Adam Spreadbury-Maher

Adam Spreadbury-Maher
Born Australia
Occupation Theatre director, producer and writer

Adam Spreadbury-Maher is an Australian/Irish theatre artistic director, producer and writer. He is the founding Artistic Director of the Cock Tavern Theatre[1], OperaUpClose[2] and The Hope Theatre[3], and is the current artistic director of the King's Head Theatre[4]. Spreadbury-Maher introduced the first unionised pay agreement for actors in a pub-theatre in 2011, and in 2017 introduced the first fringe creative pay agreement and gender policy[5].

Biography

Spreadbury-Maher was born in Australia. He received his initial training as an opera singer at the Canberra School of Music. His debut directorial production of Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing won Spreadbury-Maher an Australian Critics’ Circle Award in 2004.[6] In 2005 Adam moved to the UK, and attended London's Central School of Speech and Drama before making his London directing debut at White Bear Theatre, directing three critically successful shows as the theatre’s Associate Director, including the two world premieres The Ides of March[7] by Duncan Ley and "Studies for a Portrait"[8] by Daniel Reitz. Studies for a Portrait transferred to the Oval House Theatre[9] following its critics' choice sell-out run at the White Bear Theatre.[10] In 2008 Spreadbury-Maher directed Australian actor Mark Little in a production of Così by Louis Nowra[6]. Other early notable productions include the first UK revival of Peter Gill’s The York Realist, presented at Riverside Studios to mark Gill’s 70th birthday.[11]

In 2010, Spreadbury-Maher was Associate Director on the UK premiere of the multi-award winning Holding the Man, adapted by Tommy Murphy and based on the novel by Timothy Conigrave.[12] Further 2010 directing work included the UK premiere of Hannie Rayson's landmark Australian play Hotel Sorrento,[13] the rarely revived first play of Peter Gill’s The Sleepers Den,[14] the world premiere of Edward Bond's There Will Be More[15], and ended 2010 with his operatic directing debut in a new version of "Madama Butterfly" retitled “Bangkok Butterfly”, which he adapted into English for OperaUpClose. The production ran for four months at King's Head Theatre, garnishing critical notice from Fiona Maddocks in The Observer, “Madam Butterfly has been updated to Bangkok Butterfly to chilling effect... full of promise and musically intelligent.”[16] and Michael Tanner in The Spectator, "Beautiful and sexy... the evening was a powerful one".[17]

King’s Head Theatre

In March 2010, Spreadbury-Maher was appointed Artistic Director of King's Head Theatre[18]. Spreadbury-Maher has transferred work from the King's Head Theatre to the West End[19][20][21], Australia[22] and Off-Broadway[23]. In 2011 he introduced the first unionised pay agreement for actors in an unfunded pub theatre[24], which was followed by the first creatives pay agreement and gender policy in 2017[25].

Cock Tavern Theatre & OperaUpClose

In 2009, Adam founded the Cock Tavern Theatre[26] and OperaUpClose[27], becoming the company's founding Artistic Director. Under his leadership the theatre followed a strict artistic policy of staging only world premiers and revivals from world class playwrights and composers, a strategy which saw the theatre praised for its imaginative programming and quality productions.[28] At the Cock Tavern Theatre, Adam directed revivals by Stephen Fry, Nick Ward, Hannie Rayson and produced a six-decade retrospective season of work by Edward Bond, including London, UK and World premeires, and a production of The Fool directed by Bond himself[29][30].

December 2009 saw Spreadbury-Maher form OperaUpClose with the aim of bringing opera to a wider audience by producing new, classic and difficult pieces which have so far been neglected or previously inaccessible.[31] Adam, alongside Ben Cooper, produced La Boheme, directed by Robin Norton Hale, which was extended at Cock Tavern Theatre for six months following a sell-out run and significant critical acclaim, and which had a six-week sell-out season in July, 2011, at the Soho Theatre, and returned for a further six-week season in January 2011.[32] The production represents the longest running continuously performed La Bohème in its history.[33] Spreadbury-Maher appointed OperaUpClose his resident company when he took over as Artistic Director of the King's Head Theatre in 2010, producing regularly from the Islington base, including a landmark production of Monteverdi's Coronation of Poppea directed in a new version by Mark Ravenhill with additional musical material by Michael Nyman; the production was awarded five-stars by London's Evening Standard and starred Rebecca Caine[34]. Spreadbury-Maher directed new productions of A Masked Ball and Tosca for OperaUpClose (in his own new English versions) the latter in a co-production with Malmö Opera, which transferred to London's Soho Theatre[35]. His Artistic Directorship of OperaUpClose ended in January 2013.

