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Samuel Adamson (born ) is an Australian
playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...
based in
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 ...
, England. Productions of his plays have been staged at the
Bush Theatre The Bush Theatre is located in the Passmore Edwards Public Library, Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 as a showcase for the work of new writers. Artistic Directors * Brian McDermott ...
,
The Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. It was established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...
,
Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre is a 325-seat producing house located on Almeida Street off Upper Street in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre opened in 1980, and produces a diverse range of drama. Successful plays are often transferred to West E ...
, and the
Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...
. In November 2024, his adaptation of Peter Carey's novel ''
Jack Maggs ''Jack Maggs'' (1997) is a novel by Australian novelist Peter Carey. Plot summary Set in 19th century London, ''Jack Maggs'' is a reworking of the Charles Dickens novel ''Great Expectations''. The story centres around Jack Maggs (the equivale ...
'' is being staged by the State Theatre Company of South Australia in
Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
.


Early life and education

Samuel Adamson was born in Adelaide,
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
, in , to parents Scott and Mary Ann. He grew up on a farm in Victor Harbor, and went to boarding school at
Prince Alfred College Prince Alfred College is a private, independent, day school, day and boarding school for boys, located on Dequetteville Terrace, Kent Town, South Australia, Kent Town, near the Adelaide city centre, centre of Adelaide, South Australia. One of th ...
in Adelaide. He later credited his English teacher Jane Nelson with inspiring him to become a playwright, after his class had to write an assignment called "The 18th Summer". It was to be a scene dramatising what might happen in the future, relating to their study of the play '' Summer of the Seventeenth Doll'', by Australian playwright Ray Lawler. Adamson studied history at the
University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...
, before moving to London in his early twenties, in 1991. He wrote secretly at school and university, but did not tell anyone about his writings at that time.


