Trevor Nunn
About
Biography
Filmography
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Biography
A heralded stage director of such London and Broadway hits as "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby," "Cats" and "Les Miserables," Trevor Nunn is the former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and current head of The National Theatre. After attending Cambridge, he began his career producing and directing plays at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. Within two years, he joined the RSC as associate director, a position he held until 1968 when he was named chief executive and artistic director. Administrative duties aside, Nunn first directed an actual production for the RSC in 1965, handing the children's play, "The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew" but it was his 1969 staging of "The Revenger's Tragedy" that established his reputation. During his tenure, he oversaw a number of acclaimed productions including "The Taming of the Shrew" (1967), "King Lear" (1968), "Coriolanus," "Antony and Cleopatra" and "Titus Andronicus" (all 1972). His first American foray was overseeing the RSC's 1974 production of "Richard II." In 1976, Nunn branched out into musicals with an adaptation of "The Comedy of Errors." But it was David Edgar's two-part version of "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby" that solidified his reputation. Co-directed with John Caird, the production opened to raves in London and on Broadway, where it won four Tony Awards including Best Play and Best Director. Nunn teamed with Andrew Lloyd Webber on "Cats," drawn from the poetry of T S Eliot, staging the musical and contributing additional lyrics (most notably to the show's signature tune "Memory"). The Broadway production earned seven Tony Awards (including one for Nunn's direction) and went on to become the longest-running musical in Broadway history in 1997.
Once established as a musical director, Nunn went on to work on several of Lloyd Webber's spectacles. He staged the roller-skating musical "Starlight Express" (1984), the more intimate but less successful "Aspects of Love" (1989) and more recently "Sunset Boulevard" (1994). In between, Nunn reteamed with John Caird to stage an English-language adaptation of the French musical "Les Miserables" (1985). The 1987 New York production was the success of the season and earned eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Director.
Nunn has ventured into films and television, generally recreating stage productions. In 1974, he produced a British TV adaptation of "Antony and Cleopatra" that starred his then-wife Janet Suzman which aired on ABC in the USA in 1975. His musicalized "The Comedy of Errors" aired on A&E in 1990 and he adapted and directed "Porgy & Bess" for PBS three years later. More recently, Nunn oversaw the 10th anniversary concert version of "Les Miserables" (1995). On the big screen, he debuted as writer and director of "Hedda" (1975), a version of Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler" that offered a tour de force lead performance by Glenda Jackson. Nunn stumbled somewhat with his second film, "Lady Jane" (1985), a period film about the Tudor monarch who ruled England for only nine days. Written by David Edgar and introducing Helena Bonham Carter, "Lady Jane" was more pageant than drama. After more than a decade, Nunn returned to films with "Twelfth Night" (1996), a middling adaptation of the Shakespeare comedy that starred Bonham Carter and Nunn's third wife, Imogen Stubbs.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Director (Special)
Cast (Special)
Writer (Special)
Producer (Special)
Music (Special)
Dance (Special)
Special Thanks (Special)
Misc. Crew (Special)
Life Events
1965
Directed children's play "The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew" for Royal Shakespeare Company
1968
Was Artistic Director of The Royal Shakespeare Company
1969
Won widespread praise for directing "The Revenger's Tragedy" for RSC
1974
Produced a British TV version of "Anthony and Cleopatra" starring his then-wife Janet Suzman
1975
Made screen debut directing and adapting "Hedda"
1976
Wrote lyrics for and staged "The Comedy of Errors" at RSC
1980
With John Caird, co-directed David Edgar's "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby"; production moved to Broadway in 1981
1981
Contributed lyrics and directed the London production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Cats"; repeated staging for the 1982 Broadway production
1982
Co-directed four-part TV verion of "Nicholas Nickleby"; aired in syndication in USA in 1983
1985
With Caird, co-directed the musical "Les Miserables"; repeated staging for the 1987 Broadway production
1985
Helmed second film, the period drama "Lady Jane", written by David Edgar and starring Helena Bonham Carter
1986
Assumed direction of musical "Chess" after Michael Bennett withdrew because of illness
1989
Staged the Lloyd Webber musical "Aspects of Love" in London; repeated for Broadway in 1990
1993
Directed a TV version of "Porgy and Bess"
1994
Again helmed a Lloyd Webber musical, "Sunset Boulevard"
1994
Signed two-year, first look deal with New Line Cinema
1995
Chosen as successor to Richard Eyre as artistic director of London's National Theatre
1996
Adapted and directed feature version of "Twelfth Night", co-starring Helena Bonham Carter and Nunn's wife Imogen Stubbs
1997
In June, "Cats" became the longest-running musical in Broadway history
1997
Assumed position as head of the National Theatre (October)
1998
Staged the debut production of a previously unproduced Tennessee Williams' play "Not About Nightingales"; recreated staging for Broadway
1998
Helmed acclaimed London stage revival of "Oklahoma!"
2000
Staged production of "The Cherry Orchard" starring real-life siblings Corin and Vanessa Redgrave
Family
Companions
