Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is a British theatre director. He has been the Artistic Director for the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

, the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed dramas for the stage, like ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'', as well as opera and musicals, such as ''

Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...

'' (1981) and '' Les Misérables'' (1985). Nunn has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical, the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play, the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director, and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical, winning Tonys for ''Cats'', ''Les Misérables'', and '' Nicholas Nickleby'' and the Olivier Awards for productions of '' Summerfolk'', '' The Merchant of Venice'', '' Troilus and Cressida'', and ''Nicholas Nickleby''. In 2008 ''The Telegraph'' named him among the most influential people in British culture. He has also directed works for film and television.

Early years

Nunn was born in Ipswich, England, to Robert Alexander Nunn, a cabinetmaker, and Dorothy May Piper. As a small boy he loved reading but his parents had little money for books. However an aunt had more books, including a complete Shakespeare which he read whenever the family visited her. In the end she gave it to him.Sir Trevor Nunn, interviewed on Desert Island Discs, repeat broadcast on

BBC Radio 4 Extra BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British digital radio station from the BBC, broadcasting archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes nationally, 24 hours a day. It is the sister station of BBC Radio 4 and the p ...

, 5 April 2015 He was educated at Northgate Grammar School, Ipswich and

Downing College, Cambridge Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge and currently has around 650 students. Founded in 1800, it was the only college to be added to Cambridge University between 1596 and 1869, and is often described as the olde ...

. At Northgate, he had an inspiring English teacher, Peter Hewett, who also directed the school plays. Hewett encouraged him to sit the scholarship exam in Cambridge in the hope of studying under F. R. Leavis at Downing. Hewett also persuaded the headmaster to help with the cost of Nunn staying in Cambridge to take the exam. Nunn's father could not afford it and the headmaster had refused at first so Nunn was close to giving up. At Downing, Nunn began his stage career and first met contemporaries

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...

and Derek Jacobi. In 1962, he directed ''

'' for The Marlowe Society and he directed that year's Footlights. He also won a Director's Scholarship, becoming a trainee director at the

Belgrade Theatre The Belgrade Theatre is a live performance venue in Coventry, England. It was the first civic theatre to be built in Britain after the Second World War and is now a Grade II listed building. Background Coventry was the fastest growing city in ...

in Coventry."Stars Over Broadway:Trevor Nunn"
pbs.org, accessed 16 November 2011

Career

In 1964, Nunn joined the

and in 1968 he was appointed Artistic Director of the RSC, a position he held until 1986 (latterly with

Terry Hands Terence David Hands (9 January 1941 – 4 February 2020) was an English theatre director. He founded the Liverpool Everyman Theatre and ran the Royal Shakespeare Company for thirteen years during one of the company's most successful periods; h ...

from 1978). His first wife, Janet Suzman, appeared in many of his productions, such as the 1974 televised version of his ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' (First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in around ...

''. Nunn directed the RSC production of ''

'' starring

in the title role and Dame Judi Dench as Lady Macbeth in 1976. Nunn staged the action of the drama with not only the paying audience, but also the audience of all of the actors in the production not in the ongoing scene—they sat on wooden crates just beyond the main playing space. Nunn became a leading figure in theatrical circles, and was responsible for many significant productions, such as the RSC's version of Dickens's '' Nicholas Nickleby'', co-directed with John Caird, and a 1976 musical adaptation of the Shakespeare play '' The Comedy of Errors''. A very successful director of musicals, in the non-subsidised sector, Nunn directed the musical ''

'' (1981), formerly the longest running musical in Broadway's history, and the first English production of '' Les Misérables'' in 1985, also with John Caird, which has been running continuously in London since opening. Nunn also directed the little-known 1986 Webber–Rice musical ''

Cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

'', at Windsor Castle. Besides ''Cats'' and ''Les Misérables'' Nunn's other musical credits include '' Starlight Express'' and '' Sunset Boulevard''. He became Artistic Director of the

in September 1997, a position he retained until 2003. Later London credits include '' My Fair Lady'', ''

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

'' (at the

), '' The Woman in White'', ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'' and '' Acorn Antiques: The Musical!'' (2005), '' The Royal Hunt of the Sun'', '' Rock 'n' Roll'' and '' Porgy and Bess'' in 2006 at the Savoy Theatre (an abridged version with dialogue instead of recitatives, unlike Nunn's first production of the opera). He directed ''We Happy Few'', a play by his second wife Imogen Stubbs, in 2004. Stubbs often appears in his productions, including the 1996 ''Twelfth Night'' film. Nunn directed a modern production of Shakespeare's '' Hamlet'' in 2004, which starred Ben Whishaw in the title role, and Imogen Stubbs as Gertrude, and was staged at the Old Vic Theatre in London. In 2007, he directed the RSC productions of '' King Lear'' and '' The Seagull'', which played at Stratford before embarking on a world tour (including the

Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance. It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in ...

