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Stephen Henry is a British stage director, a theatre producer, and an educator.


Education

Stephen Henry read Education (QTS) and Drama at St Mary's College, Theatre Directing at
DSL Digital subscriber line (DSL; originally digital subscriber loop) is a family of technologies that are used to transmit digital data over telephone lines. In telecommunications marketing, the term DSL is widely understood to mean asymmetric dig ...
and
LAMDA LaMDA, which stands for Language Model for Dialogue Applications, is a family of conversational neural language models developed by Google. The first generation was announced during the 2021 Google I/O keynote, while the second generation was ...
, studied International Education at
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
and Leadership at UCL.


Early career

Henry started his career by directing, for his graduate school production,
Terrence McNally Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," ...
's ''
Love! Valour! Compassion! ''Love! Valour! Compassion!'' is a play by Terrence McNally. The play opened Off-Broadway in 1994 and transferred to Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in pr ...
'' which won both The Best Ensemble Award and The Best Actor Award at the 1998
Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...
. The acclaimed production transferred to the
Tristan Bates Theatre Sir Alan Arthur Bates (17 February 1934 – 27 December 2003) was an English actor who came to prominence in the 1960s, when he appeared in films ranging from the popular children's story '' Whistle Down the Wind'' to the " kitchen sink" dram ...
, London and sold out its limited run. He followed this inaugural production with
Frank Wedekind Benjamin Franklin Wedekind (July 24, 1864 – March 9, 1918) was a German playwright. His work, which often criticizes bourgeois attitudes (particularly towards sex), is considered to anticipate expressionism and was influential in the de ...
's '' Spring Awakening'' at the
Jermyn Street Theatre Jermyn Street Theatre is a performance venue situated on Jermyn Street, in London's West End. It is an off-west end studio theatre. History Jermyn Street Theatre opened in August 1994. It was formerly the changing rooms for staff at a Spaghetti ...
, London receiving The Bulldog Prinsep Theatrical Fund Award for New Directors. Henry's interpretation of ''Spring Awakening'' later moved to the Tristan Bates Theatre. He also directed the UK premiere production of ''To Have and To Hold'' by Paul Harris, with
Cory English Cory English (born 1968) is an American actor. Early life Born into a blue collar family in Rochester, New York, English was the youngest of four boys. English attended Wayne Central High School in Ontario, New York. He lived for several years ...
, and the European premiere of Terrence McNally's passion play '' Corpus Christi'', at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1999, with
Stephen Billington Stephen Billington (born 10 December 1964) is an English actor, best known for playing Greg Kelly in ''Coronation Street'' (for which he won the 1999 British Soap Award for Villain of the Year). Career Born in Farnworth, Lancashire, Billing ...
and
Mel Raido Mel Raido (born 1977) is a Jamaican-born English actor. Raido moved to London at three years old. After taking elocution lessons, he started to become hooked by the acting bug at school and studied at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.< ...
. The production transferred to the Pleasance Theatre, London, produced by Guy Chapman Associates and Sarah Earl Productions, breaking box-office records for the theatre and attracting political demonstrations and a fatwa for its author. Henry's
Oxford Playhouse Oxford Playhouse is a theatre designed by Edward Maufe and F.G.M. Chancellor. It is situated in Beaumont Street, Oxford, opposite the Ashmolean Museum. History The Playhouse was founded as ''The Red Barn'' at 12 Woodstock Road, North Oxfo ...
revival of '' Another Country'', by Julian Mitchell, reopened the
Arts Theatre The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. History It opened on 20 April 1927 as a members-only club for the performance of unlicensed plays, thus avoiding theatre censorship by the Lord Chamber ...
in the West End where he also developed a new transgender themed play by Sam McCartney, ''Body Language (Being Olivia)''. Other projects include the controversial play tackling the subject of pedophilia, ''ecstasy + GRACE'' by
James Martin Charlton James Martin Charlton (born 29 July 1966) is an English playwright, theatre director and filmmaker. He was born in Romford, Greater London, United Kingdom in 1966. Career His play ''Fat Souls'' won the 1992 International Playwriting Festival at ...
, at the
Finborough Theatre The Finborough Theatre is a fifty-seat theatre in the West Brompton area of London (part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) under artistic director Neil McPherson. The theatre presents new British writing, as well as UK and world pr ...
, London where he produced ''Pains of Youth'' by
Ferdinand Bruckner Ferdinand Bruckner (born Theodor Tagger; 26 August 1891, in Sofia, Bulgaria – 5 December 1958, in Berlin) was an Austrian-German writer and theater manager. Although his works are relatively rarely revived, ''Krankheit der Jugend'' was put o ...
starring
Stephen Billington Stephen Billington (born 10 December 1964) is an English actor, best known for playing Greg Kelly in ''Coronation Street'' (for which he won the 1999 British Soap Award for Villain of the Year). Career Born in Farnworth, Lancashire, Billing ...
, Stevie Jay in ''Life, Love'' and other works in progress and a new play exploring the subject of dementia, ''The Silent Treatment'' by Chris Pickles. He directed rehearsed workshops of ''
Fuddy Meers ''Fuddy Meers'' is an American play by David Lindsay-Abaire. It tells the story of an amnesiac, Claire, who awakens each morning as a blank slate on which her husband and teenage son must imprint the facts of her life. One morning Claire is abduc ...
