Paul Arditti
Encyclopedia
Paul Arditti is a theatre sound design
er, working mainly in the UK and the US. He specialises in designing sound scores for plays and sound systems for musicals. He has won awards for his work in both categories, including the 2006 Olivier Award for Billy Elliot the Musical
. He holds the record for most wins of the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound Design
, with three to his credit.
Paul studied Drama and English at The University of Hull
, graduating in 1983.
He has designed the sound for many Broadway productions, starting with Orpheus Descending
(1989), well as other New York venues, such as The Cherry Orchard
at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
and off-Broadway
. In the UK, he has designed sound at the Royal Court
, Royal National Theatre
, Royal Shakespeare Company
, and West End
.
Sound design
Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
er, working mainly in the UK and the US. He specialises in designing sound scores for plays and sound systems for musicals. He has won awards for his work in both categories, including the 2006 Olivier Award for Billy Elliot the Musical
Billy Elliot the Musical
Billy Elliot the Musical is a musical based on the 2000 film Billy Elliot. The music is by Sir Elton John, and book and lyrics are by Lee Hall, who wrote the film's screenplay. The plot revolves around motherless Billy, who trades boxing gloves for ballet shoes...
. He holds the record for most wins of the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound Design
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound Design
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound Design is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors. It honors the sound designers of productions staged on Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and for legitimate not-for-profit theaters, all...
, with three to his credit.
Paul studied Drama and English at The University of Hull
University of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
, graduating in 1983.
He has designed the sound for many Broadway productions, starting with Orpheus Descending
Orpheus Descending
Orpheus Descending is a play by Tennessee Williams. It was first presented on Broadway in 1957 where it enjoyed a brief run with only modest success. The play is basically a rewrite of an earlier play by Williams called Battle of Angels, which was written in 1940, but had been closed on its opening...
(1989), well as other New York venues, such as The Cherry Orchard
The Cherry Orchard
The Cherry Orchard is Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's last play. It premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre 17 January 1904 in a production directed by Constantin Stanislavski. Chekhov intended this play as a comedy and it does contain some elements of farce; however, Stanislavski insisted on...
at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music is a major performing arts venue in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, United States, known as a center for progressive and avant garde performance....
and off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
. In the UK, he has designed sound at the Royal Court
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
, Royal National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
, Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
, and West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
.
Broadway work (selected)
- Mary Stuart (2009) - director: Phyllida LloydPhyllida LloydPhyllida Lloyd CBE is an English director, best known for her work in theatre and as the director of the most financially successful British film ever released, Mamma Mia!.-Career:...
, Broadhurst TheatreBroadhurst TheatreThe Broadhurst Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 235 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.It was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, a well-known theatre designer who had been working directly with the Shubert brothers; the Broadhurst opened 27 September 1917... - Billy Elliot The MusicalBilly Elliot the MusicalBilly Elliot the Musical is a musical based on the 2000 film Billy Elliot. The music is by Sir Elton John, and book and lyrics are by Lee Hall, who wrote the film's screenplay. The plot revolves around motherless Billy, who trades boxing gloves for ballet shoes...
- director: Stephen DaldryStephen DaldryStephen David Daldry, CBE is an English theatre and film director and producer, as well as a three-time Academy Award nominated and Tony Award winning director.-Early years:...
, all productions, including Imperial Theatre (2008); Her Majesty's TheatreHer Majesty's TheatreHer Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre...
, Melbourne; Capitol Theatre, Sydney and Victoria Palace TheatreVictoria Palace TheatreVictoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, opposite Victoria Station.-Origins:The theatre began life as a small concert room above the stables of the Royal Standard Hotel, a small hotel and tavern built in 1832 at what was then 522 Stockbridge...
, London. - Les Liaisons DangereusesLes liaisons dangereuses (play)Les liaisons dangereuses is a play by Christopher Hampton adapted from the 1782 novel of the same title by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. The plot focuses on the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, rivals who use sex as a weapon of humiliation and degradation, all the while enjoying their...
(2008) - director: Rufus Norris, American Airlines TheatreAmerican Airlines TheatreThe American Airlines Theatre is a Broadway theatre, located at 227 West 42nd Street, New York City.-Design:Originally named the Selwyn Theatre, it was constructed by the Selwyn brothers, Edgar and Archie, in 1918. It was one of three theatres they built and controlled on 42nd Street, along with...
London work (selected)
- When The Rain Stops Falling (2009) - director: Michael AttenboroughMichael AttenboroughThe Hon. Michael John Attenborough is a successful English theatre director. His parents are the actors Richard Attenborough, Baron Attenborough and Sheila Sim, Lady Attenborough...
, Almeida TheatreAlmeida TheatreThe Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of...
, London - Under The Blue Sky - director: Anna MackminAnna MackminAnna Mackmin is an award-winning British theatre director. She has been an associate director at the Sheffield Crucible and at the Gate Theatre in London.-Life and career:...
, Duke of York's TheatreDuke of York's TheatreThe Duke of York's Theatre is a West End Theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre, until her death in 1935. It opened on 10 September 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, with Wedding...
, London - The Diver (2008) - director: Hideki Noda, Soho TheatreSoho TheatreSoho Theatre is a theatre in the eponymous Soho district of the City of Westminster. It presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret....
, London - The Revenger's Tragedy (2008) - director: Melly StillMelly StillMelly Still is a British director, designer and choreographer.She has worked as designer and co-director on many productions including the RSC's version of Tales from Ovid and Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie at the Royal National Theatre.She often works closely with the designer Ti...
