal, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, February)
* '' The Country Wife'' (Newcastle Playhouse
Northern Stage is a theatre and producing theatre company based in Newcastle upon Tyne. It is surrounded by Newcastle University's city centre campus on King's Walk, opposite the students' union building. It hosts various local, national and int ...
, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, February)
* ''King Lear
''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.
It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...
'' (Barbican Theatre, London, May)
* '' The Country Wife'' (Pit, London, July)
1995
* '' Measure for Measure'' (Barbican Theatre, London, June)
* '' The Park'' (Pit, London, September)
See also
*Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...
* Royal Shakespeare Company
References
External links
*
The Guardian - Eton at odds with the RSC
* ttp://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/rsc/histories.html Random House - RSC Stagings (Simon Dormandy references)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dormandy, Simon
Living people
English male film actors
English male stage actors
English male television actors
Royal Shakespeare Company members
1957 births