'' by
David Lindsay-Abaire David Lindsay-Abaire ( Abaire; born November 14, 1969) is an American playwright, lyricist and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2007 for his play '' Rabbit Hole'', which also earned several Tony Award nominations. Early ...
for the
National Theatre Studio 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. In ...
and
Southwark Playhouse Southwark Playhouse is a theatre in London, located between Borough and Elephant and Castle tube stations. History The Southwark Playhouse Theatre Company was founded in 1993 by Juliet Alderdice and Tom Wilson. They identified the need for a ...
and ''The Lightning Child'' by Elizabeth Hopley at
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 ...
. Henry directed ''Five Flights'' by Canadian author
Adam Bock Adam Bock (born November 4, 1961) is a Canadian playwright currently living in the United States. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In the fall of 1984, Bock studied at the National Theater Institute at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. ...
, at the Pleasance Theatre with comic Scott Capurro, and developed Matthew Todd's play ''Blowing Whistles'' at the Jermyn Street Theatre for Trilby Productions. His
King's Head Theatre The King's Head Theatre, founded in 1970 by Dan Crawford, is an off-West End venue in London. It is the second oldest operating pub theatre in the UK. In 2021, Mark Ravenhill became Artistic Director and the theatre focusses on producing LGBTQ ...
production of ''
The Lisbon Traviata ''The Lisbon Traviata'' is a play by Terrence McNally. The play premiered Off-Broadway in 1989. It revolves around several opera fans, especially of the opera singer Maria Callas, and their gay relationships. Overview The play focuses on two of ...
,'' starring
David Bamber David James Bamber (born 19 September 1954) is an English actor. He has worked in television and theatre. He is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Early years Bamber was born in Walkden, Lancashire. By September 1973, he was ...
and
Marcus D'Amico Marcus D'Amico (4 December 1965 – 16 December 2020) was a film, television, and stage actor best known for his role as Michael "Mouse" Tolliver in the 1993 ''Tales of the City'' miniseries. Born in Germany to an American father and a British ...
, was voted The Best Off-West End Production in 2004,
Whatsonstage WhatsOnStage.com is a London-based website that provides information about, and offers tickets for, theatrical performances in the United Kingdom. It also organises the annual WhatsOnStage Awards. Founded in 1996, it has been owned by the Ameri ...
Awards. He was also the original director of the London production of ''Visiting Mr. Green'' by Jeff Baron at the
New End Theatre The New End Theatre, Hampstead, was an 80-seat fringe theatre venue in London, at 27 New End in the London Borough of Camden which operated from 1974 until 2011. It was founded in 1974 by Buddy Dalton in the converted mortuary of the now-de ...
. For over a decade, he directed numerous graduate showcases, student productions and scene studies including ''
Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the dir ...
'', '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'', and ''My Heart is a Suitcase'' for
Drama Studio London Drama Studio London (DSL) is a British drama school in London. It is accredited by the Federation of Drama Schools. The Drama Studio London was founded in 1966 by actor and director Peter Layton, focusses on developing individual talent nurture ...
where he taught acting and theatre directing. Henry worked as a volunteer for the first Pride London Festival in 2004/2005 and host The Pride London Season of Theatre with main productions including the page-to-stage adaptations of ''
Go Fish (film) ''Go Fish'' is a 1994 American drama film written by Guinevere Turner and Rose Troche and directed by Rose Troche. The film was a groundbreaking, hip, low-budget comedy that celebrated lesbian culture on all levels, and launched the career of dir ...
'' (Zip Antics Theatre Company) and '' New Boy'' (
Questors Theatre The Questors Theatre is a theatre venue located in the London Borough of Ealing, west London. It is home of The Questors, a large theatre company which hosts a season of around twenty productions a year and is a member of the ''Little Theatre Gui ...
), a new play ''
Citizenship Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
'' by
Mark Ravenhill Mark Ravenhill (born 7 June 1966) is an English playwright, actor and journalist. Ravenhill is one of the most widely performed playwrights in British theatre of the late-twentieth and twenty-first centuries. His major plays include ''Shoppin ...
, as part of the National Theatre Connections Programme, and ''L'homosexual'' by Copi directed by Carole Menduni. The season also included Fiona Staniland as Darlene Meatrick, Nathan Martin in ''I wish it so!'' and The International Play Competition presenting rehearsed readings of 12 new LGBTQ+ plays. The festival also included
Justin Bond Justin Vivian Bond (born May 9, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Described as "the best cabaret artist of heir!-- MOS:GENDERID --> generation" and a "tornado of art and activism", they first achieved prominence under the pseudo ...
in concert at
Soho Theatre The Soho Theatre is a theatre and registered charity in the Soho district of the City of Westminster, in London, England. It produces and presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret, across three performance spaces. The the ...
and a production of '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' at Heaven Nightclub with
David Bedella David Bedella (born September 25, 1962) is an American actor. He is currently based in London and is best known for his Olivier award-winning roles in ''Jerry Springer – The Opera'', ''In The Heights'' and ''& Juliet''. Early life Bedella wa ...
.