, Royal National TheatreRoyal National TheatreThe Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
, London - The Year of Magical ThinkingThe Year of Magical ThinkingThe Year of Magical Thinking , by Joan Didion , is an account of the year following the death of the author's husband John Gregory Dunne . Published by Knopf in October 2005, the book was immediately acclaimed as a classic in the genre of mourning literature...
(2008) – director: David HareDavid Hare (playwright)Sir David Hare is an English playwright and theatre and film director.-Early life:Hare was born in St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex, the son of Agnes and Clifford Hare, a sailor. He was educated at Lancing, an independent school in West Sussex, and at Jesus College, Cambridge...
, National Theatre, London and Booth TheatreBooth TheatreThe Booth Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 222 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan, New York City.Architect Henry B. Herts designed the Booth and its companion Shubert Theatre as a back-to-back pair sharing a Venetian Renaissance-style façade...
, Broadway - Never So Good (2008) - director: Howard Davies, National Theatre, London
- Happy Now? (2008) – director: Thea SharrockThea SharrockThea Sharrock is an award-winning English theatre director. In 2001, when at age 24 she became artistic director of London's Southwark Playhouse, she was the youngest artistic director in British theatre....
, National Theatre, London - Saint Joan – director: Marianne Elliott, National Theatre, London
- The Member of the WeddingThe Member of the WeddingThe Member of the Wedding is a 1946 novel by Southern writer Carson McCullers. It took McCullers five years to complete—though she interrupted the work for a few months to write the short novel The Ballad of the Sad Cafe....
– director: Matthew Dunster, Young Vic Theatre, London - Vernon God Little (2007) – director: Rufus Norris, Young Vic Theatre,London
- The Respectable Wedding – director: Joe Hill-Gibbins, Young Vic Theatre, London
- Nakamitsu (2007) – director: Jonathan Munby Gate TheatreGate TheatreThe Gate Theatre, in Dublin, was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál Mac Liammóir, initially using the Abbey Theatre's Peacock studio theatre space to stage important works by European and American dramatists...
, London - The Pain and The Itch (2007) – director: Dominic CookeDominic CookeDominic Cooke is an English theatre director and playwright. He won the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for best director for his revival of The Crucible while working at the RSC...
, Royal CourtRoyal Court TheatreThe Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
, London - Hergé's Adventures Of Tintin (2005) – director: Rufus Norris, Young Vic production, Barbican Theatre and Playhouse TheatrePlayhouse TheatreThe Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt in 1907 and still retains its original substage machinery...
, London - CymbelineCymbelineCymbeline , also known as Cymbeline, King of Britain or The Tragedy of Cymbeline, is a play by William Shakespeare, based on legends concerning the early Celtic British King Cunobelinus. Although listed as a tragedy in the First Folio, modern critics often classify Cymbeline as a romance...
(2003) - director: Dominic CookeDominic CookeDominic Cooke is an English theatre director and playwright. He won the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for best director for his revival of The Crucible while working at the RSC...
, Royal Shakespeare Company
Other
- The Cherry OrchardThe Cherry OrchardThe Cherry Orchard is Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's last play. It premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre 17 January 1904 in a production directed by Constantin Stanislavski. Chekhov intended this play as a comedy and it does contain some elements of farce; however, Stanislavski insisted on...
and The Winter's TaleThe Winter's TaleThe Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, some modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some critics, among them W. W...
(2009) - director: Sam MendesSam MendesSamuel Alexander "Sam" Mendes, CBE is an English stage and film director. He is best known for his Academy Award-winning work on his debut film American Beauty and his dark re-inventions of the stage musicals Cabaret , Oliver! , Company and Gypsy . He's currently working on the 23rd James Bond...
, Brooklyn Academy of MusicBrooklyn Academy of MusicBrooklyn Academy of Music is a major performing arts venue in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, United States, known as a center for progressive and avant garde performance....
, New York, and Old Vic Theatre, London - Crestfall by Mark O'RoweMark O'Rowe- Personal Background :Mark O'Rowe was born in 1970 in Dublin, Ireland, to parents Hugh and Patricia O'Rowe. He grew up in Tallaght, a working class suburb just south of Dublin, and he claims that much of the violence in his work stems from watching and rewatching a tremendous amount of violent,...
, Gate TheatreGate TheatreThe Gate Theatre, in Dublin, was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál Mac Liammóir, initially using the Abbey Theatre's Peacock studio theatre space to stage important works by European and American dramatists...
, Dublin (2003)
Awards and nominations
- Saint Joan: Olivier Award for Best Sound Design 2008
- Billy Elliot The Musical: Olivier Award for Best Sound Design 2006, Helpmann Award (Australia) nomination for Best Sound Design 2008; Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nomination (2009) - Festen: Evening Standard Award for Best Design 2004 and Olivier Award nomination for Best Sound Design 2005
- The PillowmanThe PillowmanThe Pillowman is a 2003 play by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. It received its first public reading in an early version at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 1995...
: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound DesignDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound DesignThe Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound Design is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors. It honors the sound designers of productions staged on Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and for legitimate not-for-profit theaters, all...
2005, Olivier Award nomination for Best Sound Design 2004 - Crestfall: Irish Times Theatre Awards nomination Judges' Special Award 2004
- Far AwayFar Away (play)Far Away is a 2000 play by British playwright Caryl Churchill. The play has four characters: Harper, Young Joan, Joan, and Todd and is based on the premise of a world in which everything in nature is at war. It is published by Nick Hern Books-Plot summary:...
: Lucille Lortel Award nomination 2004 - The Chairs: Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Sound Design 2003
- Four Baboons Adoring The Sun: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound DesignDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound DesignThe Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound Design is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors. It honors the sound designers of productions staged on Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and for legitimate not-for-profit theaters, all...
1993