Robert Chevara

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Copyright: Robert Chevara 2009

Robert Chevara is a British director and writer. He was born in London to a single parent Mother.

Early career

An original member of The Old Vic Youth Theatre with Sophie Thompson, Oliver Parker, Linda Henry and Rikki Beadle-Blair. He met Rikki there when he was fifteen years old and they became lifelong friends. He started an a cappella singing group with Michelle Baughan and Rikki called Three People when he was seventeen and sang with Rikki's group Boysie on and off for several years. He was also involved at an early age with the Gay Liberation Front and sang at various concerts for them and other movements.

Started his first theatre company (Rollercoaster) when he was nineteen years old and directed "Mary Rose" by J.M. Barrie, "Hamlet" and his own play "Larks" to huge critical and commercial success. Rikki Beadle-Blair was Hamlet in the groundbreaking production.

He then assisted Richard Jones on a production of "Rigoletto" for Opera 80 and also assisted David Freeman. David became his mentor and offered him his London opera debut directing Bruno Maderna's Satyricon for David's company Opera Factory. It was controversial and highly successful and Chevara received offers to direct in Europe and the USA.

Career

ROBERT CHEVARA is an award-winning freelance theatre and opera director who divides his time between London and Berlin. He is currently an Associate Director at the King's Head Theatre in London, and was previously a Director of Productions at English Touring Opera. He is the recipient of a cultural study award from the Japanese Government, as well as a Churchill Fellowship award. Robert is fluent in French, German and Italian. His production of Vieux Carré won Best Revival of a Play Award 2013 from Front Row Dress. He is currently writing a new version of "Die Fledermaus", which he will direct as this year's Christmas show at the King's Head Theatre.

His numerous theatre productions include the world premiere of Lionel Bart's musical Quasimodo (Kings Head Theatre, 2013); Tennessee Williams' Vieux Carré (Charing Cross Theatre transfer from King's Head Theatre) and The Glass Menagerie (TheatreSpace, London); As You Like It (English Theatre Berlin); Fair!, devised play with music (NYT at Bullwood Hall Prison, Essex); Caryl Churchill's Top Girls (Hau Theatre, Berlin); Cake/Hotter than Rochester by Paul Doust (Paines Plough / Théâtre du Neslé. Paris); Strindberg's Easter (TheatreSpace, London); Eva Peron/ The Four Twins, a double-bill by Copi and The Magic Box by Bertie Marshall (BAC).

For Opera, his productions include West End Girl (a new version of Puccini's La Fanciulla del West, King's Head Theatre); La Voix Humaine (Cocteau/Poulenc, Stockholm Opera House, awarded Best Contemporary Opera production); Powder Her Face (Thomas Adès, Ystad Opera Festival, Sweden, awarded Best Contemporary Opera Production); Potent Shakespeare (Toovey, Festival Hall, London); To Be Sung (world premiere by Pascal Dusapin, Banff Centre); Madama Butterfly (Puccini, Opera New Zealand); Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress, Bizet's Carmen, Verdi's Macbeth, Beethoven's Fidelio, Massenet's Werther (all English Touring Opera); Hand of Bridge by Barber; Blue Monday by Gershwin; and Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti (all Barbican Centre, London); Mozart's Magic Flute (Holland Park Opera, London); Dvorak's The Cunning Peasant; Poulenc's Le Dialogue des Carmélites; and Britten's Albert Herring (all Guildhall School of Music & Drama); Prokofiev's The Fiery Angel (Royal Opera House, Associate Director with David Freeman); Rossini's The Barber of Seville (Dublin Grand Opera); Maderna's Satyricon (Opera Factory/The Drill Hall, London); as well as numerous operas by Rameau, Haydn, Verdi, Bizet, Rossini, Handel, Donizetti (all Royal Academy of Music)

Robert is also experienced in directing large casts of young people including Luciano Berio's Twice Upon (180 children and 3 soloists), Royal Festival Hall, London.

For Film and TV, Robert has directed numerous works, including THE VAMPIRE (Der Vampyr), a BBC TV mini-series which was a Bafta and Prix Italia winner.

Films

Shot and directed two recent films: "Sandra" and "Who's Afraid of Woof Woof Woof?". "Woof" was screened to great acclaim at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

Awards

2013 Best Revival of a Play for Vieux Carré from Front Row Dress
2009 Best Contemporary Opera Production Award (La Voix Humaine) Sweden
1999 Best Contemporary Opera Production Award (Powder Her Face) Sweden
1997 Japanese Government Cultural Study Award
1995 Churchill Fellowship Award for Opera

External links and sources

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