) and then playing at the New London Theatre from November 2007. The two plays both starred

, Romola Garai, Frances Barber, Sylvester McCoy, and William Gaunt. Nunn's television production of ''King Lear'' was screened on

Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...

, 2008 with McKellen in the title role. In 2008, he returned to The Belgrade Theatre in Coventry (the theatre where he started his career) to direct Joanna Murray-Smith's adaptation of

Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film director, screenwriter, Film producer, producer and playwright. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time, his films are known ...

's film '' Scenes from a Marriage'' starring Imogen Stubbs and Iain Glen. His musical adaptation of '' Gone with the Wind'' opened at the New London Theatre in April 2008 and, after poor reviews, closed on 14 June 2008 after 79 performances. In December 2008, he directed a revival of '' A Little Night Music'' at the Menier Chocolate Factory, which transferred to the West End at the Garrick Theatre in 2009. The production transferred to Broadway, opening in November 2009, with Catherine Zeta-Jones as Desiree Armfeldt and Angela Lansbury as Madame Armfeldt. Other members of the original London cast also transferred with the production. The production closed in January 2011 after 425 performances. In 2010, Nunn directed a revival of the

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...

musical '' Aspects of Love'' from July to September 2010 at the Menier Chocolate Factory and the play '' Birdsong'', which opened in September 2010 at the Comedy Theatre, based on the Sebastian Faulks novel of the same title. Nunn marked his debut as Artistic Director of the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, with a revival of '' Flare Path'' (as part of the playwright, Terence Rattigan's, centenary year celebrations). The production, starring Sienna Miller, James Purefoy and Sheridan Smith, opened in March 2011 and closed in June 2011, and was followed by productions of '' Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'', (June – August 2011) and '' The Tempest'', starring Ralph Fiennes (September – October 2011). His final production at the Haymarket, ''

The Lion in Winter ''The Lion in Winter'' is a 1966 play by James Goldman, depicting the personal and political conflicts of Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their children and their guests during Christmas 1183. It premiered on Broadway at the ...

'' (November 2011 – January 2012), starred Joanna Lumley and Robert Lindsay. Nunn returned to the Haymarket in 2014 to direct the play ''

Fatal Attraction ''Fatal Attraction'' is a 1987 American psychological thriller film directed by Adrian Lyne from a screenplay by James Dearden, based on his 1980 short film '' Diversion''. Starring Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and Anne Archer, the film centers ...

''. For Christmas 2018, Nunn directed a revival of ''

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...

'' at the Menier Chocolate Factory, before transferring to the Playhouse Theatre in

London's West End The West End of London (commonly referred to as the West End) is a district of Central London, west of the City of London and north of the River Thames, in which many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buil ...

for a limited season in spring 2019. The production starred Andy Nyman as Tevye and Judy Kuhn as Golde. In 2020, he was due to direct a new musical ''Identical'' based on '' The Parent Trap''. It was due to have its world premiere at the

Nottingham Playhouse Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in 1948 when it operated from a former cinema in Goldsmith Street. Directors during this period included Val May and Fr ...

before transferring to the Theatre Royal, Bath over the summer of 2020. However, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United Kingdom, it has resulted in confir ...

, the production has been delayed until 2021.

Film and opera

Nunn has directed opera at Glyndebourne. He re-staged his highly successful Glyndebourne production of Gershwin's '' Porgy and Bess'' for television in 1993, and was highly praised. He has directed for film, including '' Lady Jane'' (1986), '' Hedda'', an adaptation of Hedda Gabler, and a 1996 film version of Shakespeare's '' Twelfth Night''.

