Adam Spreadbury-Maher
Adam Spreadbury-Maher is an Australian/Irish theatre artistic director, producer and writer. He is the founding artistic director of the Cock Tavern Theatre, OperaUpClose and The Hope Theatre, and is the current artistic director of the King's Head Theatre. Spreadbury-Maher introduced the first unionised pay agreement for actors in a pub-theatre in 2011, and in 2017 introduced the first fringe creative pay agreement and gender policy.
Biography
Spreadbury-Maher was born in Australia. He received his initial training as an opera singer at the Canberra School of Music. His debut directorial production of Jonathan Harvey's Beautiful Thing won Spreadbury-Maher an Australian Critics' Circle Award in 2004. In 2005 Adam moved to the UK, and attended London's Central School of Speech and Drama before making his London directing debut at White Bear Theatre, directing three critically successful shows as the theatre's Associate Director, including the two world premieres The Ides of March by Duncan Ley and Studies for a Portrait by Daniel Reitz. Studies for a Portrait transferred to the Oval House Theatre following its critics' choice sell-out run at the White Bear Theatre. In 2008 Spreadbury-Maher directed Australian actor Mark Little in a production of Così by Louis Nowra. Other early notable productions include the first UK revival of Peter Gill's The York Realist, presented at Riverside Studios to mark Gill's 70th birthday.In 2010, Spreadbury-Maher was Associate Director on the UK premiere of the multi-award-winning Holding the Man, adapted by Tommy Murphy and based on the novel by Timothy Conigrave. Further 2010 directing work included the UK premiere of Hannie Rayson's landmark Australian play Hotel Sorrento, the rarely revived first play of Peter Gill's The Sleepers Den, the world premiere of Edward Bond's There Will Be More, and ended 2010 with his operatic directing debut in a new version of "Madama Butterfly" retitled "Bangkok Butterfly", which he adapted into English for OperaUpClose. The production ran for four months at King's Head Theatre, garnishing critical notice from Fiona Maddocks in The Observer, "Madam Butterfly has been updated to Bangkok Butterfly to chilling effect... full of promise and musically intelligent." and Michael Tanner in The Spectator, "Beautiful and sexy... the evening was a powerful one".
King's Head Theatre
In March 2010, Spreadbury-Maher was appointed Artistic Director of King's Head Theatre. Spreadbury-Maher has transferred work from the King's Head Theatre to the West End, Australia and Off-Broadway. In 2011 he introduced the first unionised pay agreement for actors in an unfunded pub theatre, which was followed by the first creatives pay agreement and gender policy in 2017.Cock Tavern Theatre and OperaUpClose
In 2009, Adam founded the Cock Tavern Theatre and OperaUpClose, becoming the company's founding Artistic Director. Under his leadership the theatre followed a strict artistic policy of staging only world premiers and revivals from world class playwrights and composers, a strategy which saw the theatre praised for its imaginative programming and quality productions. At the Cock Tavern Theatre, Adam directed revivals by Stephen Fry, Nick Ward, Hannie Rayson and produced a six-decade retrospective season of work by Edward Bond, including London, UK and World premieres, and a production of The Fool directed by Bond himself.December 2009 saw Spreadbury-Maher form OperaUpClose with the aim of bringing opera to a wider audience by producing new, classic and difficult pieces which have so far been neglected or previously inaccessible. Adam, alongside Ben Cooper, produced La Boheme, directed by Robin Norton Hale, which was extended at Cock Tavern Theatre for six months following a sell-out run and significant critical acclaim, and which had a six-week sell-out season in July 2011, at the Soho Theatre, and returned for a further six-week season in January 2011. The production represents the longest running continuously performed La Bohème in its history. Spreadbury-Maher appointed OperaUpClose his resident company when he took over as Artistic Director of the King's Head Theatre in 2010, producing regularly from the Islington base, including a landmark production of Monteverdi's Coronation of Poppea directed in a new version by Mark Ravenhill with additional musical material by Michael Nyman; the production was awarded five-stars by London's Evening Standard and starred Rebecca Caine. Spreadbury-Maher directed new productions of A Masked Ball and Tosca for OperaUpClose the latter in a co-production with Malmö Opera, which transferred to London's Soho Theatre. His Artistic Directorship of OperaUpClose ended in January 2013.
Spreadbury-Maher was awarded the Fringe Report Award 2010 for Best Artistic Director as recognition of the success at the Cock. Mark Shenton of The Stage awarded The Cock Tavern the Dan Crawford Peter Brook Award in 2009, nine months after being opened by Spreadbury-Maher. The venue permanently closed in April 2011 following a council inspection which revealed the lack of the correct performance license.
