Gregory Doran Explained

Honorific Prefix:Sir
Gregory Doran
Birth Name:Gregory Doran
Birth Date:1958 11, df=yes
Birth Place:Huddersfield, England
Education:Preston Catholic College
Bristol University
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Occupation:Theatre director, actor

Sir Gregory Doran (born 24 November 1958)[1] is an English director known for his Shakespearean work. The Sunday Times called him 'one of the great Shakespearians of his generation'.[2]

Doran was artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), succeeding Michael Boyd in September 2012. In an interview, announcing his appointment, Doran said that whilst Boyd had concentrated on the 'Company', he would be concentrating on the 'Shakespeare' in the Royal Shakespeare Company logo.[3] Since April 2022 he is director emeritus at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

His notable productions include a production of Macbeth starring Antony Sher, which was filmed for Channel 4 in 2001,[4] as well as Hamlet in 2008, starring David Tennant and Patrick Stewart.

Early life and education

Doran was born in Huddersfield, but his family moved to Lancashire when he was six months old.[5] He was educated at St Pius X Catholic Preparatory School and Preston Catholic College.[6] He attended Bristol University studying English and Drama, where he set up his own theatre company with fellow student Chris Grady, presenting Shakespeare and related classics. He then trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

He received an honorary doctorate from Bristol University in July 2011[7] and an Honorary Degree from the University of Warwick in July 2013.[8]

Career

Doran left the Bristol Old Vic School early having been invited to direct A Midsummer Night's Dream at Jamestown Community College in upstate New York. He then went to Nottingham Playhouse as an actor, before becoming Assistant Director then Associate Director, directing his own productions, including Waiting for Godot and Long Day's Journey into Night.

After a very brief acting career in TV, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1987 initially as an actor (as Solanio in The Merchant of Venice and Octavius Caesar in Julius Caesar) then became Assistant Director the following season.

He directed his first RSC production in 1992,[9] commissioning Derek Walcott to write an adaptation of Homer's Odyssey which was performed at The Other Place.

In 1995 he directed his partner Antony Sher in the lead role of Titus Andronicus at the Market Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa. This controversial production, which toured to the National Theatre, is the subject of their book, Woza Shakespeare!

He returned to the RSC in 1996, becoming an Associate Director, and directing Jane Lapotaire, Ian Hogg and Paul Jesson in All is True (or Henry VIII), his first Shakespeare for the company. Since then, Doran has directed over half of Shakespeare's plays for the RSC.

Doran took compassionate leave from his role at the RSC in September 2021 to care for his husband, Antony Sher, who was terminally ill. His deputy, Erica Whyman, became acting artistic director.[10] The RSC announced Doran was formally stepping down as artistic director in April 2022, becoming artistic director emeritus until the end of 2023.[11]

TV and books

Doran contributed to Michael Wood's BBC series In Search of Shakespeare, and filmed a documentary for BBC Four, called A Midsummer Night's Dreaming.

In 2009, Doran's Shakespeare Almanac was published.[12] [13]

Personal life

He and frequent collaborator Sir Antony Sher had, when they entered into a civil partnership in 2005, been together since 1987.[14] They married 10 years after their civil partnership, on 30 December 2015. Sher died in December 2021.[15] [16]

Doran was appointed Knight Bachelor in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to the Arts.

Theatre productions

RSC productions

!Year!Production!Playwright!Venue!Notes
1999The Winter's TaleWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatre
Timon of AthensWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatrewith Michael Pennington[17]
2000MacbethWilliam ShakespeareSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avonalso made into a Channel 4 film
2001King JohnWilliam ShakespeareSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
2002Much Ado About NothingWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatrewith Harriet Walter and Nicholas le Prevost
Doran supervised a season of seldom-performed Jacobean plays, including the debatedly Shakespearean Edward III and works by Philip Massinger, John Fletcher, Ben Jonson, John Marston and George Chapman which earned Doran a Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement of the Year[18]
2003Taming of the ShrewWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatre
2003The Tamer TamedJohn FletcherSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avonwith Alexandra Gilbreath and Jasper Britton[19]
2003All's Well That Ends WellWilliam ShakespeareSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avonwith Judi Dench whose first time back to the RSC after 25 years[20]
2004OthelloWilliam ShakespeareSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avonwith Antony Sher and Sello Maake Ncube[21]
Venus & AdonisWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare TheatrePuppet based performance
2005A Midsummer Night's DreamWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatre
2006Antony and CleopatraWilliam ShakespeareSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avonwith Harriet Walter, and Patrick Stewart who both returned to the RSC after 24 years
Merry Wives The MusicalBased on the play by William Shakespeare, adapted by Gregory Doran, music by Paul Englishby, lyrics by Ranjit BoltRoyal Shakespeare Theatrewith Dame Judi Dench and Simon Callow
2007CoriolanusWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatrewith Will Houston, Janet Suzman and Timothy West which toured to Madrid and Washington DC (the final production in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre before it closed for redevelopment, re-opening in winter 2010/11)
Venus & AdonisWilliam ShakespeareSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-AvonRevival of 2004 production
2008A Midsummer Night's DreamWilliam ShakespeareCourtyard TheatreRevival of 2005 production
HamletWilliam ShakespeareCourtyard Theatrewith David Tennant and Patrick Stewart, also transferred to the Novello Theatre and adapted into BBC 2009 film
Love's Labour's LostWilliam ShakespeareCourtyard Theatre
2011Written on the HeartDavid EdgarSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-AvonDuchess Theatreto mark the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible.
2012Julius CaesarWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatrefor the World Shakespeare Festival, which played in Stratford-upon-Avon, London, Moscow, New York and Ohio.
2012The Orphan of ZhaoJi JunxiangSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
2013Richard IIWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare TheatreBarbican Centrewith David Tennant
2014Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2William ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare TheatreBarbican Centre
The Witch of EdmontonWilliam Rowley, Thomas Dekker and John FordSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avonwith Eileen Atkins
2015Death of a SalesmanArthur MillerRoyal Shakespeare TheatreNoël Coward Theatrewith Antony Sher in the role of Willy Loman, Alex Hassell as Biff and Harriet Walter as Linda Loman.
Henry VWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatre
2016King LearWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatrewith Antony Sher
The TempestWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatrewith Simon Russell Beale
2017Venus & AdonisWilliam ShakespeareSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-AvonRevival of 2004 and 2007 productions
Imperium: The Cicero PlaysMike Poulton, based on the Cicero trilogy by Robert HarrisSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-AvonGielgud Theatre
2018King LearWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatrewith Antony Sher
Troilus and CressidaWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatre
2019The Boy in the Dressbased on the novel by David Walliams, book by Mark Ravenhill, music and lyrics by Robbie Williams and Guy ChambersRoyal Shakespeare Theatre
Measure for MeasureWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatre
2022Richard IIIWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatre
2023CymbelineWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Theatre

