John Retallack is a British playwright and director. He studied at St Paul's School in London and later at St Paul's College of Education, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, where he took the Double English course for his C.Ed. qualification, and English and Education for his B.Ed.. At St Paul's he was already active in the arts, organising a number of literary events during his stay. He is the author of twelve plays for young people and has adapted numerous texts for the stage and for radio. Oberon Books publish four of his plays for Company of Angels. Methuen publish Sweetpeter. His plays have been translated and published in several languages and are performed in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Holland and France. He was the founding director of ATC Theatre which continues today as a National Portfolio client of the Arts Council of England. John was formerly director of Oldham Coliseum Theatre and Oxford Stage Company where his adaptation of Melvin Burgess’s Junk won the TMA Young People's Award in 1998. His Shakespeare productions for Oxford Stage Company toured internationally and won widespread critical acclaim over a period of ten years. From 2001- 2011 he was the founding director of , now operating under the name Boundless Theatre, which produces new and experimental work for young audiences and continues today as a National Portfolio client of the Arts Council of England. From 2010 - 2013, he was Associate Director at Bristol Old Vic where he remains Artistic Associate. In 2013, he became Tutor in Writing for Performance at Ruskin College in Oxford. In 2015, he will revive his 2014 production of DIDO & AENEAS for Bristol Old Vic/English Concert and spend two months with the 'reseau europeen des centres culturels de rencontre' at La Chartreuse de Neuville in France researching a play about the current plight of refugees in Calais.
Early adaptations for ATC 1978 - 80 Don Juan ATC National tour Edinburgh Festival Avignon Festival Fringe First Award International tour with British Council 1981 - 83 Don Quixote parts 1 & 2 with Richard Curtis ATC National Tour Edinburgh Festival Almeida & Donmar Warehouse Olivier Award International tour with British Council to over 20 countries including New York 1982 - 83 Berlin Berlin Edinburgh Festival ATC National tour International tour with British Council including Berlin 1983 Ubu The Vandalist ATC National Tour Edinburgh Festival International tour with British Council 1985 Hamlet National Drama Conservatoire, New Delhi Adaptations for Oxford Stage Company 1998 Junk Oxford Stage Company 1998/2000 Oxford Playhouse & National Tour 1999 Winner of TMA award/ Best New Show for Young People 1999 2000 Bergen Theatre, Norway Published by Methuen 2000 The Plague Dundee Rep Company of Angels 2001 Hannah and Hanna Company of Angels tour in UK and Edinburgh 2001 - 2003 Edinburgh Festival Winner of Herald Angel Award TMA Award/Best New Show for Young People nominee 2004 – 2005 British Council tours to India, Malaysia and The Philippines 2002—World Service radio Published by Oberon, English Centre, Frenchs and Editions Fontaine Translated & produced in French, Swedish, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Hebrew & Japanese Over 200 performances in Sweden and 100 in Belgium 2002 The Toll Bridge Reading at Soho Theatre 2002/2013 Wild Girl 2002 Company of Angels/ Quicksilver tour 2004 Wederzijds tour of Holland & Belgium 2004 Runner-up/Hans Snoek Award, Amsterdam 2013 Bristol Old Vic tour in co-production with Theatre Royal, Bath, Dukes Playhouse, Lancaster and Theatre Iolo, Cardiff Translated & produced in French and Dutch 2002 Club Asylum Company of Angels tour of Scotland Tron Theatre Glasgow Published by Oberon Translated in French 2003 The Foundling Brighton Theatre Company tour of South-East 2003 Common Ground Cardboard Citizens tour for homeless people in London 2004 Ballroom National Tour Riverside Studios London Translated in French 2004 Sweetpeter Company of Angels National Tour Polka Theatre London Translated & performed in French Published by Methuen 2005 Virgins Company of Angels National Tour Edinburgh Festival Translated and performed in French, Swedish, German Published by Oberon Over 150 performances in Sweden 2006 Risk Company of Angels Scottish & English tour Tron Theatre Glasgow Translated and performed in French and German Published by Oberon and Les Solitaires Intempestifs 2008 Theater an der Parkaue Berlin 2012 Compagnie L’Interlude Tour of France 2013 Avignon Festival 2007 A Bridge to the Stars Cottesloe Theatre National Theatre Connections Festival 2008 Radio 4 Afternoon play 2009 Apples Company of Angels & Northern Stage Newcastle National Tour Edinburgh Festival Winner of Herald Angel Award 2010 Arlo Public Reading for Company of Angels Theatre Café Southwark Playhouse 2011 Truant National Theatre of Scotland & Company of Angels Glasgow tour 2012 Pictures at an Exhibition Bristol Old Vic Young Company 2013 The Last Days of Mankind with Toby Hulse Bristol Old Vic/Bristol Old Vic Theatre School 2013 The Outsider Radio 3 90 minute broadcast on centenary of Camus’ birth 3.11.13 Arlo Radio 4 Afternoon Play 26.11.13
