MAX STAFFORD-CLARK

'Maxwell Robert Guthrie Stewart ('Max') Stafford-Clark' (born 1941) is an English Theatre Director. He went to school at Felsted and Riverdale Country School in New York City. He has worked as a theatre director since he left Trinity College, Dublin.
His directing career began as associate director of the 'Traverse Theatre', Edinburgh, in 1966, becoming artistic director there (1968–70). He was director of the 'Traverse Theatre Workshop Company' from 1970 to 1974.
He co-founded The 'Joint Stock Theatre Company' in 1974. Joint Stock created a distinctive style of working with writers using company research to inspire workshops. From these workshops writers such as David Hare, Howard Brenton and Caryl Churchill would garner material to inspire a writing phase before rehearsals began. This methodology is sometimes referred to as 'The Joint Stock Method'. Key productions include Hare's ''Fanshen'', Brenton's ''Epsom Downs'' and Churchill's ''Cloud Nine'' which Stafford-Clark directed.
From 1979 to 1993 he was Artistic Director of 'The Royal Court Theatre'. He was the Court's longest serving Artistic Director. In a difficult period for new writing, he helped nurture a new group of emerging playwrights such as Andrea Dunbar, Hanif Kureishi, Sarah Daniels and Jim Cartwright. During this time the theatre presented seminal productions including ''Victory'' by Howard Barker, ''Insignificance'' by Terry Johnson, ''Our Country's Good by'' Timberlake Wertenbaker and ''Rat in the Skull'' by Ron Hutchinson. Perhaps the most important commission and production of this era was ''Top Girls'' by Caryl Churchill (1982)
In 1993 he founded the touring company, 'Out of Joint'. Recent productions include:

★ 2007 ''King of Hearts'' by Alistair Beaton (Out of Joint, Hampstead Theatre)

★ 2006 ''The Overwhelming'' by JT Rogers (Out of Joint/The National Theatre)

★ 2005 ''Talking to Terrorists'' by Robin Soans (Out of Joint/Royal Court)

★ 2004 ''Macbeth'' by William Shakespeare (Out of Joint)

★ 2003 ''The Permanent Way'' by David Hare (Out of Joint/The National Theatre)

★ 2003 ''Duck'' by Stella Feehily (Out of Joint/Royal Court)

★ 2003 ''The Breath of Life'' by David Hare (Sydney Theatre Company)

★ 2002 ''She Stoops to Conquer'' by Oliver Goldsmith (Out of Joint/The National Theatre)

★ 2002 ''A Laughing Matter'' by April De Angelis (Out of Joint/The National Theatre)

★ 2002 ''Hinterland'' by Sebastian Barry (Out of Joint/The National Theatre)

★ 2001 ''Sliding with Suzanne'' by Judy Upton (Out of Joint/The Royal Court)

★ 2001 ''Feelgood'' by Alistair Beaton (Out of Joint, Hampstead Theatre and the Garrick Theatre)

★ 2000 ''Rita, Sue and Bob Too'' by Andrea Dunbar (Out of Joint/Soho Theatre)

★ 2000 ''A State Affair'' by Robin Soans (Out of Joint/Soho Theatre)
Academic credits include an honorary doctorate from Oxford Brookes University and Professorships at the University of Warwick and the University of Hertfordshire.
In 2006, Max suffered a stroke. He has since returned to work, and will direct the upcoming production of ''The Overwhelming'' on Broadway in October 2007. His girlfriend is the actress and writer Stella Feehily.

Contents

Bibliography

External links

Bibliography

★ Ritchie, R. (1987), ''The Joint Stock Book'', London: Methuen ISBN 0-413-41030-7

★ Stafford-Clark, M. (1997), ''Letters to George: The Account of a Rehearsal'', London: Nick Hern Books ISBN 1-854-59317-X

★ Stafford-Clark, M. and Roberts, P. (2007), ''Taking Stock: The Theatre of Max Stafford-Clark'', London: Nick Hern Books ISBN 1-854-59840-6

External links

★ Out of Joint Theatre Company

★ Royal Court Theatre Outline/History

★ University of Warwick profile