Non-RSC

Doran has directed productions outside the RSC including:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: RSC director Greg Doran's Preston drama days . Preston Playhouse web site . 29 October 2008 . 4 September 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140904132853/http://www.prestonplayhouse.com/archive/rscdirectorgreg.shtml . dead .
  2. Book: The Shakespeare Almanac . October 2009 . Hutchinson . 9780091926199 . 21 February 2011.
  3. Web site: Interview with Gregory Doran . The Royal Shakespeare Company website . 24 March 2012 . 6 April 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120406133843/http://www.rsc.org.uk/about-us/updates/artistic-director-interview.aspx . dead .
  4. News: Who's Who in British Theatre: Gregory Doran . . 6 July 2002 . 29 October 2008 . London.
  5. Web site: Theatrical story of awards trio . Huddersfield Daily Examiner . 15 November 2004 . 21 February 2011.
  6. Web site: Othello: The Director . Royal Shakespeare Company web site . 27 November 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070904075926/http://www.rsc.org.uk/othello/current/director.html . 4 September 2007 . dead . dmy-all .
  7. Web site: Honorary Graduates 2011 . . 22 August 2011.
  8. Web site: Warwick honorary degrees for stars of Gavin & Stacey & Hustle, RSC & Royal Court Artistic Directors, scientists, historians, philanthropist & a US government adviser . www2.warwick.ac.uk.
  9. Web site: Stratfordians . 10 September 2016 . dmy-all . 18 September 2004 . http://web.archive.bibalex.org/web/20040918031105/http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/stratfordians/stdorgr.htm . dead .
  10. News: Wiegand. Chris. Gregory Doran takes leave from RSC to care for terminally ill Antony Sher. The Guardian. 10 September 2021. 10 September 2021.
  11. News: Murray. Jessica. Gregory Doran to step down after a decade as artistic director at RSC . The Guardian. 22 April 2022 . 24 April 2022.
  12. Web site: Ten things you didn't know about Shakespeare . The Sunday Times (website only accessible to subscribers) . 9 October 2009 . 23 March 2011.
  13. Web site: In the paper . The Stage . 29 October 2009 . 23 March 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110413130220/http://blogs.thestage.co.uk/inthepaper/2009/10/ . 13 April 2011 . dead .
  14. Web site: The art of darkness . https://web.archive.org/web/20110615183332/http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article4632628.ece . dead . 15 June 2011 . 30 August 2008 . 23 March 2011 . The Times.
  15. News: 2021-12-03. Antony Sher, celebrated actor on stage and screen, dies aged 72. 2021-12-03. The Guardian. en.
  16. News: 2021-12-03. Obituary: Sir Antony Sher, a giant of the stage. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-12-03.
  17. News: Taylor . Paul . 25 August 1999 . First night Timon teams with a wealth of ideas . 23 March 2011 . The Independent . London.
  18. Web site: 25 April 2008 . Olivier Winners 2003 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081007071933/http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/olivier_awards/view/item98541/Olivier-Winners-2003/ . 7 October 2008 . 29 October 2008 . Official London Theatre Guide website.
  19. News: 11 April 2003 . Review: The Taming of the Shrew / The Tamer Tamed – Michael Billington . 23 March 2011 . Guardian . London.
  20. Web site: 2003 . Review: All's Well That Ends Well – Alastair Macaulay . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726120538/http://www.djdchronology.com/abcd/allswell2003reviews2.htm . 26 July 2011 . 23 March 2011 . Financial Times.
  21. News: Koenig . Rhoda . 2004 . Othello, Swan Theatre, Stratford . 23 March 2011 . The Independent . London.
  22. Web site: Gregory Doran to finally direct 36th play from Shakespeare's First Folio – for student production . . 6 February 2024 . 2 February 2024.

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