Michael Robert Ockrent (18 June 1946 – 2 December 1999) was a British stage director, well-known both for his

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

musicals and smaller niche plays. He was educated at

Highgate School Highgate School, formally Sir Roger Cholmeley's School at Highgate, is an English co-educational, fee-charging, independent day school, founded in 1565 in Highgate, London, England. It educates over 1,400 pupils in three sections – Highgat ...

. Through directing ''

Educating Rita ''Educating Rita'' is a stage comedy by British playwright Willy Russell. It is a play for two actors set entirely in the office of an Open University tutor. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, ''Educating Rita'' premièred at The Wa ...

'', '' The Nerd'' and ''

Follies ''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Fol ...

'', he became an established figure in London theatre. In 1986 he made a successful transition to New York City with '' Me and My Girl'' that earned several

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

nominations. In later life Ockrent worked in film, mainly straight-to-TV movies. In 1992 Ockrent worked with

Susan Stroman Susan P. Stroman (born October 17, 1954) is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director and performer. Her notable theater productions include '' The Producers'', '' Crazy for You'', ''Contact'', and '' The Scottsboro Boys''. She is ...

on '' Crazy for You'' and other productions. They were married in 1996 and remained so until Ockrent's death from

leukaemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...

in New York in 1999. Ockrent's son is the screenwriter and director Ben Ockrent. A charitable trust now exists in his name. The trust aims to give access to theatre for children with cancer, involving nights at the theatre with visits backstage afterwards. It also funds leukaemia research, "both mainstream and 'alternative'".

Work

Filmography

*''Shakespeare Lives!'' (1982) TV series (co-producer) *''Bestseller'' (1985) (TV) (director) *''Mrs. Capper's Birthday'' (1985) (TV) (a.k.a. ''Star Quality: Mrs. Capper's Birthday'' (UK)) (director) *''

Dancin' Thru the Dark ''Screen One'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and distributed by BBC Worldwide, that was transmitted on BBC One from 1989 to 1998. A total of six series were broadcast, incorporating sixty individual films ...

(1990)'' (director) *''Money for Nothing'' (1993/II) (TV) (a.k.a. ''Hot Millions'' (USA) or ''Screen One: Money for Nothing'' (UK: series title)) (director) *''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas ...

'' (2004/I) (TV) (musical) (a.k.a. ''A Christmas Carol: The Musical'' (USA)) (screenplay)

Stage

*''The Dead of Night'' by

Stanley Eveling Stanley Eveling, or Harry Stanley Eveling (4 August 1925 in Newcastle upon Tyne – 24 December 2008 in Edinburgh) was an English playwright and academic, based in Scotland. Life Eveling was educated at Rutherford College and Samuel King's Sc ...

(1975) *''

Once a Catholic ''Once a Catholic'' is a play by Mary O'Malley. ''Once a Catholic'' is a comedy first performed at The Royal Court Theatre in London in 1977, directed by Mike Ockrent. It concerns a retrospective view of the values of 1950s Catholic convent s ...

'' (1979) *'' The Nerd'', Aldwych Theatre, London (1984) (starring Rowan Atkinson) *''Rowan Atkinson at the Atkinson'' (1986) *'' Me and My Girl'' (1986–1989) *''Happy Birthday, Sir Larry'' (31 May 1987) an 80th birthday tribute to Lord OlivierProgramme for ''Happy Birthday, Sir Larry'', dated 31 May 1987 *'' Crazy for You'' (1991–1996) (Ockrent conceived the idea) *''A Christmas Carol'' (1995) *''

Big Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show * ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show present ...

'' (1996) *''King David'' (1997)

Novel

*''Running Down Broadway'' (1992)

Awards and nominations

;Awards *1987 – Drama Desk Award Outstanding Book – ''Me and My Girl'' *1987 – Drama Desk Award Outstanding Director of a Musical – ''Me and My Girl'' ;Nominations *1987 – Tony Award Best Book of a Musical – ''Me and My Girl'' (joint with L. Arthur Rose,

Douglas Furber Douglas Furber (13 May 1885 – 20 February 1961) was a British lyricist and playwright. Furber is best known for the lyrics to the 1937 song "The Lambeth Walk" and the libretto to the musical '' Me and My Girl'', composed by Noel Gay, from which ...

and

Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...

) *1987 – Tony Award Best Direction of a Musical – ''Me and My Girl'' *1992 – Drama Desk Award Best Direction of a Musical – ''Crazy for You'' *1992 – Drama Desk Award Outstanding Director of a Musical – ''Crazy for You''

References

External links

The Mike Ockrent charitable trust
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ockrent, Mike 1946 births 1999 deaths People educated at Highgate School Drama Desk Award winners Tony Award winners British costume designers