Jamie Lloyd (born 1980 in

Poole Poole () is a coastal town and seaport on the south coast of England in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in Dorset, England. The town is east of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

) is a British theatre director. He is best known for his work with his eponymous theatre company ''The Jamie Lloyd Company'' as well as for his modern

minimalism In visual arts, music, and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in the post-war era in western art. The movement is often interpreted as a reaction to abstract expressionism and modernism; it anticipated contemporary post-mi ...

and expressionist directorial style. Lloyd is a proponent of affordable theatre for young and diverse audiences, and has been praised as "redefining West End theatre". ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' critic Dominic Cavendish wrote of Lloyd, "Few directors have Lloyd’s ability to transport us to the upper echelons of theatrical pleasure." His productions include the West End and Broadway revival of '' Betrayal'' (2019), the West End production of ''

The Seagull ''The Seagull'' () is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 in literature, 1895 and first produced in 1896 in literature#Drama, 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramati ...

'' (2020-2021), the

Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a multi-arts center in Brooklyn, New York City. It hosts progressive and avant-garde performances, with theater, dance, music, opera, film programming across multiple nearby venues. BAM was chartered in 18 ...

's production of '' Cyrano de Bergerac'' (2022), and the Broadway revival of ''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' (Danish language, Danish and ; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act Play (theatre), play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 De ...

'' (2023). In the past year, he directed the West End and Broadway revival of ''

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway (California), Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisad ...

'', which won seven

Olivier Awards The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in West End theatre, professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of We ...

and three

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

, and ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

''.

Early life and education

Jamie Lloyd was born in

in 1980. Lloyd had been studying at the

Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts Liverpool is a port city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population of (in ), Liverpool is the administrative, cul ...

before deciding he wanted to direct.

Career

2006–2012

Lloyd's first main house production was Harold Pinter's '' The Caretaker'' at the Sheffield Crucible, which started a fruitful relationship with the playwright. Lloyd has been heralded as a major Pinter interpreter. He directed a Pinter double-bill in the West End - ''The Lover'' and ''The Collection'' - in 2008, before Michael Grandage appointed him as an associate director of the

Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit Off-West End theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage, Josie Rourke and Michael Longhurst have all served as artistic direc ...

. Lloyd was the associate director of the

from 2008 to 2011, where his 2008 production of '' Piaf'' transferred to the West End and to Buenos Aires and his 2010 production of '' Passion'' won the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical. He was also an Associate Artist at theatre company Headlong, for whom he directed an anarchic production of

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

's ''Salome''. In 2008 he directed '' The Pride'' at the

Royal Court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word ''court'' may also be app ...

, for which he won the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre. Seen as a 'wunderkind of London theatre', he was named a Rising Star by the

Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was foun ...

in 2009.

2013–2018

In 2013, The Jamie Lloyd Company was launched with the Ambassador Theatre Group. With this company, he presented a season of work in 2013 as artistic director at Trafalgar Studios. The first season featured three productions: a revival of '' The Pride'' (which also went on a short UK tour), '' The Hothouse'' starring Simon Russell Beale and John Simm, and ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

'', starring James McAvoy and

Claire Foy Claire Elizabeth Foy (born 16 April 1984) is a British actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the Netflix drama series ''The Crown (TV series), The Crown'' (2016–2023), for which List of awards and nominations r ...

, which received an Olivier nomination for Best Revival. A second Trafalgar Transformed season opened in July 2014 with ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' starring

Martin Freeman Martin John Christopher Freeman (born 8 September 1971) is an English actor. Among other accolades, he has won two Emmy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Freeman's most ...

, '' East is East'', and '' The Ruling Class'', again starring James McAvoy. Lloyd directed the musical '' Assassins'' at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2014 and was nominated for the Evening Standard award for Best Director. Lloyd has worked frequently with McAvoy since 2009, a relationship that began with a production of Richard Greenberg's '' Three Days of Rain'' at the Apollo Theatre. More recently, McAvoy starred in a radio version of ''Heart of Darkness'', which Lloyd directed and adapted for BBC Radio 4. He completed a run of the Olivier Award-winning ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' with Lloyd in February 2020. In 2015, Lloyd directed

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

's '' The Homecoming'' starring Gemma Chan and John Simm. The following year he directed a new adaptation of '' The Maids'' by

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; ; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels '' The Th ...

