Lucy Bailey is a British theatre director, known for productions such as Baby Doll at Britain's National Theatre[1] and a notorious Titus Andronicus, described by a critic as "all eye-catchingly visceral but there’s little depth".[2] Bailey founded the Gogmagogs theatre-music group (1995–2006) and was Artistic Director and joint founder of the Print Room theatre in West London (2010-2012).[3][4] She has worked extensively with Bunny Christie and other leading stage designers, including her husband William Dudley.[5][6]

Biography

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Bailey was born in Butleigh, Somerset, England. She has stated that her favourite films include any by Pasolini. As a teenager, Bailey studied the flute but gave up music to concentrate on theatre.[7] Bailey studied English at St Peter's College, Oxford.[8] She and her husband, William Dudley, have two sons.

Career

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Bailey became interested in theatre when she worked as a telephonist at Glyndebourne at the age of 17.[9] At age 20, Bailey wrote to Samuel Beckett requesting permission to stage his short story, Lessness. Beckett agreed to meet, and she showed him her design for a production.[10][11] Although he said she had got it completely wrong, he gave her permission to stage it, which she did at The Oxford Playhouse in February 1982.[12][13]

Bailey started her professional life as an assistant director at the Royal National Theatre, Glyndebourne Opera and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Bailey co-founded the Gogmagogs music theatre company in 1995, with Nell Catchpole and six other string players.[14] Her return to straight theatre came when she was invited by Mark Rylance, then artistic director of the Globe Theatre, to direct there in the late 1990s, and her work there has included productions of Titus Andronicus[15] and Macbeth. Bailey has also directed Shakespeare productions at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon, including The Taming of the Shrew, A Winter's Tale and Julius Caesar, with Greg Hicks in the title role.[16]

Artistic Director

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Lucy Bailey co-founded the 80-seat London venue Print Room,[17] which opened on 10 November 2010,[18] and along with the producer Anda Winters was Artistic Director there until 2012.[19] At the Print Room, Bailey directed productions such as Fabrication by Pier Paolo Pasolini, Alan Ayckbourn’s Snake in the Grass, Tennessee Williams’ Kingdom of Earth[20] and Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya with Iain Glen in the title role.[21] Bailey and her producer renovated a 1950s warehouse into the theatre, situated just off Westbourne Grove, aiming to show challenging or unknown plays as well as classics. Bailey and Winters say that they first conceived the Print Room over a large glass of wine at the National Theatre.[22] After Lucy Bailey's departure, Anda Winters moved the theatre to the Coronet Cinema.[23]

Selected work

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Productions as Artistic Director, Print Rooms

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Opera

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  • 1996 - Gudrun Fier Sang (Copenhagen dry dock)
  • 1994 - Jenufa, Janacek, (English National Opera)
  • 1994 - Cheryoumushki 1958 (Lyric Hammersmith)
  • 1994 - Noye's Fludde, Benjamin Britten, (Aldeburgh Festival)
  • 1993 - Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Wexford Opera Festival)
  • 1992 - Mary of Egypt (Aldeburgh Festival)
  • 1992 - Adaptation of Pasolini’s Teorema (Maggio Musicale Florence/Munich Biennale/Queen Elizabeth Hall).
  • 1990 - Triptych, Alexander Goehr (Aldeburgh Festival)
  • 1989 - Mitridate (Wexford Opera Festival)

