Stephen Unwin

Stephen Unwin (born 1959) is an English theatre director. Stephen read English at the University of Cambridge, where he directed many student productions, including an award-winning production of Measure for Measure that transferred to the Almeida, where he was awarded an Arts Council Trainee Director’s Bursary, he has since directed over 50 professional productions and 12 operas. For much of the 1980s, he was Associate Director at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, and several of his productions transferred to London theatres. He worked with a wide range of leading actors, including Simon Rusell Beale, Tilda Swinton, Ken Stott, and dozens of others. In the early 1990s, he became Resident Director at the National Theatre Studio.

He launched the English Touring Theatre in June 1993, where he directed twenty productions, many of which were seen at the Old Vic, the Donmar, the Lyric Hammersmith and others. He stepped down from ETT in 2008 after fifteen years at the helm. He became the second Artistic Director (after Sir Peter Hall) of the Rose Theatre, Kingston. He has also directed in Europe and in British repertory theatre.

He was joint winner of the 2003 Sam Wanamaker Award with Barrie Rutter, and in autumn 2003 was Judith E Wilson Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University.

Stephen Unwin was Artistic Director of The Rose Theatre in Kingston, Greater London between 2008 and 2014.

In September 2010 Stephen directed Noël Coward’s Hay Fever, a Rose Theatre production starring Celia Imrie, which received great critical acclaim.

He was Visiting Professor at the University of California and the Judith E Wilson Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University.

Current & Upcoming productions

Director / Playwright, Laughing Boy, Jermyn Street Theatre and Theatre Royal Bath Productions 25^th April – 16^th June 2024, Jermyn Street Theatre, London and Theatre Royal, Bath.

Past productions

Director, Farm Hall, Jermyn Street Theatre 9^th March – 28^th October 2023, Jermyn Street Theatre, London, Theatre Royal, Bath, and other locations.
Director, A Song at Twilight, Theatre Royal Bath Productions 13^th February – 13^th April 2019, Festival Theatre, Malvern, Theatre Royal, Bath, and other locations.
Director, The Real Thing 6^th – 16^th September 2017, Cambridge Arts Theatre.
Director, Present Laughter, Theatre Royal Bath Productions 22^nd June – 20^th August 2016, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Milton Keynes Theatre, and other locations.
Director, Moon Tiger 17^th February – 8^th March 2014, Rose Theatre, Kingston upon Thames, The Lowry, Salford, and other locations.
Director, The Vortex, Rose Theatre in Association with Kingston University 13^th February – 2^nd March 2013, Rose Theatre, Kingston upon Thames.
Director, The Importance of Being Earnest 22^nd September – 30^th October 2011, Rose Theatre, Kingston upon Thames.
Director, Farewell to the Theatre, Rose Theatre Kingston 30^th September – 30^th October 2011, Rose Theatre, Kingston upon Thames.
Director, The Winslow Boy, Rose Theatre Kingston 7^th – 30^th May 2009, Rose Theatre, Kingston upon Thames.
Director, Hamlet, English Touring Theatre and Yvonne Arnaud Theatre 13^th February – 22^nd April 2006, New Ambassadors Theatre (now Ambassadors Theatre), London.
Director, King Lear, English Touring Theatre, Malvern Theatres, and Phil Cameron for Background 23^rd September 2002 – 26^th April 2003, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Malvern Theatres, and other locations.
Director, Ghosts, English Touring Theatre 6^th February – 20^th April 2002, Festival Theatre, Malvern, New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, and other locations.
Director, Love’s Labour’s Lost, English Touring Theatre 5^th February – 28^th April 2001, Lyceum Theatre, Crewe, The Lowry, Salford, and other locations.
Director, The Cherry Orchard 1999 – 2000, Theatre Royal, Bath.
Director, The Master Builder, English Touring Theatre 4^th October – 27^th November 1999, Lyceum Theatre, Crewe, Cambridge Arts Theatre, and other locations.
Director, Henry IV, Parts I & II, English Touring Theatre 1996 – 1997, Theatre Royal, Bath and The Old Vic Theatre, London.
Director, The Seagull 1996 – 1997, Theatre Royal, Bath.
Director, Hedda Gabler, English Touring Theatre 14^th February – 31^st August 1996, Donmar Warehouse, London, Lyceum Theatre, Crewe, and other locations.
Director, The School for Wives, English Touring Theatre 8^th February – 25^th March 1995, Lyceum Theatre, Crewe and Riverside Studios, London.
Director, Macbeth, English Touring Theatre September – ? 1995, UK Tour.
Director, As You Like It, English Touring Theatre 1994, Tour – UK.
Director, Hamlet, English Touring Theatre 15^th September – 27^th November 1993, Lyceum Theatre, Crewe, Oxford Playhouse, and other locations.
Director, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, English Touring Theatre 24^th February – 8^th May 1993, Lyceum Theatre, Crewe, Grand Theatre, Blackpool, and other locations.
Director, The Long Way Round, National Theatre started 6^th July 1989, National Theatre – Cottesloe Theatre (now National Theatre – Dorfman), National Theatre, London.
Adaptation / Director, The Knickers 11^th May – 3^rd June 1989, Bristol Old Vic – Theatre Royal.
Director, Look Back in Anger, Bristol Old Vic Company 13^th October – 5^th November 1988, Bristol Old Vic – Theatre Royal.
Director, A Yorkshire Tragedy: Not so New as Lamentable and True, National Theatre started 27^th January 1987, National Theatre – Cottesloe Theatre (now National Theatre – Dorfman), National Theatre, London.
Director, Torquato Tasso, National Theatre started 19^th December 1985, National Theatre – Studio, National Theatre, London.
Director, The Lottery of Love, National Theatre started 7^th December 1984, National Theatre – Studio, National Theatre, London.

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