, starring Uzo Aduba, Zawe Ashton, and Laura Carmichael, both at Trafalgar Studios. This was followed by ''Doctor Faustus'' in the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...

starring Kit Harington. Every ticket for Monday performances of The Jamie Lloyd Company were priced at £15. In 2018, Lloyd announced 'Pinter at the Pinter' a revolutionary sixth month long season of all of

's one act and short plays staged on the tenth anniversary of his death at The Harold Pinter Theatre. In the season, Lloyd directed: ''One for the Road''; ''A New World Order''; ''Mountain Language''; the newly discovered ''The Pres and an Officer''; ''The Lover''; ''The Collection''; ''Landscape''; ''A Kind of Alaska''; ''Monologue''; ''Party Time''; ''Celebration''; ''

The Dumb Waiter ''The Dumb Waiter'' is a one-act play by Harold Pinter written in 1957. Plot Two Hitman, hit-men, Ben and Gus, are waiting in a basement room for their assignment. As the play begins, Ben, the senior member of the team, is reading a newspaper ...

''; and ''A Slight Ache'', amongst many of Pinter's poems and speeches.

2019–present

Lloyd directed a production of '' Evita'' in

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is an open-air theatre in Regent's Park in central London, established in 1932. Originally known for its Shakespearean productions, the theatre now features a wide variety of performances, including musicals, ope ...

in 2019, which received two Olivier Award nominations, including one for Best Musical Revival. This production also won Lloyd the Whatsonstage Award for Best Director and was due to transfer to the Barbican Theatre in 2020 before the closure of British theatres due to COVID-19. In 2012 Lloyd directed a "turbo-charged" production of '' She Stoops to Conquer'' at the National Theatre, and ''

The Duchess of Malfi ''The Duchess of Malfi'' (originally published as ''The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy'') is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theat ...

'' at The Old Vic starring Eve Best. In 2013 he directed ''The Commitments'' in the Palace Theatre, West End (which then went on a UK Tour), followed by '' Urinetown'' at the St. James Theatre, which transferred to the Apollo Theatre in the West End. The Pinter at the Pinter season culminated with a revival of '' Betrayal'' starring Tom Hiddleston, Zawe Ashton, and Charlie Cox. The production received a positive review from critic Matt Wolf remarking that the production "represents a benchmark achievement for everyone involved, and shows Pinter’s 1978 play in a revealing, even radical, new light." This production transferred to the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Broadway for a limited run from August 2019. Lloyd was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play at the 2020 Tony Awards, along with Hiddleston who was nominated for Best Actor in a Play and the production received a nomination for Best Revival of a Play. Lloyd was also nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Director; the production received an Outer Critics Circle nomination for Outstanding Revival of a Play, and the same nomination from the Drama League Awards. Ben Brantley in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' called it 'one of those rare shows I seem destined to think about forever.' In 2019, Lloyd announced that he would be directing and producing a season of three plays at the Playhouse Theatre with The Jamie Lloyd Company. The season consisted of ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' with James McAvoy in a new version by Martin Crimp, ''

'' starring Emilia Clarke in a version by Anya Reiss, and ''

'' starring Jessica Chastain. His production of ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' earned five Olivier Award nominations, including one for Best Director for Lloyd, Best Actor for McAvoy, and won Best Revival. He also won the Critic's Circle Award jointly for his productions of ''Betrayal'', ''Evita'' and ''Cyrano'', and was nominated for a South Bank Sky Arts Award for ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. As part of the Playhouse Season, the Jamie Lloyd Company committed to a wide-ranging outreach programme, giving 15,000 tickets away for free to each production to first time theatre goers, and with a further 15,000 £15 seats to young and low-income audience members. In 2023, Lloyd directed a Broadway revival of the