References

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  1. ^ Spencer, Charles (9 March 2000). "Simmering down South". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 27 February 2016.
  2. ^ Mountford, Fiona (2 May 2014). "Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre". Evening Standard.
  3. ^ Maddy Costa (15 February 2011). "Director Lucy Bailey: Thinking small". The Guardian.
  4. ^ Hemming, Sarah (28 July 2004). "Interview, Lucy Bailey". Financial Times.
  5. ^ "Baby Doll by Tennessee Williams". Promenade Productions.
  6. ^ "The British Theatre Guide".
  7. ^ Barnett, Laura (19 May 2009). "Portrait of the artist: Lucy Bailey, director". The Guardian.
  8. ^ "Theatre Film and Music". St Peter's College Oxford, Alumni & Friends.
  9. ^ Barnett, Laura (19 May 2009). "Lucy Bailey Interview". The Guardian.
  10. ^ "Lucy Bailey:a life in theatre". Herald Scotland. 11 February 2014.
  11. ^ Hemming, Sarah (28 July 2004). "Interview: Lucy Bailey". Financial Times.
  12. ^ Gray, Christopher (6 March 2014). "Joy of the for me at two". Oxford Times.
  13. ^ Chapman, Don (2006). "Agamemnon and After, the 'lost cause' that became the Oxford Playhouse" (PDF). University of Leicester Research Archive. p. 195.
  14. ^ "Meet the Tutors: Nell Catchpole". Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  15. ^ Spencer, Charles (2 May 2014). "Titus Andronicus, review". The Telegraph.
  16. ^ https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/culture/2012/jan/26/taming-of-the-shrew-review
  17. ^ Masters, Tim (9 February 2011). "How to run a theatre without arts funding". BBC News.
  18. ^ Cavendish, Dominic (16 November 2010). "Fabrication, The Print Room review". The Telegraph.
  19. ^ Bosanquet, Theo (18 July 2012). "Lucy Bailey steps down". What's On Stage.
  20. ^ Taylor, Paul (4 May 2011). "Kingdom of Earth, Print Room, London". The Independent.
  21. ^ Hemming, Sarah (1 April 2012). "Uncle Vanya, The Print Room". The Financial Times.
  22. ^ Wicker, Tom (9 February 2011). "Exeunt Magazine". Exeunt Magazine.
  23. ^ "Print Room, Theatre in Kensington". Time Out London. February 2016.
  24. ^ Billington, Michael (9 August 2018). "Switzerland Review". The Guardian.
  25. ^ Marcolina, Cindy (20 November 2018). "Review:Switzerland". Broadway World.
  26. ^ Billington, Michael (23 October 2017). "Witness for the Prosecution Review". The Guardian.
  27. ^ Cavendish, Dominic (23 October 2017). "Agatha Christie's courtroom drama still entertains". Daily Telegraph.
  28. ^ Gardner, Lyn (3 November 2016). "Lush and sexy reframing of Milton's chastity play". The Guardian.
  29. ^ Bennion, Chris. "Lucy Bailey's hilarious Comus". The Telegraph.
  30. ^ Hemming, Sarah (24 May 2016). "Kenny Morgan, Arcola Theatre". Financial Times.
  31. ^ Mountford, Fiona (26 May 2016). "Kenny Morgan, theatre review". Evening Standard.
  32. ^ Owens, David (19 May 2014). "Christopher Timothy on his love of classic play Dial M". Wales Online.
  33. ^ Spencer, Charles (1 August 2013). "King Lear, Theatre Royal, Bath, review". The Telegraph.
  34. ^ Kellaway, Kate (5 January 2014). "Fortune's Fool". The Guardian.
  35. ^ Shuttleworth, Ian (3 February 2013). "The Winter's Tale, Royal Shakespeare Theatre". Financial Times.
  36. ^ Billington, Michael (26 January 2012). "The Taming of the Shrew - review". The Guardian.
  37. ^ "The Taming of the Shrew, RSC, review". The Telegraph. 27 January 2012.
  38. ^ Taylor, Paul (6 July 2011). "The Beggar's Opera, Open Air Theatre". The Independent.
  39. ^ Coveney, Michael (2 May 2010). "Macbeth, Shakespeare's Globe, London". The Independent.
  40. ^ Billington, Michael (11 January 2011). "Julius Caesar - review". The Guardian.
  41. ^ Spencer, Charles (29 January 2009). "Private Lives at Hampstead Theatre". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016.
  42. ^ Hickling, Alfred (23 September 2009). "Dial M for Murder theatre review". The Guardian.
  43. ^ Billington, Michael (8 August 2008). "Timon of Athens, Shakespeare's Globe". The Guardian.
  44. ^ Billington, Michael (10 July 2007). "Theatre review: Glass Eels". The Guardian.
  45. ^ Clapp, Susannah (4 March 2007). "Don't Look Now". The Guardian.
  46. ^ Billington, Michael (1 June 2006). "Titus Andronicus". The Guardian.
  47. ^ Clark, Nick (22 July 2014). "Globe Theatre takes out 100 audience members". The Independent.
  48. ^ Gardner, Lynn (24 September 2004). "The Postman Always Rings Twice, West Yorkshire". The Guardian.
  49. ^ Taylor, Paul (1 February 2007). "Comfort me with Apples, Hampstead". The Independent.
  50. ^ "The Night Season". British Theatre Guide. 2004.
  51. ^ "Troy story with wings". Evening Standard. 2 November 2001.
  52. ^ "Baby Doll full review". Evening Standard. 21 June 2000.
  53. ^ Benedict, David (29 August 1997). "Theatre /Revealed". The Independent.
  54. ^ Cochlan, Alexandra (2 April 2012). "Uncle Vanya, The Print Room London". The Arts Desk.
  55. ^ "Uncle Vanya, The Print Room". Evening Standard. 30 March 2012.