Samuel Adamson
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Samuel Adamson (born 27 November 1969) is an Australian playwright and screenwriter who has lived and worked in the UK since 1991. He was born in Adelaide and lives in London.


Career

Samuel Adamson's debut play was ''Clocks and Whistles'' at the Bush Theatre in 1996 in a production directed by then-artistic director Dominic Dromgoole, with a cast including
Kate Beckinsale Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...
, John Light and
Neil Stuke Neil Robert Stuke (born 22 February 1966 in Deal, Kent) is an English actor best known for his role of Matthew in the TV sitcom '' Game On'' and more recently for playing Billy Lamb in the BBC legal drama ''Silk''. Career Stuke played Matthew ...
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It was later produced in Germany and New York. The play led to him becoming Pearson Writer in Residence at the Bush from 1997 to 199

Adamson's second play was ''Grace Note'', starring
Geraldine McEwan Geraldine McEwan (born Geraldine McKeown; 9 May 1932 – 30 January 2015) was an English actress, who had a long career in film, theatre and television. Michael Coveney described her, in a tribute article, as "a great comic stylist, with ...
, in 1997 for the Peter Hall Company at the
Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
, which was also directed by Dromgool

His next play was ''Drink, Dance, Laugh and Lie'' at the Bush in 199

He has written versions of Henrik Ibsen's plays. ''
A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' ( Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having be ...
'', directed by
Thea Sharrock Thea Sharrock (born 1976) is an English theatre and film 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. Early life and education Sharro ...
, was the tenth anniversary production at Southwark Playhouse, London, in 200

while '' The Pillars of Society, Pillars of the Community'' at the Lyttleton at the Royal National Theatre was directed by Marianne Elliott in 2005 and starred
Damian Lewis Damian Watcyn Lewis (born 11 February 1971) is an English actor, presenter and producer. He is best known for portraying U.S. Army Major Richard Winters in the HBO miniseries '' Band of Brothers'', which earned him a Golden Globe nomination ...
and Lesley Manville. He also adapted two plays by Anton Chekhov for tours for the Oxford Stage Company, both directed by Dominic Dromgoole: '' Three Sisters'', which transferred to the Whitehall Theatre, and '' The Cherry Orchard'' which moved to the Riverside Studios. He adapted Bernhard Studlar's ''Vienna Dreaming'' at the National Theatre Studio and
Arthur Schnitzler Arthur Schnitzler (15 May 1862 – 21 October 1931) was an Austrian author and dramatist. Biography Arthur Schnitzler was born at Praterstrasse 16, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire (as of 1867, part of the dual monarchy ...
's ''Professor Bernhardi'' for Dumbfounded Theatre at the Arcola Theatre in 2005 and also on BBC Radio 3. He also wrote ''Tomorrow Week'' for BBC Radio

His play, ''Southwark Fair'', was directed at the Royal National Theatre in 2005 by artistic director Nicholas Hytner, starring
Rory Kinnear Rory Michael Kinnear (born 17 February 1978) is an English actor and playwright who has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. In 2014, he won the Olivier Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of William Sha ...
,
Margaret Tyzack Margaret Maud Tyzack (9 September 193125 June 2011) was an English actress. Her television roles included '' The Forsyte Saga'' (1967) and '' I, Claudius'' (1976). She won the 1970 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for the BBC serial ''The First ...
and Con O'Neillbr>
His one-woman play ''Some Kind of Bliss'' was performed by
Lucy Briers Lucy Jane Briers (born 19 August 1967) is an English actress. Her film, stage and television roles have included appearances in ''Pride & Prejudice'' (1995) and sitcom '' Game On''. Early life Briers was born on 19 August 1967 in Hammersmith, ...
at the Royal National Theatre in 2006 and then at the Trafalgar Studios in 2007. He also wrote ''Fish and Company'' for the National Youth Theatre and
Soho Theatre The Soho Theatre is a theatre and registered charity in the Soho district of the City of Westminster, in London, England. It produces and presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret, across three performance spaces. The the ...
. In 2005 he contributed to the 24 Hour Plays at the
Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
and in 2007 to ''A Chain Play'' at the
Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325-seat producing house with an international reputation, which takes its name from the street on which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diver ...
. He wrote the screenplay for the 2007 short film, ''Running For River'', starring
Romola Garai Romola Sadie Garai (; born 6 August 1982) is a British actress and film director. She appeared in ''Amazing Grace'', ''Atonement'', and '' Glorious 39'', and in the BBC series '' Emma'', '' The Hour'' and ''The Crimson Petal and the White''. I ...
br>
''
All About My Mother ''All About My Mother'' ( es, link=no, Todo sobre mi madre) is a 1999 comedy-drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, and starring Cecilia Roth, Marisa Paredes, Candela Peña, Antonia San Juan, Penélope Cruz and Rosa Maria Sardà. ...
'', his stage adaptation of Pedro Almodóvar's film ''Todo sobre mi madre'', was produced to great acclaim at the
Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
in 2007, starring Lesley Manville and
Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 193810 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series '' The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in ''On H ...
br>
In 2008, he began working with Tori Amos on a musical adaptation of the George MacDonald story '' The Light Princess'' for the Royal National Theatre. His play ''Mrs Affleck'', inspired by Ibsen's ''
Little Eyolf Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...
'', opened at the Royal National Theatre in January 2009, directed by Marianne Elliott and starring
Claire Skinner Claire Skinner (born 1965) is an English actress, known in the United Kingdom for her television career, particularly playing Sue Brockman from the BBC television series '' Outnumbered''. Early life Claire Skinner was born and brought up in ...
br>
His adaptation of Truman Capote's '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', starring
Anna Friel Anna Louise Friel (born 12 July 1976) is an English actress. Born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, she has been acting professionally since age 13. Friel achieved fame with her portrayal of Beth Jordache on the British soap opera '' Brookside'' ...
and directed by
Sean Mathias Sean Gerard Mathias (born 14 March 1956) is a Welsh actor, director, and writer. He is known for directing the film '' Bent'' and for directing highly acclaimed theatre productions in London, New York City, Cape Town, Los Angeles and Sydney. ...
, opened at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London in September 200

''A Quiet Island'' was due to open at the
Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325-seat producing house with an international reputation, which takes its name from the street on which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diver ...
, London in 2009, directed by Indhu Rubasingham, but was postpone

His play ''Frank and Ferdinand'', an interpretation of the story of the Pied Piper, was part of the National Theatre Connections Festival 2011 and was performed by young amateur companies all over Britain. In collaboration with trumpeter
Alison Balsom Alison Louise Balsom, Lady Mendes, (born 7 October 1978) is an English trumpet soloist, arranger, producer, and music educator. Balsom was awarded Artist of the Year at the 2013 Gramophone Awards and has won three Classic BRIT Awards and thre ...
he devised ''Gabriel'', a play using the music of '' The Fairy Queen'' and other pieces by Henry Purcell, staged as part of the 2013 summer season at
Shakespeare's Globe Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse for which William Shakespeare wrote his plays, in the London Borough of Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames. The original theatre was built in ...
.


External links


Daily Telegraph interview, February 2006
Samuel Adamson's page with his agents, The Agency


Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adamson, Samuel English dramatists and playwrights People from Adelaide 1969 births Living people English male dramatists and playwrights