Alan Lyddiard
Encyclopedia
Alan Lyddiard is a theatre
and film director
, best known as an advocate of the ensemble theatre
model in the UK. Lyddiard was Artistic Director of Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne
(1992–2005), Artistic Director of TAG Theatre Company, Glasgow (1988–1992) and Associate Director at Dundee Rep
(1984–1988).
Clockwork Orange made in the late 1990s, was another successful production of Lyddiard's with the Northern Stage Ensemble touring the UK for four years.
Lyddiard has always been a strong advocate of an internationalisation of the UK theatre scene. He worked closely and over many years with Lev Dodin, and repeatedly presented Robert Lepage and Peter Brook's work in Newcastle. He has also collaborated with and presented the work of the Belgian director Alain Platel, the Hungarian director Gabor Tompa and the Romani director from FRY Macedonia Rahim Burhan.
In 2003, Lyddiard initiated the Newcastle / Gateshead Gypsy Festival which presented the work of Eastern European and Spanish Romani artists as well as an original piece by the Northern Stage ensemble Black Eyed Roses (which he later reworked for a Romanian production).
Later that year, a Newcastle-based adaptation of Wim Wenders' film Wings of Desire was created by Alan Lyddiard with his ensemble and a community theatre group based at the theatre. Lyddiard was subsequently invited to do a Copenhagen-based adaptation of the film using the same model in 2005 at the Betty Nansen Theatre.
Since 2006 he has been working as a freelance writer/director on a number of film and theatre projects.
On Nov., 01, 2010 while filming "Going Somewhere" in Cebu, Philippines, one of the actors got killed in a freak accident: Kirk Abella was shot by a security guard when sitting on the back of a motorcycle. He acted like he would shoot with his toy gun but the private security guard who was not aware that this was a movie setting, took the gun for real and killed Abella. Some spectators thought that this was part of the script.
Lyn Gardner on Lyddiard's Northern Stage: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2000/sep/27/artsfeatures
Alfred Hickling on Lyddiard's 1984: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2001/mar/23/artsfeatures
The Independent on Lyddiard: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/no-more-fog-on-the-tyne-1619884.html
Alan Lyddiard http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/04/killing-filipino-actor-film-locations
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, best known as an advocate of the ensemble theatre
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
model in the UK. Lyddiard was Artistic Director of Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne
Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne
Northern Stage is a theatre and producing theatre company based in Newcastle upon Tyne. It is adjacent to Newcastle University's city centre campus on King's Walk, opposite the students' union building. It hosts various local, national and international productions in addition to those produced by...
(1992–2005), Artistic Director of TAG Theatre Company, Glasgow (1988–1992) and Associate Director at Dundee Rep
Dundee Repertory Theatre
Dundee Repertory Theatre or Dundee Rep is a theatre and arts company in the city of Dundee, Scotland. It operates as both a producing house - staging at least six of its own productions each year, and a receiving house - hosting work from visiting companies throughout Scotland and the United...
(1984–1988).
Career
Lyddiard is best remembered for his very successful productions of George Orwell's works. His production of Animal Farm (1993) stayed in the repertoire of Northern Stage for twelve years and toured in Spain, France, Netherlands, Israel and across the UK. In 2001 he made a version of 1984 (which has inspired subsequent productions of Lyddiard's adaptation in Paris, Freiburg, New York and New Zealand) and in 2003 he co-produced with Calixto Bieito a version of Orwell's memoir Homage to Catalonia.Clockwork Orange made in the late 1990s, was another successful production of Lyddiard's with the Northern Stage Ensemble touring the UK for four years.
Lyddiard has always been a strong advocate of an internationalisation of the UK theatre scene. He worked closely and over many years with Lev Dodin, and repeatedly presented Robert Lepage and Peter Brook's work in Newcastle. He has also collaborated with and presented the work of the Belgian director Alain Platel, the Hungarian director Gabor Tompa and the Romani director from FRY Macedonia Rahim Burhan.
In 2003, Lyddiard initiated the Newcastle / Gateshead Gypsy Festival which presented the work of Eastern European and Spanish Romani artists as well as an original piece by the Northern Stage ensemble Black Eyed Roses (which he later reworked for a Romanian production).
Later that year, a Newcastle-based adaptation of Wim Wenders' film Wings of Desire was created by Alan Lyddiard with his ensemble and a community theatre group based at the theatre. Lyddiard was subsequently invited to do a Copenhagen-based adaptation of the film using the same model in 2005 at the Betty Nansen Theatre.
Since 2006 he has been working as a freelance writer/director on a number of film and theatre projects.
On Nov., 01, 2010 while filming "Going Somewhere" in Cebu, Philippines, one of the actors got killed in a freak accident: Kirk Abella was shot by a security guard when sitting on the back of a motorcycle. He acted like he would shoot with his toy gun but the private security guard who was not aware that this was a movie setting, took the gun for real and killed Abella. Some spectators thought that this was part of the script.
External links
Lyn Gardner on Lyddiard's Northern Stage: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2000/sep/27/artsfeatures
Alfred Hickling on Lyddiard's 1984: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2001/mar/23/artsfeatures
The Independent on Lyddiard: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/no-more-fog-on-the-tyne-1619884.html
Alan Lyddiard http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/04/killing-filipino-actor-film-locations