Career


Stage

In June 1989 he acted in the play '' Fathers and Sons'' in an Independent Theatre production directed by Rob Croser at Theatre 62, in the Adelaide suburb of Hilton. The play was written by Irish dramatist
Brian Friel Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription requ ...
and based on the novel of the same name by
Ivan Turgenev Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev ( ; rus, links=no, Иван Сергеевич ТургеневIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; – ) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, poe ...
. The following year he performed in another Independent Theatre production, this time
Joe Orton John Kingsley Orton (1 January 1933 – 9 August 1967), known by the pen name of Joe Orton, was an English playwright, author, and diarist. His public career, from 1964 until his murder in 1967 committed by his partner, was short but highly i ...
's 1965 play '' Loot''. Adamson's debut play was ''Clocks and Whistles'' at the
Bush Theatre The Bush Theatre is located in the Passmore Edwards Public Library, Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 as a showcase for the work of new writers. Artistic Directors * Brian McDermott ...
in 1996, directed by Bush artistic director
Dominic Dromgoole Dominic Charles Fleming Dromgoole (born 25 October 1963) is an English theatre director and writer about the theatre who has also worked in film. Early life and education Dominic Charles Fleming Dromgoole was born on 25 October 1963 in Bristo ...
and with a cast including
Kate Beckinsale Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress. The only child of actors Richard Beckinsale and Judy Loe, she debuted in the series premiere of the 1975 daytime drama ''Couples.'' In 1993, she made her theatrical film deb ...
. It won rave reviews, and was later produced in Germany and New York. The play led to him becoming Pearson Writer in Residence at the Bush from 1997 to 1998. Adamson's second play was ''Grace Note'', produced 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, Mai ...
, 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 ...
, which was also directed by Dromgoole, but it did not receive high praise from reviewers. His next play was ''Drink, Dance, Laugh and Lie'' at the Bush in 1999. Breakfast at Tiffany's
List of works from the programme, Theatre Royal Haymarket, September 2009.
He has written versions of
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 ...
's plays. ''
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 ...
'', directed by Thea Sharrock, was the tenth anniversary production at Southwark Playhouse, London, in 2003, while '' Pillars of the Community'' was staged in 2005 at the
Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...
. He also adapted two plays by
Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; ; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his b ...
for tours for the Oxford Stage Company, both directed by
Dominic Dromgoole Dominic Charles Fleming Dromgoole (born 25 October 1963) is an English theatre director and writer about the theatre who has also worked in film. Early life and education Dominic Charles Fleming Dromgoole was born on 25 October 1963 in Bristo ...
: '' Three Sisters'', which transferred to the Whitehall Theatre, and ''
The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' () is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Pu ...
'', which moved to the
Riverside Studios Riverside Studios is an arts centre on the north bank of the River Thames in Hammersmith, London, England. The venue plays host to contemporary performance, film, visual art exhibitions and television production. Having opened in May 1976, th ...
. 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. He is considered one of the most significant representatives of Viennese Modernism. Schnitzler’s works, which include psychological dramas and narratives ...
's ''Professor Bernhardi'' for Dumbfounded Theatre at the
Arcola Theatre Arcola Theatre is in the London Borough of Hackney. It presents plays, operas and musicals featuring established and emerging artists. The theatre building, in the former Colourworks paint factory on Ashwin Street, Dalston, houses two studio ...
in 2005 and also on BBC Radio 3. He also wrote ''Tomorrow Week'' for BBC Radio 3. Adamson's play ''Southwark Fair'' was directed at the
Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...
in 2005 by artistic director
Nicholas Hytner Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner ( ; born 7 May 1956) is an English theatre director, film director, and film producer. He was previously the Artistic Director of London's National Theatre. His major successes as director include ''Miss Saigon'', '' ...
, starring Rory Kinnear,
Margaret Tyzack Margaret Maud Tyzack (9 September 193125 June 2011) was an English actress. Her television roles included '' The Forsyte Saga'' (1967) '' I, Claudius'' (1976), and George Lucas's '' Young Indiana Jones'' (1992–1993). She won the 1970 BAFTA TV ...
and Con O'Neill. This was the first full-length work written by him to be staged in close to nine years. It was staged in
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
in 2011. His one-woman play ''Some Kind of Bliss'' was performed by Lucy Briers at the National Theatre in 2006 and then at the
Trafalgar Studios Trafalgar Theatre is a West End theatre in Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square, in the City of Westminster, London. The Grade II listed building was built in 1930 with interiors in the Art Deco style as the Whitehall Theatre; it regularly staged ...
in 2007. He also wrote ''Fish and Company'' for the
National Youth Theatre The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT) is a youth theatre and charity in London, created with the aim of developing young people's artistic skills via theatrical productions and other creative endeavours. Founded in 1956 as the world ...
and
Soho Theatre Soho Theatre is a theatre and registered charity in the Soho district of the City of Westminster, and Soho Theatre Walthamstow in north-east London. It produces and presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret, across three pe ...
. In 2005 he contributed to the 24-Hour Plays at the Old Vic and in 2007 to ''A Chain Play'' at the
Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre is a 325-seat producing house located on Almeida Street off Upper Street in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre opened in 1980, and produces a diverse range of drama. Successful plays are often transferred to West E ...
. '' All About My Mother'', his stage adaptation of
Pedro Almodóvar Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (; born 25 September 1949) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and author. His films are distinguished by Melodrama (film genre), melodrama, irreverent humour, bold colour, glossy décor, quotations from popular c ...
's film '' Todo sobre mi madre'', was produced to great acclaim at the Old Vic in 2007, starring
Lesley Manville Lesley Ann Manville (born 12 March 1956) is an English actress. She has received various accolades, including two Laurence Olivier Awards and nominations for an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, four British Academy Television ...
and
Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Tracy Bond, Teresa di ...
. It was later staged by the
Melbourne Theatre Company The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre com ...
. It was performed at the Odeon Theatre, Norwood, in Adelaide in 2011. His play ''Mrs Affleck'', inspired by Ibsen's '' Little Eyolf'', opened at the Cottesloe Theatre in January 2009, directed by Marianne Elliott and starring Claire Skinner. His adaptation of
Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics ...
's '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', starring