Spreadbury-Maher was awarded the Fringe Report Award 2010 for Best Artistic Director as recognition of the success at the Cock. Mark Shenton of The Stage awarded The Cock Tavern the Dan Crawford Peter Brook Award in 2009, nine months after being opened by Spreadbury-Maher. The venue permanently closed in April 2011 following a council inspection which revealed the lack of the correct performance license[36].

Hope Theatre

Spreadbury-Maher founded the Hope Theatre in October 2013 on the first floor of the historic Hope and Anchor in Islington, a short distance from the King's Head Theatre. The 50-seat theatre was set up as an experiment to demonstrate that actors could be paid in smaller fringe spaces[37], and was the first off-West End venue to open with an Equity agreement[38]. During his time as Artistic Director, Spreadbury programmed the first production of Ushers the Front of House Musical which later transferred to the Arts Theatre[39]. His last production as Artistic Director was the world premiere of Joe Orton's first play Fred & Madge, directed by his former assistant and protege Mary Franklin[40]. Adam's tenure as Artistic Director earned him a place on The Stage newspaper's coveted Stage 100 list[41]. The Hope Theatre continues to operate and has maintained Spreadbury's founding policy of paying actors and stage management at all times[42].

Awards

Winner

Nominations

Work

As a director

Theatre - artistic director

Opera - artistic director

As a translator

References

  1. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2011/apr/12/fringe-cock-tavern-theatre-homeless
  2. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/dec/03/operaupclose-puccini-pub
  3. ↑ https://londonist.com/2013/11/new-writing-and-new-ethics-at-the-new-hope-theatre
  4. ↑ http://www.playbill.com/article/londons-kings-head-theatre-appoints-adam-spreadbury-maher-as-new-artistic-director-com-166377
  5. ↑ https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2017/londons-kings-head-extends-flat-rate-pay-creative-teams/
  6. 1 2 GaydarNation. Rainbownetwork.com. Retrieved on 28 January 2011.
  7. ↑ "The Ides of March at White Bear Theatre - Fringe - Time Out London". Timeout.com. 2008-12-21. Retrieved 2013-10-07.
  8. ↑ "Studies for a Portrait at White Bear Theatre - Fringe - Time Out London". Timeout.com. 2009-02-01. Retrieved 2013-10-07.
  9. ↑ "Studies For A Portrait > In our Theatre > Oval House Theatre.". 2011-10-03. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  10. ↑ Studies for a Portrait Reviews at The King's Head Theatre – London. Whatsonstage.com (13 April 2010). Retrieved on 28 January 2011.
  11. ↑ The York Realist at Riverside Studios – Off-West End – Time Out London. Timeout.com (1 October 2009). Retrieved on 28 January 2011.
  12. ↑ Cast & Creative. Holding The Man. Retrieved on 28 January 2011.
  13. ↑ The Stage / Reviews / Hotel Sorrento. Thestage.co.uk (23 August 2010). Retrieved on 28 January 2011.
  14. ↑ The British Theatre Guide : Reviews – The Sleepers Den (Riverside Studios). Britishtheatreguide.info. Retrieved on 28 January 2011.
  15. ↑ The Stage / Listings / There Will Be More. Thestage.co.uk (13 November 2010). Retrieved on 28 January 2011.
  16. ↑ Fiona Maddocks (30 January 2011). "Los Angeles Philharmonic/ Dudamel; OperaUpClose – review | Music | The Observer". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2013-10-07.
  17. ↑
  18. ↑ "London's King's Head Theatre Appoints Adam Spreadbury-Maher as New Artistic Director | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  19. ↑ "The opera novice: Tosca, OperaUpClose". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  20. ↑ "King's Head's Vieux Carré announces Charing Cross transfer". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  21. ↑ "La Traviata, Soho Theatre - opera review". Evening Standard. 2014-08-14. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  22. ↑ Cuthbertson, Debbie (2017-03-20). "Trainspotting Live: The things that splatter". The Age. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  23. ↑ Marcolina, Cindy. "BWW Review: 5 GUYS CHILLIN', King's Head Theatre". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  24. ↑ "King's Head Theatre workers to get 22% pay rise | News | The Stage". The Stage. 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  25. ↑ "London's King's Head extends flat-rate pay to creative teams | News | The Stage". The Stage. 2017-06-29. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  26. ↑ "London's King's Head Theatre Appoints Adam Spreadbury-Maher as New Artistic Director | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  27. ↑ Moss, Stephen (2009-12-03). "OperaUpClose: Puccini in the pub". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  28. ↑ Latin! or, Tobacco and Boys Reviews at Cock Tavern Theatre – London. Whatsonstage.com (3 July 2009). Retrieved on 28 January 2011.
  29. ↑ "Kilburn's Cock Tavern Hosts Edward Bond Season". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  30. ↑ "London's Cock Tavern Theatre Will Present Nine-Week Season of Six Edward Bond Plays | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  31. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20110615073958/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/opera/article6966749.ece. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  32. ↑ Cock Tavern Boheme Becomes Soho’s First Opera – La bohème at Cock Tavern Theatre – London – News. Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved on 28 January 2011.
