- Thea Sharrock
Thea Sharrock (born 1976) is an award-winning English
theatre director . In 2001, when at age 24 she becameartistic director of London'sSouthwark Playhouse , she was the youngest artistic director in British theatre. [British Theatre Guide interview 2003 [http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/otherresources/interviews/TheaSharrock.htm] ]Her production of "Cloud Nine" played at the
Almeida Theatre from 31 October to 8 December 2007. In 2008, she directed "Happy Now?" at the National Theatre, [National Theatre archive [http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/Happy%20Now+31797.twl] ,] before taking her 2007 West End revival of "Equus " to New York in 2008 withDaniel Radcliffe making his Broadway debut.Background
Sharrock was born to two
journalist s inLondon, England , but spent part of her childhood living inKenya . She attended the Anna Scher Theatre School from the age of nine.After her secondary education, Sharrock spent a
gap year working in theatre. She first worked in administration at theMarket Theatre inJohannesburg (where she was also allowed to assistant direct on one production), before returning to the UK, where she worked as a PA at the NT studio.She then read Philosophy and French at
Corpus Christi, Oxford . While a student there, she was president ofOUDS .Sharrock is married to production manager Paul 'Handers' Handley, with whom she has a son, Mischa. [Evening Standard interview January 2008 [http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/article-23432325-details/Thea+Sharrock+is+a+National+star/article.do] ]
Career
After graduating from Oxford, Sharrock took the directors course at the
Royal National Theatre , and worked as an assistant director on a number of productions at London Theatres and on tour.In the summer of 2000, she won the James Menzies Kitchin Trust Award (JMK Trust Award), which allowed her to mount a production of "
Top Girls " at theBattersea Arts Centre . The show was a success and toured the UK twice, before a brief run at aWest End theatre .She began her three year tenure at the Southwark Playhouse in January 2001. In addition to work at the Playhouse, she served as an associate director on the long-running West End production of "Art", directed works for the Royal National Theatre and English Touring Theatre, and began her association with the Peter Hall Company.
Sharrock left the Southwark Playhouse in late 2003, and became artistic director at the Gate Theatre in August 2004. She left this post in 2006, and had been widely tipped to take over at the
Royal Court Theatre [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1694237,00.html] , although the post eventually went to Dominic Cooke.She served on the selection panel for the 2005 Linbury Biennial Prize for Stage Design, and is now a JMK Award trustee.
Theatre credits
*"
Arabian Nights " adapted byDominic Cooke , Young Vic & UK tour (assistant director) 1998
*"Speed-the-Plow " byDavid Mamet , UK tour (assistant director) 2000;New Ambassadors , March 2000;Duke of York's , June 2000
*"Top Girls" byCaryl Churchill BAC 2 and tour, July 2000
*"Art" byYasmina Reza ,Wyndham's Theatre (associate director), 2001
*"The Sleeper’s Den" byPeter Gill ,Southwark Playhouse , June 2001
*"Trip’s Cinch" byPhyllis Nagy , Southwark Playhouse, September 2002
*"Mongoose" byPeter Harness , Southwark Playhouse, April 2003
*"Free" (showcase)National Theatre , Lyttelton, 2003
*"The Fight For Barbara" byD. H. Lawrence ,Theatre Royal, Bath , July 2003
*"Betrayal" byHarold Pinter , Theatre Royal, Bath (associate director), July 2003
*"The Deep Blue Sea " byTerence Rattigan , (starringHarriet Walter ) Theatre Royal, Bath & UK tour 2003
*"Design For Living" byNoël Coward , Theatre Royal, Bath (associate director) 2003
*"A Doll's House " byHenrik Ibsen ,Southwark Playhouse , 2003
*"Don Juan " byMoliere translated by Simon Nye, Theatre Royal, Bath, 2004
*"Blithe Spirit " by Noël Coward, Theatre Royal, Bath &Savoy Theatre , 2004 [http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/blithespiritsavoy-rev.htm]
*"Tejas Verdes" byFermin Cabal , translated by Robert Shaw,Gate Theatre , January 2005 [http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/6088/tejas-verdes]
*"The Emperor Jones" by Eugene O'Neill, Gate Theatre, November 2005 [http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/10568/the-emperor-jones]
*"Private Lives " by Noël Coward, Theatre Royal, Bath, July 2005
*"Heroes" byGerald Sibleyras , translated byTom Stoppard . Wyndham’s Theatre, October 2005 [http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/heroes-rev.htm]
*"In Celebration ofHarold Pinter ", Gate Theatre (co-director), March 2006 [http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/12119/in-celebration-of-harold-pinter-a-kind-of]
*"Comedy With Coward" (masterclass)LAMDA , 2006
*"A Voyage Round My Father " byJohn Mortimer ,Donmar Warehouse , June 2006 [http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/voyagefather-rev.htm] ; Wyndham's Theatre, September 2006
*"The Chairs " byEugene Ionesco translated byMartin Crimp , Gate Theatre, November 2006 [http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/15036/the-chairs]
*"Equus" byPeter Shaffer ,Gielgud Theatre , February 2007 [http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/equus-rev.htm]
*"Heroes"Geffen Playhouse , Los Angeles - April 2007 [http://www.curtainup.com/heroesla.html]
*"The Emperor Jones " byEugene O'Neill , National Theatre, Olivier, August 2007 [http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/18100/the-emperor-jones]
*"Happy Now?" byLucinda Coxon , National Theatre, Cottesloe, January 2008 [http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/happynow-rev.htm]Radio credits
*"
A Voyage Round My Father "John Mortimer – 2007 – BBC Radio Four
*"The Homecoming "Harold Pinter – 2007 – BBC Radio 3References
*
Theatre Record and its annual IndexesExternal links
*ibdb name|id=478549|name=Thea Sharrock
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