Dominic Anthony Barber (21 July 1955 – 9 May 2003) was an English Theatre Director.

Biography

Barber trained at Dartington College of Arts

Dartington College of Arts

Dartington College of Arts was a specialist arts institution near Totnes, Devon, South West England, it specialized in post-dramatic theatre, music, choreography, Performance Writing and visual performance, focusing on a performative and multi-disciplinary approach to the arts. In addition to this,...

. In 1979, aged 24 and early in his career, he became an outspoken advocate of arts council funding and theatre in education. He became assistant director to Ian Emmerson at the Maddermarket Theatre

Maddermarket Theatre

The Maddermarket Theatre is a British theatre located in St. John's Alley in Norwich, Norfolk, England. It was founded in 1921 by Nugent Monck.-Early history and conversion:...

, Norwich and in 1983 moved to the Wyvern Theatre

Wyvern Theatre

The Wyvern Theatre in Swindon, Wiltshire is named after the mythical wyvern which was once the emblem of the Kings of Wessex. It was opened on 7 September 1971 by Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Philip....

, Swindon as Community Drama Director. In 1985, he was appointed Resident Theatre Director at South Hill Park

South Hill Park

South Hill Park is a site that lies in the Birch Hill estate to the south of Bracknell town centre, in Berkshire, England.-History:The original South Hill Park mansion was built in 1760 for William Watts for his retirement from service as a senior official of the Bengal Government...

 Arts Centre in Bracknell. During this time he became a trustee of The Ark, a creative centre for students with learning difficulties, for whom he took weekly drama workshops. He also worked as a Drama Tutor at Broadmoor Hospital

Broadmoor Hospital

Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It is the best known of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth and Rampton...

 and took weekly acting workshops with the patients there. An interview given with Rob Ferris in 1992 about his work in Broadmoor is indicative of Barber's broader directorial approach. He says -

It's not dramatherapy, though it has a therapeutic quality to it, in as much as they are free to get things wrong and are free to explore crazy situations, usually comic. I feel that laughter in itself is a therapy. [...] There are no rules and regulations. I encourage them to improvise, try things out, and enjoy it. [...] I realised more and more how important the element of fun is - it's a sort of playground of creative ideas - they can play and they are allowed to play [...] They ask me how do I do this and I say well I am not going to tell you how you do this, try it, and if you get it hopelessly wrong then I'll help you but I am not going to prescribe. I am not going to tell you this is how you act. It's got to come from you.

In 1994, Barber left South Hill Park to become artistic director of The Castle Theatre, Wellingborough, which he opened in 1995 with a production of 'Annie'. At this point he was recognised as being representative of

a new generation of arts directors, trained in the seventies and eighties rather than the sixties, running new venues in a distinctive style, based on direction rather than administration.

In 1998, he retired due to ill health. Throughout his career Barber retained his belief in the social and educational functions of theatre -

Though I have been involved in managing venues throughout my career, I regard myself as a theatre director who happens to have specialised to a certain extent in community productions.

In 2004, 'Fab Fab Fab Fab Fab!' a tribute to the work of Dominic Barber was staged at the Wilde Theatre in Bracknell. It consisted of excerpts from professional and community plays and musicals that Barber directed and was performed by many original and new cast members. It was produced by South Hill Park Arts Centre and directed by Mark Rayment.
http://www.arts-archive.com/index.php?pg=12&action=work&wid=S1396052592&genre=p&alpha=Fab%20Fab%20Fab%20Fab%20Fab&gname=Play

In 2005, 'Afterlife' a public artwork dedicated to the memory of the life and work of Dominic Barber was unveiled at South Hill Park in Bracknell. The artwork is by Martin Donlin, with a text by former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion

Andrew Motion

Sir Andrew Motion, FRSL is an English poet, novelist and biographer, who presided as Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2009.- Life and career :...

and is situated in the Tall Hall of the arts centre.
http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/leisure/leis-arts-and-entertainment/leis-arts-public-art/leisure-public-art-at-south-hill-park.htm#aa

In 2006, The Castle Theatre in Wellingborough opened the 'Dominic Barber Studio', a performance and rehearsal space named after their first Artistic Director.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northamptonshire/content/articles/2006/07/05/new_space_at_the_castle_feature.shtml

Community Productions

A list of stage productions with amateur actors directed by Dominic Barber:

• 1995, ANNIE, The Castle Community Theatre, Castle Theatre, Wellingborough
• 1993, THE DEVILS, Wilde Community Theatre Company, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1993, THE BOYFRIEND, East Berkshire Operatic Society, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1993, THE ADVENTURES OF MR. TOAD, Wilde Community Theatre Company, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1992, CABARET, Wilde Community Theatre Company, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1990, MEASURE FOR MEASURE, Wilde Community Theatre Company, Broadmoor Hospital, Crowthorne
• 1990, THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX, Wilde Community Theatre Company, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1989, TICKLE, Wilde Community Theatre Company, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1989, FEAR AND MISERY OF THE THIRD REICH, Wilde Community Theatre Company, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1989, CHICAGO, Wilde Community Theatre Company, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1988, TRAFFORD TANZI, Wilde Community Theatre Company, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1988, THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, Wilde Community Theatre Company, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1988, THE DRACULA SPECTACULA, Wilde Community Theatre Company, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1987, ONCE A CATHOLIC, Wilde Community Theatre Company, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1985, THE CORONATION OF POPPAEA, Park Opera, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1985, WESTERN FLYER, Wyvern Community Drama Company, Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
• 1983, OUR WAR, Anonymous Company, Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich

Professional Productions

A list of stage productions with professional actors directed by Dominic Barber:

• 1998, WHEN SANTA GOT STUCK UP THE CHIMNEY!, Castle Theatre, Wellingborough
• 1997, THE GINGERBREAD MAN, Castle Theatre, Wellingborough
• 1996, THE ADVENTURES OF MR TOAD, Castle Theatre, Wellingborough
• 1995, CHRISTMAS CAT AND THE PUDDING PIRATES, Castle Theatre, Wellingborough
• 1993, WHEN DINAH SAW A DINOSAUR, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1992, THE IDEAL GNOME EXPEDITION, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1991, THE GINGERBREAD MAN, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1991, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, The Maltings Arts Centre, UK Tour
• 1990, MONTY MOONBEAM'S MAGNIFICENT MISSION, Muffin Productions, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1989, CHRISTMAS CAT AND THE PUDDING PIRATES, Muffin Productions, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1989, RON AND RAMON, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
• 1989, THE TRAGEDY OF CARMEN, Thameside Opera, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell (UK Premiere)
• 1988, THE SNOW QUEEN, Kaboodle Productions, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1988, AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE, Thameside Opera, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell (World Premiere)
• 1987, THE UGLY DUCKLING, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1986, THE LOST DOMAINE, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell (World Premiere)
• 1985, OLD KING COLE, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
• 1984, JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, Palace Theatre, Redditch