Later years

In March, 2010, in Coyoacán, Mexico City, he became the first European to marry a Mexican national of the same gender. Also in 2010, he directed Anton Chekhov's ''
The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...
'' and the European premiere of
Paula Vogel Paula Vogel (born November 16, 1951) is an American playwright who received the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play ''How I Learned to Drive.'' A longtime teacher, Vogel spent the bulk of her academic career – from 1984 to 2008 – at Bro ...
's AIDS themed play ''
The Long Christmas Ride Home ''The Long Christmas Ride Home'' is a one-act play written by Paula Vogel. It dramatises a road trip by two parents and their three young children to visit grandparents for Christmas dinner, and the emotional turmoil that they undergo. A signific ...
'' at the LOST Theatre in London. In 2012, he directed the first production of
The Vagina Monologues ''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run in at Westside Theatre. The play explores c ...
by Eve Ensler in Mexico. In recent years, he directed The Irish Curse by Martin Casella at the
Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...
prior to a transfer to Dublin, Ireland and a new play in London, The Baby Box by Chris Leicester. He also directed Oscar Wilde's '' An Ideal Husband'' and Noël Coward's '' Blithe Spirit'' in London. Henry is Founder/Artistic Director for The Theatre 28 Ensemble and a member of the
Directors Guild of Great Britain The Directors Guild of Great Britain (DGGB) was a professional organization that represented directors across all media, including film, television, theatre, radio, opera, commercials, music videos, corporate film/video and training, documentaries, ...
. He is also an associate member teacher at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and an International Education leader often working in Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.


References


External links


at Curtain Up
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry, Stephen English theatre directors Living people Theatre people from London 20th-century English LGBT people 21st-century English LGBT people Alumni of St Mary's University, Twickenham Alumni of the Drama Studio London 1968 births