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

play ''

'' starring

Jessica Chastain Jessica Michelle Chastain (born March 24, 1977) is an American actress and producer. Known for primarily starring in projects with Feminism, feminist themes, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Jessica Chastain, various ...

and Arian Moayed at the Hudson Theatre in New York. The production ran from March 9 through June 10. For his work he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play. That same year he directed a revival of the musical ''

'', starring Nicole Scherzinger as Norma Desmond, at the Savoy Theatre in the West End. The production ran from September 18 to January 6. Lloyd also directed the Lucy Prebble play '' The Effect'' both for the National Theatre in 2023 and The Shed in 2024. Lloyd's next production for the West End was ''

'', with Tom Holland playing Romeo. The 12-week limited run began in May 2024. In September that year, ''Sunset Boulevard'' was repeated at the St. James Theatre on Broadway with Scherzinger reprising her role; the production won the Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Lighting Design in a Musical. Lloyd directed a Shakespeare season at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, returning Shakespeare's work to the venue for the first time since 1957. The season began with ''

The Tempest ''The Tempest'' is a Shakespeare's plays, play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1610–1611, and thought to be one of the last plays that he wrote alone. After the first scene, which takes place on a ship at sea during a tempest, th ...

'', starring

Sigourney Weaver Susan Alexandra ( ; born October 8, 1949), better known by her stage name Sigourney Weaver, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the late 1970s, she is known for her pioneering portrayals of action heroines in Blockbuster (entertainme ...

Prospero Prospero ( ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of William Shakespeare's ''The Tempest''. Character Twelve years before the play begins, Prospero is usurped from his position as the rightful Duke of Milan by his brother Antonio, ...

, from December 7, 2024 to February 1, 2025, followed by ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...

'', starring Tom Hiddleston as Benedick and Hayley Atwell as Beatrice, from February 10 to April 5. Lloyd's production of '' Evita'' began West End performances at The London Palladium on June 14, 2025, with Rachel Zegler in the title role, for an expected three-month run.

Upcoming projects

His revival of ''

Waiting for Godot ''Waiting for Godot'' ( or ) is a 1953 play by Irish writer and playwright Samuel Beckett, in which the two main characters, Vladimir (Waiting for Godot), Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), engage in a variety of discussions and encounters w ...

'', starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, is expected in fall 2025.

Reputation and style

In 2014, Lloyd was named the 20th Most Powerful Person in British Theatre by ''The Stage'' in its annual ''Stage 100'' list. He was the youngest director to break into the list since

Sam Mendes Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was Knight Bachelor, knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours ...

. Following this, in 2020, Lloyd was named the 9th most influential person in British Theatre in the prestigious Stage 100 list. He was the highest placed director on the list. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' noted him as being known for his "bold and minimalist productions".

Works

The Jamie Lloyd Company

* 2025: ''

'' ( Hudson Theatre) * 2025: '' Evita'' (

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...

) * 2025: ''

'' ( Theatre Royal Drury Lane) * 2024: ''

'' ( St. James Theatre) * 2024: ''

'' (

) * 2024: '' The Effect'' ( The Shed) * 2023: ''

'' ( Savoy Theatre) * 2023: '' The Effect'' ( National Theatre) * 2023: ''

'' ( Hudson Theatre) * 2020/2021: ''

'' ( Playhouse Theatre/ Harold Pinter Theatre) * 2019: ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' ( Playhouse Theatre; Theatre Royal, Glasgow and BAM) * 2019: ''Betrayal'' ( Harold Pinter Theatre/ Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre) * 2019: '' A Slight Ache'' and ''

'' ( Harold Pinter Theatre) * 2018/2019: ''Party Time'' and ''Celebration'' ( Harold Pinter Theatre) * 2018: ''

Landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...