  33. ↑ La Bohème Leads First Rep at Little Opera House – La bohème at Soho Theatre – London – News. Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved on 28 January 2011.
  34. ↑ "Playwright Mark Ravenhill To Direct Jazz Version of Monteverdi's Coronation of Poppea; Rebecca Caine Stars | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  35. ↑ "Past Productions". OperaUpClose. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  36. ↑ "Cock Tavern Theatre announces permanent closure | News | The Stage". The Stage. 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  37. ↑ "King's Head opens new theatre in Islington promising to pay minimum". The Independent. 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  38. ↑ "Hope Theatre signs new fringe pay deal - Equity". www.equity.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  39. ↑ "Ushers The Front of House Musical Arts Theatre London". www.officialtheatre.com. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  40. ↑ "Joe Orton News and Events". www.joeorton.org. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  41. ↑ "The Stage 100 2014 by category: London theatre | Features | The Stage". The Stage. 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  42. ↑ "Hope Theatre signs new fringe pay deal - Equity". www.equity.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  43. ↑ "OffWestEnd.com - News - The definitive guide to London's Off West End theatre scene, featuring listings and details for over 80 theatres, news, discussion and exclusive special offers". www.offwestend.com. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  44. ↑ "La Bohème wins Best New Opera Production – Laurence Olivier Awards". Olivierawards.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2011. Retrieved 2013-10-07.
  45. 1 2 Awards Nominees Announced – - News. Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved on 28 January 2011.
  46. ↑ "The_offies - The definitive guide to London's Off West End theatre scene, featuring listings and details for over 80 theatres, news, discussion and exclusive special offers". OffWestEnd.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 2013-10-07.
  47. ↑ "The British Theatre Guide: 2011 Empty Space Awards Nominees". Britishtheatreguide.info. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 2013-10-07.
  48. ↑ http://www.playbill.com/production/coming-clean-kings-head-theatre-2017-2018
  49. ↑ https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2016/la-boheme-2/
  50. ↑ https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/theatre-strangers-in-between-at-kings-head-theatre-n1-mf3hzdhg0
  51. ↑ https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/98576/trainspotting-kings-head-theatre-2015-season/
  52. ↑ http://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2014/05/02/dead-party-animals-at-the-hope-theatre-review/
  53. ↑ https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a-tale-of-two-cities-at-kings-head-n1-rxslxn2nw36
  54. ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/reviews/classical-review-verdi-s-ballo-king-s-head-theatre-london-8608719.html
  55. ↑ http://www.thereviewshub.com/tosca-kings-head-theatre-london/
  56. ↑ https://www.sydsvenskan.se/2012-01-26/pa-turne-med-ovanlig-tosca
  57. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/may/21/denial-review
  58. ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/cos236-kings-head-london-2304469.html
  59. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jan/30/gustavo-dudamel-los-angeles-phil-barbican-review
  60. ↑ http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/willbemore-rev
  61. ↑ http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/sleepersden-rev
  62. ↑ https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2010/hotel-sorrento-review-at-cock-tavern-london/
  63. ↑ https://www.musicomh.com/extra/theatre/studies-for-a-portrait-kings-head-theatre-london
  64. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/oct/02/the-york-realist-review
  65. ↑ http://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Good-Night-Out-Presents-THE-PRESENT-At-The-Cock-Tavern-Theatre-81895-20090728
  66. ↑ https://www.timeout.com/london/lgbt/latin-or-tobacco-and-boys-last-drinks
  67. ↑ http://www.offwestend.com/index.php/plays/view/2861
  68. ↑ https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/studies-for-a-portrait
  69. ↑ https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/the-ides-of-march
  70. ↑ https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2008/cosi-review-at-white-bear-london/
  71. ↑ https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/organisation/30261
  72. ↑ https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/organisation/30261
  73. ↑ "Vieux Carré – Charing Cross Theatre, London". The Reviews Hub. 2012-08-19. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
  74. ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/pins-and-needles-cock-tavern-london-2141078.html
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