Hope Theatre
Spreadbury-Maher founded the Hope Theatre in October 2013 on the first floor of the historic Hope and Anchor in Islington, a short distance from the King's Head Theatre. The 50-seat theatre was set up as an experiment to demonstrate that actors could be paid in smaller fringe spaces, and was the first off-West End venue to open with an Equity agreement. During his time as Artistic Director, Spreadbury programmed the first production of Ushers the Front of House Musical which later transferred to the Arts Theatre. His last production as Artistic Director was the world premiere of Joe Orton's first play Fred & Madge, directed by his former assistant and protege Mary Franklin. Adam's tenure as Artistic Director earned him a place on The Stage newspaper's coveted Stage 100 list. The Hope Theatre continues to operate and has maintained Spreadbury's founding policy of paying actors and stage management at all times.Awards
Winner
- Off West End.com Awards – Best Opera Production for Cosi Fan Tutte at King's Head Theatre, 2016
- The Laurence Olivier Awards – Best New Opera for La Bohème at Soho Theatre, 2011
- What's on Stage.com Awards – Best Off-West End Production for La bohème at The Cock Tavern Theatre, 2011
- London Fringe Report Awards – Best Artistic Director, 2010
- Peter Brook… Empty Space Awards – Dan Crawford Innovation Award awarded to Cock Tavern Theatre, 2009
- Australian Critics' Circle Award for Jonathan Harvey's Beautiful Thing, 2004
Nominations
- What's on Stage.com Awards – Best off-West End production for Richard O'Brien's Shock Treatment at the King's Head Theatre, 2015
- Peter Brook… Empty Space Awards – Mark Marvin Rent Subsidy nomination for OperaUpClose at the King's Head Theatre, 2011
- What's on Stage.com Awards – Theatre Event of The Year for King's Head Theatre transformation in London's Little Opera House, 2011
- Off West End.com Awards – Best Director for Così by Louis Nowra at the King's Head Theatre, 2011
- Peter Brook... Empty Space Awards – Mark Marvin Rent Subsidy Award for OperaUpClose at the King's Head Theatre, 2011
Work
As a director
- Coming Clean by Kevin Elyot King's Head Theatre, London
- La bohème by Giacomo Puccini King's Head Theatre, London
- Strangers in Between by Tommy Murphy King's Head Theatre, London
- Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh adapted by Harry Gibson King's Head Theatre, London
- Dead Party Animals by Thomas Pickles The Hope Theatre, London
- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens adapted by Terence Rattigan and John Gielgud King's Head Theatre, London
- A Masked Ball by Giuseppe Verdi King's Head Theatre, London
- Tosca by Giacomo Puccini King's Head Theatre, London
- Tosca by Giacomo Puccini Malmö Opera, Sweden
- Denial by Arnold Wesker King's Head Theatre, London
- Così by Louis Nowra King's Head Theatre, London
- Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini King's Head Theatre, London
- There Will Be More by Edward Bond The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- The Sleepers Den by Peter Gill Riverside Studios, London
- Hotel Sorrento by Hannie Rayson The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- Studies for a Portrait by Daniel Reitz King's Head Theatre, London
- The York Realist by Peter Gill Riverside Studios, London
- The Present by Nick Ward The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- Latin! or Tobacco and Boys by Stephen Fry The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- Studies for a Portrait by Daniel Reitz Oval House, London
- Studies for a Portrait by Daniel Reitz White Bear Theatre, London
- The Ides of March by Duncan Ley White Bear Theatre, London
- Così by Louis Nowra White Bear Theatre, London
- Boom Bang-a-Bang by Jonathan Harvey Canberra Theatre, Canberra
- Beautiful Thing by Jonathan Harvey Street Theatre, Canberra
Theatre – artistic director
- Vieux Carré by Tennessee Williams Charing Cross Theatre, London
- Vieux Carré by Tennessee Williams King's Head Theatre, London
- Someone to Blame by Tess Berry-Hart King's Head Theatre, London
- Così by Louis Nowra King's Head Theatre, London
- A Cavalier for Milady by Tennessee Williams Jermyn Street Theatre, London
- A Butcher of Distinction by Rob Hayes The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- A Cavalier for Milady by Tennessee Williams The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- I Never Get Dressed Till After Dark on Sundays by Tennessee Williams The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- by Howard Barker The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- It's Raining in Barcelona by Pau Miró The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- Subs by R. J. Purdy The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- Pins and Needles by Harold Rome The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- Over Gardens Out by Peter Gill Riveside Studios, London
- The Sleepers Den by Peter Gill Riverside Studios, London
- Red, Black and Ignorant by Edward Bond The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- There Will Be More by Edward Bond The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- The Fool by Edward Bond The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- The Under Room by Edward Bond The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- The Pope's Wedding by Edward Bond The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- Olly's Prison by Edward Bond The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- Hotel Sorrento by Hannie Rayson The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- Subs by R. J. Purdy The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- A Stretch of the Imagination by Jack Hibberd The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- Swing by Jamie Harper and Dan Muirden The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- A Model for Mankind by James Sheldon The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- Nightsongs by Jon Fosse The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- The York Realist by Peter Gill Riverside Studios, London
- Brooklyn by Rose Martula The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- Last Drinks by Duncan Ley The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
- The Backroom by Adrian Pagan The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
Opera – artistic director
- Carmen by Georges Bizet dir. Rodula Gaitanou King's Head Theatre, London
- La fanciulla del West by Giacomo Puccini dir. Robert Chevara King's Head Theatre, London
- Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dir. Robin Norton-Hale Soho Theatre, London
- The Turn of the Screw by Benjamin Britten dir. Edward Dick King's Head Theatre, London
- The Coronation of Poppea by Claudio Monteverdi dir. Mark Ravenhill King's Head Theatre, London
- La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini, dir. Robin Norton-Hale King's Head Theatre, London
- Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo dir. Anna Gregory King's Head Theatre, London
- La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini, dir. Robin Norton-Hale Soho Theatre, London
- Cinderella by Gioachino Rossini dir. Emma Rivlin King's Head Theatre, London
- Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini dir. Adam Spreadbury-Maher King's Head Theatre, London
- The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini, dir. Robin Norton-Hale King's Head Theatre, London
- La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini, dir. Robin Norton-Hale Soho Theatre, London
- La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini, dir. Robin Norton-Hale The Cock Tavern Theatre, London
As a translator
- Tosca by Giacomo Puccini King's Head Theatre, London
- Tosca composed by Giacomo Puccini Malmö Opera House, Sweden
- Madama Butterfly composed by Giacomo Puccini King's Head Theatre, London