'' and A Kind of Alaska ( Harold Pinter Theatre) * 2018: ''The Lover'' and ''The Collection'' ( Harold Pinter Theatre) * 2018: ''One for the Road'' and ''The New World Order'' and '' Mountain Language'' and ''Ashes To Ashes'' The Harold Pinter Theatre * 2016: '' Doctor Faustus'' (

) * 2016: '' The Maids'' (Trafalgar Studios) * 2016: '' The Homecoming'' (Trafalgar Studios) * 2015: '' The Ruling Class'' (Trafalgar Studios) * 2014: ''

'' (Trafalgar Studios) * 2013: '' The Pride'' (Trafalgar Studios) * 2013: '' The Hothouse'' (Trafalgar Studios) * 2013: ''

'' (Trafalgar Studios - Olivier nomination Best Revival)

Broadway

* 2025: ''

'' (TBA) * 2024: ''

'' ( St. James Theatre) * 2023: ''

'' ( Hudson Theatre) * 2019: ''Betrayal'' ( Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre) * 2012: '' Cyrano de Bergerac'' ( American Airlines Theatre)

Other credits

* 2019/20: ''Evita'' (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and Barbican) * 2017: ''Apologia'' (Trafalgar Studios) * 2017: ''Guards at the Taj'' by Rajiv Josef (Bush Theatre) * 2017: ''Killer'' by Philip Ridley (

Shoreditch Town Hall Shoreditch Town Hall is an independent cultural, live events and community space in Shoreditch, London. The building, which previously served as the headquarters of the Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, is a Grade II listed building. History ...

) * 2017: '' The Pitchfork Disney'' at Shoreditch Town Hall * 2016: '' Doctor Faustus'' (

) * 2014: '' Assassins'' ( Menier Chocolate Factory) * 2014: '' Urinetown'' (

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

) * 2013: '' The Commitments'' ( West End) * 2012: '' Cyrano de Bergerac'' (Roundabout, Broadway) * 2012: '' The School for Scandal'' (Theatre Royal, Bath) * 2012: ''

'' (Old Vic) * 2012: '' She Stoops To Conquer'' (National Theatre, Olivier) * 2011: '' Inadmissible Evidence'' * 2011: ''

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ''The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'' is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by William Finn, with a book written by Rachel Sheinkin, created by Rebecca Feldman with additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional ...

'' * 2011: ''The Faith Machine'' (Royal Court) * 2010: ''

Polar Bears The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a large bear native to the Arctic and nearby areas. It is closely related to the brown bear, and the two species can interbreed. The polar bear is the largest extant species of bear and land carnivo ...

'' by Mark Haddon * 2010: '' Passion'' * 2010: ''

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

'' (concert version) * 2010: ''

Salome Salome (; , related to , "peace"; ), also known as Salome III, was a Jews, Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II and princess Herodias. She was granddaughter of Herod the Great and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. She is known from the New T ...

'' (Hampstead Theatre, for '' Headlong'') * 2010: '' The Little Dog Laughed'' (Garrick) * 2009: '' Three Days of Rain'' (Apollo) * 2009: '' A House Not Meant to Stand'' and '' The Cocktail Party'' (stage readings) * 2008: '' The Pride'' (

) * 2008: '' Piaf'' (also Vaudeville, Teatro Liceo, Buenos Aires and Nuevo Teatro Alcala, Madrid) * 2008: ''Eric's'' ( Liverpool Everyman) * 2008: ''The Lover'' and ''The Collection'' (Comedy) * 2007: '' The Caretaker'' (

Sheffield Crucible The Crucible Theatre, or simply The Crucible, is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which opened in 1971. Its name refers to Crucible steel#History of production in England, crucible steel, which was developed in Sheffield in 174 ...

and Tricycle) * 2004: ''Elegies: a Song Cycle'' (Arts) * 2001: '' Falsettoland'' (Edinburgh)

Awards and nominations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lloyd, Jamie 1980 births Date of birth missing (living people) English theatre directors Laurence Olivier Award winners Living people People educated at St Bede's School, Hailsham People from Poole Place of birth missing (living people) Tony Award winners