David Byrne (playwright)

Last updated

David Byrne (b. 1983 in Stevenage [1] ) is a British playwright and formerly the artistic director of the New Diorama Theatre in Camden, London, [2] and currently Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre. [3] Byrne has also written for radio and television. [4]

Byrne has won the Writers' Guild of Great Britain and the List Awards for Drama, [5] a Les Enfants Terribles Prize and the London Off West End award for Best Artistic Director. [6]

Byrne's adaptation of Down and Out in Paris and London sold out at the Edinburgh Festival in 2015 and received multiple four and five star reviews [7] before transferring to London. [8]

The New Diorama Theatre, under Byrne's artistic directorship, has won two Empty Space Peter Brook Awards. [9]

At New Diorama, Byrne developed relationships throughout the small and emergent theatre communities, using the theatre's resources to offer support for the development of new and challenging work, and new voices. [10]

In July 2023, it was announced that David Byrne, of London's New Diorama Theatre, would assume the role of Artistic Director of The English Stage Company/Royal Court in early 2024. [11]

In July 2024, Byrne received an honorary doctorate from the University of Hull.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Daldry</span> British director

Stephen David Daldry CBE is an English director and producer of film, theatre, and television. He has won three Tony Awards for his work on Broadway and an Olivier Award for his work in the West End. He has received three Academy Awards nominations for Best Director, for the films Billy Elliot (2000), The Hours (2002), and The Reader (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Court Theatre</span> Theatre in London, England

The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, London, England. In 1956 it was acquired by and remains the home of the English Stage Company, which is known for its contributions to contemporary theatre and won the Europe Prize Theatrical Realities in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Stephens</span> British playwright (born 1971)

Simon Stephens is a British-Irish playwright and Professor of Scriptwriting at Manchester Metropolitan University. Having taught on the Young Writers' Programme at the Royal Court Theatre for many years, he is now an Artistic Associate at the Lyric Hammersmith. He is the inaugural Associate Playwright of Steep Theatre Company, Chicago, where four of his plays, Harper Regan,Motortown, Wastwater, and Birdland had their U.S. premieres. His writing is widely performed throughout Europe and, along with Dennis Kelly and Martin Crimp, he is one of the most performed English-language writers in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finborough Theatre</span> Theatre in London

The Finborough Theatre is a fifty-seat theatre in the West Brompton area of London under artistic director Neil McPherson. The theatre presents new British writing, as well as UK and world premieres of new plays primarily from the English speaking world including North America, Canada, Ireland, and Scotland including work in the Scots language, alongside rarely seen rediscovered 19th and 20th century plays. The venue also presents new and rediscovered music theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Theatre of Scotland</span> National theatre company of Scotland

The National Theatre of Scotland, established in 2006, is the national theatre company of Scotland. The company has no theatre building of its own; instead it tours work to theatres, village halls, schools and site-specific locations, both at home and internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Lan</span> British theatre director and writer

David Lan is a South African-born British playwright, theatre producer and director and a social anthropologist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traverse Theatre</span> Theatre company and venue in Edinburgh, Scotland

The Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded as The Traverse Theatre Club in 1962 by John Calder, John Malcolm, Jim Haynes, Richard Demarco, Terry Lane, Andrew Muir, John Martin and Sheila Colvin.

Talawa Theatre Company is a Black British theatre company founded in 1986.

David Greig is a Scottish playwright and theatre director. His work has been performed at many of the major theatres in Britain, including the Traverse Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, Royal National Theatre, Royal Lyceum Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and been produced around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josie Rourke</span> English theatre and film director

Josie Rourke is an English theatre and film director. She is a Vice-President of the London Library and was the artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse theatre from 2012 to 2019. In 2018, she made her feature film debut with the Academy Award and BAFTA-nominated historical drama Mary Queen of Scots, starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie.

Sir Michael Boyd HonFRSE was a British theatre director and an artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucian Msamati</span> British-Tanzanian actor (born 1976)

Lucian Gabriel Wiina Msamati is a British-Tanzanian actor, writer, director and producer in theatre, film, television and radio. His screen credits include the roles of Salladhor Saan in the HBO series Game of Thrones, J.L.B. Matekoni in the BBC/HBO adaptation of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, David Runihura in the Netflix/BBC thriller Black Earth Rising and Ed Dumani in the Sky/AMC series Gangs of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy Sheader</span> British theatre director (born 1971)

Timothy Sheader is a British theatre director. Sheader read Law with French at the University of Birmingham before moving into a career in theatre. He has been Artistic Director at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre from 2007 to 2024. He became Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse in 2024.

John Richard Tiffany is an English theatre director. He directed the internationally successful productions Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Black Watch and Once. He has won 2 Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, a Drama Desk Award and an Obie Award.

Supporting Wall was an award-winning London-based theatre and general arts production, promotion and management company, founded in 2008 by producers Ben Monks and Will Young and operated for nine years until 2017. The company's own productions primarily focused on new writing and contemporary theatre, while management and publicity work has included projects across theatre, comedy, film, festivals, live music and dance - including work at the BFI Southbank, Royal National Theatre and many others. During most of this time, Ben Monks and Will Young were also based at the Actors Centre as creative producers for the Tristan Bates Theatre. In November 2023 Will Young was appointed executive director of London's Royal Court Theatre.

Rachel O'Riordan is an Irish theatre director. She is the artistic director at the Lyric Hammersmith, London.

Laurie Sansom is a British theatre director. He is currently the Artistic Director of Halifax-based theatre company Northern Broadsides.

The New Diorama Theatre is an eighty-seat theatre near Regent's Park in the London Borough of Camden, opened in 2010. The theatre received two Peter Brook awards during the first two years of its programming. The current Artistic Director is Bec Martin. The former artistic director is the playwright David Byrne.

Gbolahan Obisesan is a British Nigerian writer and director. He was the Artistic Director and Joint CEO at Brixton House theatre. He has served as a Genesis Fellow and Associate Director at the Young Vic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ana Inés Jabares-Pita</span> Spanish designer

Ana Inés Jabares-Pita, born January 21, 1987, is a Spanish designer working across opera, dance, theater, film, concerts and exhibitions.

References

  1. "New Diorama artistic director David Byrne: 'If we don't take risks, there's no point in us existing'". The Stage. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  2. "NDT Staff Members". New Diorama Theatre. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  3. "Royal Court names David Byrne as AD". The Guardian. 20 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  4. "JTM". www.jtmanagement.co.uk. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  5. "NDT Staff Members | New Diorama". newdiorama.com. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  6. "Southwark Playhouse's Titanic wins big at Off West End Theatre Awards | News | The Stage". The Stage. 2 March 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  7. Jones, Ralph (9 August 2015). "Edinburgh fringe theatre 2015 review – a feast of shock, awe, robotic acting and bad French accents". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  8. "Down And Out In Paris And London". Broadway Baby. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  9. "New Diorama Theatre (@newdiorama) | Twitter". www.twitter.com. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  10. "New Diorama in London, A Theatre Taking Risks". The New York Times. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  11. "Royal Court names David Byrne as AD". The Guardian. 20 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.