Personal life

Nunn has been married three times and has five children. He was married to actress Janet Suzman from 17 October 1969 until their divorce in 1986. They have one son, Joshua. From 1986 until their 1991 divorce, he was married to Sharon Lee-Hill, with whom he has two children, Laurie and Amy.Dickson, Andrew
"Trevor Nunn Life in Theatre"
''The Guardian'', 18 November 2011 In 1994, he married actress Imogen Stubbs with whom he has two children, Ellie and Jesse. In April 2011 Stubbs announced their separation. Nunn was in a brief relationship with Nancy Dell'Olio in 2011. In 1998 Nunn was named in a list of the biggest private financial donors to the Labour Party. In 2002, he was knighted. In 2014, Nunn told '' The Telegraph'' that Shakespeare was his religion. "Shakespeare has more wisdom and insight about our lives, about how to live and how not to live, how to forgive and how to understand our fellow creatures, than any religious tract. One hundred times more than the Bible. I'm sorry to say that. But over and over again in the plays there is an understanding of the human condition that doesn't exist in religious books".

Credits

Broadway

Source:

Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade assoc ...

"Trevor Nunn Listing"
Internet Broadway Database (broadwayworld.com), accessed 17 November 2011 *''

'' – 31 July 2016 – 30 December 2017 *'' A Little Night Music'' – 13 December 2009 – 11 January 2011 * '' Rock 'n' Roll'' – 4 November 2007 – 9 March 2008 * '' Les Misérables'' (revival) – 9 November 2006 – 6 January 2008 * '' The Woman in White'' – 17 November 2005 – 19 February 2006 * '' Chess'' – 22 September 2003 (Benefit Concert) * '' Vincent in Brixton'' (as original producer) – 6 March 2003 – 4 May 2003 * '' Oklahoma!'' – 21 March 2002 – 23 February 2003 * '' Noises Off'' (as original producer) – 1 November 2001 – 1 September 2002 * ''Rose'' written by Martin Sherman (as original producer) – 12 April 2000 – 20 May 2000 * '' Copenhagen'' (as original producer) – 11 April 2000 – 21 January 2001 * ''

Amy's View ''Amy's View'' is a play written by British playwright David Hare. It premiered in London at the Royal National Theatre's Lyttelton Theatre on 13 June 1997, directed by Richard Eyre and starring Judi Dench, Ronald Pickup and Samantha Bond in ...

'' (as original producer) – 15 April 1999 – 18 July 1999 * '' Closer'' (as original producer) – 25 March 1999 – 22 August 1999 * '' Not About Nightingales'' – 25 February 1999 – 13 June 1999 * ''

Arcadia Arcadia may refer to: Places Australia * Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Arcadia, Queensland * Arcadia, Victoria Greece * Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese * Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...

'' – 30 March 1995 – 27 August 1995 * '' Sunset Boulevard'' – 17 November 1994 – 22 March 1997 * '' Aspects of Love'' – 8 April 1990 – 2 March 1991 * '' Chess'' – 28 April 1988 – 25 June 1988 * '' Starlight Express'' – 15 March 1987 – 8 January 1989 * ''Les Misérables'' – 12 March 1987 – 18 May 2003 * '' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' – 24 August 1986 – 12 October 1986 * ''André De Shields' Harlem Nocturne'' (Featuring songs with lyrics by Trevor Nunn) – 18 November 1984 – 30 December 1984 * '' Cyrano de Bergerac'' (as original producer) – 16 October 1984 – 19 January 1985 * '' Much Ado About Nothing'' (as original producer) – 14 October 1984 – 16 January 1985 * ''

All's Well that Ends Well ''All's Well That Ends Well'' is a play by William Shakespeare, published in the ''First Folio'' in 1623, where it is listed among the comedies. There is a debate regarding the dating of the composition of the play, with possible dates rangin ...

'' – 13 April 1983 – 15 May 1983 * '' Good'' (as original producer) – 13 October 1982 – 30 January 1983 * ''Cats'' – 7 October 1982 – 10 September 2000 * '' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' – 4 October 1981 – 3 January 1982 * '' Piaf'' – 5 February 1981 – 28 June 1981 * '' London Assurance'' (as original producer) – 5 December 1974 – 12 January 1975 * ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

'' (as original producer) – 12 November 1974 – 4 January 1976 * ''

Old Times ''Old Times'' is a play by the List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter. It was first performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Aldwych Theatre in London on 1 June 1971. It starred Colin Blakely, Dorothy Tutin ...