Anna Friel Anna Louise Friel (born 12 July 1976) is an English actress. She first achieved fame as Beth Jordache in the Channel 4 soap opera '' Brookside'' (1993–1995), later coming to international prominence with her role as Charlotte "Chuck" Charle ...
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 The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...
, London in September 2009. ''A Quiet Island'' was due to open at the Almeida in 2009, directed by Indhu Rubasingham, but was postponed owing to a clash of commitments. His play ''Frank and Ferdinand'', an interpretation of the story of the
Pied Piper The Pied Piper of Hamelin (, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany. The legend dates back to the Middle Ages. The earliest refere ...
, was part of the National Theatre Connections Festival in 2011, and was performed by young amateur companies all over Britain. Also in 2011, Adamson wrote a short play for the production ''
Decade A decade (from , , ) is a period of 10 years. Decades may describe any 10-year period, such as those of a person's life, or refer to specific groupings of calendar years. Usage Any period of ten years is a "decade". For example, the statement ...
'', commissioned by
Rupert Goold Rupert Goold (born 18 February 1972) is an English director who works primarily in theatre. He is the artistic director of the Almeida Theatre, and was the artistic director of Headlong Theatre Company (2005–2013). Since 2010, Goold has be ...
for his company Headlong, performed at
St Katharine Docks St Katharine Docks is a former dock in the St Katherine and Wapping ward of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies in the East End of London, East End on the north bank of the River Thames, immediately downstream of the Tower of London an ...
and directed by Goold. In collaboration with trumpeter Alison Balsom Adamson devised ''Gabriel'', a play using the music of '' The Fairy Queen'' and other pieces by
Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: ; September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer of Baroque music, most remembered for his more than 100 songs; a tragic opera, Dido and Aeneas, ''Dido and Aeneas''; and his incidental music to a version o ...
, 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 first built in 1599 for which William Shakespeare wrote his plays. Like the original, it is located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Southwark, Lon ...
. The play was directed by Dominic Dromgoole and the cast included Alison Balsom, Sam Cox, and Jessie Buckley. He then worked with American singer
Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
on the
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
'' The Light Princess'', based on the
George MacDonald George MacDonald (10 December 1824 – 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He became a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow-writer Lewis Carrol ...
story '' The Light Princess'', staged at the National Theatre in 2013. In 2016, Adamson's adaptation of
Michael Morpurgo Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo ('' né'' Bridge; 5 October 1943) is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as '' War Horse'' (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytelli ...
's children's novel '' Running Wild'' was staged at the
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 ...
. Directed by Timothy Sheader and Dale Rooks, this was the largest scale production ever presented at the theatre, featuring a cast of 40 young people as well as life-sized
puppet A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. Puppetry is an ancient form of theatre which dates back to the 5th century BC in anci ...
animals. In 2019, his play ''Wife'' (based on Ibsen's ''A Doll's House'') was staged at the
Kiln Theatre The Kiln Theatre (formerly the Tricycle Theatre) is a theatre located in Kilburn, in the London Borough of Brent, England. Since 1980, the theatre has presented a wide range of plays reflecting the cultural diversity of the area, as well as n ...
in Kilburn, London. In August 2020, a production of ''Wife'' was presented by the Seoul Metropolitan Theater Company in
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, Korea, directed by Shin Yoo-chung and featuring an ensemble that included actress Son Ji-yoon. It was performed several times, including at
Daehangno Daehang-no () is a area in Jongno District within Downtown Seoul. Formerly known as Sunggyo-bang (), it received its current name after the 1.1 km six lane road from Hyehwa-dong rotary to Ihwa-dong crossroad was designated as a "street ...
Arts Theater, and sold out. In 2024, also at the Kiln, his musical ''The Ballad of Hattie and James'' was staged. It was directed by Richard Twyman and starred Charles Edwards,
Sophie Thompson Sophie Thompson (born 20 January 1962) is a British actress. She has worked in film, television and theatre and she won the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the London revival of ''Into the Woods''. She has been nominated for ...
, and Suzette Llewellyn. Adamson names this production and ''Wife'' at the Kiln as "real career highlights". In March 2019, Adamson started a collaboration with Geordie Brookman, former director of the State Theatre Company of South Australia (STCSA), who had recently resigned and moved to
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, and the new STCSA artistic director, Mitchell Butel, on a stage adaptation of Peter Carey's novel ''
Jack Maggs ''Jack Maggs'' (1997) is a novel by Australian novelist Peter Carey. Plot summary Set in 19th century London, ''Jack Maggs'' is a reworking of the Charles Dickens novel ''Great Expectations''. The story centres around Jack Maggs (the equivale ...
''. The novel is a reworking of the
Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by many as the great ...
novel ''
Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by English author Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. The novel is a bildungsroman and depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip. It is Dickens' second novel, after ''Dav ...
'', set in 19th-century London. Owing to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, much of their work was done over Zoom. The production will be staged by the STCSA at the Dunstan Playhouse from 15 to 30 November 2024, starring Mark Saturno, Ahunim Abebe, James Smith, and Nathan O'Keefe, Jacqy Philips, Rachel Burke, Jelena Nicdao, and Dale March, and directed by Brookman. Adamson remains in Adelaide for the duration of the production.


Film

Adamson wrote the
screenplay A screenplay, or script, is a written work produced for a film, television show (also known as a '' teleplay''), or video game by screenwriters (cf. ''stage play''). Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of w ...
for the 2007 short film, ''Running For River'', starring
Romola Garai Romola Sadie Garai ( ; born 6 August 1982) is a Hong Kong-born British actress and film director. Known for her extensive work on stage and screen, she often acts in period films. Her early film roles include '' Nicholas Nickleby'' (2002), '' ...
and directed by Angus Jackson, but has said that he is not interested in writing for film or television, preferring the stage.


Personal life

Adamson has a brother, David (who is married to journalist and TV presenter Jessica Adamson), and a sister Sally, both of whom live in Adelaide. His life partner is Richard.


References


External links


Samuel Adamson
on
AusStage AusStage: The Australian Live Performance Database is an online database which records information about live performances in Australia, providing records of productions from the first recorded performance in Australia (1789, by convicts) up unt ...

Search on Samuel Adamson
on ''What's on Stage'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Adamson, Samuel English dramatists and playwrights Writers from Adelaide Year of birth missing (living people) Living people English male dramatists and playwrights