'' (as original producer) – 16 November 1971 – 26 February 1972 * ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'' (as original producer) – 20 January 1971 – 13 March 1971

West End

Source: Shakespeare Birthplace Trust *''Fiddler on the Roof'' – 2019 *''Fatal Attraction'' – 2014 *''A Chorus of Disapproval'' – 2012 * ''The Lion in Winter'' – 2011 * ''Flare Path'' – 2011 * ''Birdsong'' – 2010 * ''Aspects of Love'' – 2010 * ''A Little Night Music'' – 2009 * ''Inherit The Wind'' – 2009 * ''Gone with the Wind'' – 2008 * ''King Lear'' – 2007 * ''The Seagull'' – 2007 * ''Porgy and Bess'' – 2006 * ''Acorn Antiques: The Musical!'' – 2005 * ''The Woman in White'' – 2004 * ''Anything Goes'' – 2002 * ''South Pacific'' – 2001 * ''My Fair Lady'' – 2001 * ''Oklahoma!'' – 1998 * ''Sunset Boulevard'' – 1993 * ''The Baker's Wife'' – 1989 * ''Aspects of Love'' – 1989 * ''Chess'' – 1986 * ''Les Misérables'' – 1985 * ''Starlight Express'' – 1984 * ''Cats'' – 1981

Film

Source: ''Contemporary British and Irish Film Directors'' * '' Hedda'' (director and adaptation) (1975) * '' Lady Jane'' (director) (1986) * '' Twelfth Night: Or What You Will'' (director and adaptation) (1996) *''

Red Joan ''Red Joan'' is a 2018 British spy drama film, directed by Trevor Nunn, from a screenplay by Lindsay Shapero. The film stars Sophie Cookson, Stephen Campbell Moore, Tom Hughes, Ben Miles, Nina Sosanya, Tereza Srbova, and Judi Dench. The fil ...

'' (director) (2018)

Television

* ''Every Good Boy Deserves Favour'' (1979) * '' BBC2 Playhouse'' (TV series) – (1 episode, 1979) * ''The Three Sisters'' (1981 TV movie) * '' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' (1982 TV mini-series) * ''

'' (1990 TV movie) * ''Porgy and Bess'' (1993 TV movie) * '' Oklahoma!'' (1999 TV movie) * ''The Merchant of Venice'' (2001 TV movie) * '' King Lear'' (2008 TV Movie)

Awards and nominations

Sources: Internet Broadway Database, Tony Awards Database (broadwayworld.com), Drama Desk History, Olivier Awards: Past Nominees and Winners * 1975 Drama Desk Award Unique Theatrical Experience – ''London Assurance'' ''winner* 1977 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director – ''

'' ominee* 1979 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director – ''Once in a Lifetime'' ominee* 1980 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director – ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' ''winner* 1981 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director – ''Cats'' ominee* 1982 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play – ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' ''winner* 1983 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play – ''All's Well that Ends Well'' ''winner* 1983 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play – ''All's Well that Ends Well'' ominee* 1983 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – ''Cats'' ''winner* 1987 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – ''Les Misérables'' ''winner* 1987 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – ''Starlight Express'' ominee* 1989 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director – ''

'' ominee* 1990 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – ''Aspects of Love'' ominee* 1994 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director – ''

'' ominee* 1995 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical – ''Sunset Boulevard'' ominee* 1995 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director – ''The Merchant of Venice'' / ''Summerfolk'' ''winner* 1995 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – ''Sunset Boulevard'' ominee* 1995 Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement * 1999

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions. The awards were established in 1955, wit ...

– ''Not About Nightingales'' ''winner* 1999 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play – ''Not About Nightingales'' ominee* 1999 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director – '' Oklahoma!'' ominee* 2000 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director – ''Summerfolk'' / ''The Merchant of Venice'' / ''Troilus and Cressida'' ''winner* 2001 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director – '' The Cherry Orchard'' ominee* 2002

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...

for Outstanding Achievement * 2002 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical – ''Oklahoma!'' ominee* 2002 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – ''Oklahoma!'' ominee* 2012 Induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame * 2020 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director – ''

'' ominee

References

External links

* *
Scenes from a Marriage preview

Michael Jackson's Peter Pan obsession – by Trevor Nunn 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nunn, Trevor 1940 births Alumni of Downing College, Cambridge Commanders of the Order of the British Empire English film directors English theatre directors Fellows of Downing College, Cambridge Fellows of St Catherine's College, Oxford Knights Bachelor Living people Laurence Olivier Award winners People from Ipswich People educated at Northgate Grammar School, Ipswich