Steven Atkinson

Steven Atkinson (born St Helens, Lancashire, England, 1984) is an award winning British theatre director and theatre producer. He has been the Artistic Director of HighTide Festival Theatre since co-founding the company in 2007. [1]

Atkinson was educated at the University of Reading, where he read Film & Theatre. Whilst studying he enrolled on the Royal Court Young Writers' Programme, joining the same group as playwrights Joel Horwood, D. C. Moore, Rachel Wagstaff, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, and actor Sam Crane. During this period he also directed twice for the National Student Drama Festival.

Early career

Whilst at university Atkinson directed David Mamet's Sexual Perversity in Chicago at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival, starring Matthew McNulty.

On graduating he became a script reader for theatres including Paines Plough, the Royal Court Theatre, Old Vic Theatre, Orange Tree Theatre and the Donmar Warehouse. He directed readings and developed new work for the Royal Court and the Old Vic theatres.

He became the first Literary Manager of Hull Truck Theatre in 2006 appointed by Artistic Director John Godber. He directed their first new writing festival, the PlayWrite Festival, in 2007.

HighTide Festival Theatre

In 2007 Atkinson co-founded and became artistic director of HighTide Festival Theatre, which he quickly established as the UK's preeminent producing theatre of new playwrights and new plays.

In his opening season he produced Adam Brace's Stovepipe, which transferred from the HighTide Festival to London with the National Theatre and Bush Theatre. Stovepipe was critically acclaimed, receiving numerous five star reviews and being called 'a five-star production in its power and ambition' by The Sunday Times and 'exhilaratingly convincing' by The Independent. The play was named at Number 10 in The Times Best Theatre Productions of the Decade and it was nominated for Best Off-West End Production in the Whatsonstage awards. In that season he also produced Joel Horwood's I Caught Crabs In Walberswick, which transferred from the HighTide Festival to the Edinburgh Festival and the Bush Theatre, and Switzerland, the first play of Nick Payne who then went on to win the George Devine award. Later that year he directed Payne's The Pitch for HighTide at the 2008 Latitude Festival.

Atkinson directed the multi-award winning play Lidless, first at the HighTide Festival, then at the Edinburgh Festival where it won a Fringe First Award, and in 2011 at Trafalgar Studios in London's West End. The play was acclaimed by reviewers, with Mark Fisher of The Scotsman commenting:

If Henrik Ibsen had been alive in the era of Guantanamo, he'd surely have written a play every bit as scintillating as Lidless.... From Steven Atkinson's hot-house production, a superb play is given a stunningly good production.

In 2010, Atkinson produced Beth Steel's Ditch with Kevin Spacey and the Old Vic Theatre which was the first play to launch the Old Vic Tunnels. The play was then nominated for the John Whiting Award.

In 2011, Atkinson commissioned and directed the first play by Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion, Incoming. The play premiered in May 2011 at the HighTide Festival and then transferred to the Latitude Festival, being called 'particularly striking new work' by the Evening Standard and 'Motion’s first play clearly demonstrates his aptitude as a playwright' by The Stage

Despite a context of cuts in public funding', Atkinson was successful in securing public funding for HighTide Festival Theatre in 2011, becoming a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England.

He directed Abi Titmuss in Stephen Belber's play Dusk Rings A Bell at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival, and her performance won wide praise. He also produced Diana Quick in Adam Brace's Midnight Your Time.

In 2012, Atkinson announced a much-increased HighTide Festival 2012 with eighteen productions, up from the historic four. Ella Hickson's Boys toured the UK, including London's Soho Theatre co-produced with Headlong Theatre. Critics commented on how contemporary the production was, with Paul Taylor of The Independent commenting:

It powerfully captures the mood of a generation and addresses permanent truths with exhilarating flair.

In September 2012 Mudlarks will open at London's Bush Theatre, marking his third production at the prestigious new-writing venue. Mudlarks premiered at the HighTide Festival 2012 before transferring to London's Theatre 503 in Battersea.

In 2013 Atkinson directed the widely praised "Bottleneck" at the Soho Theatre by young writer Luke Barnes:

Luke Barnes, 24, captures the voice of Britain’s youth with wit and compassion. He emerges from this year’s Fringe as a red-hot writing talent to watch.

Also in 2013 he directed the provocative', new American play "Neighbors" by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins which addressed issues around racial stereotyping and tensions in 'bi-racial' suburban America.

In réponse to Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova going on a self-imposed hunger strike, Atkinson directed theatre-maker Stacey Gregg in a performance of Tolokonnikova's writings, first at the Bush Theatre and the following year at the Southbank Centre.

In 2014 Steven Atkinson collaborated by former Harry Potter actor Harry Melling to stage his debut play Off Broadway, which was highly acclaimed.

As keenly directed by Steven Atkinson, the actor is completely magnetic.

Atkinson has twice been awarded by The Society of London Theatre with their Emerging Producers' Bursary for Stovepipe and Lidless. In 2009 he was awarded by Esquire magazine as one of the 60 Brilliant Brits Shaping 2009.

Freelance work

Atkinson directed his first radio play in 2011. Written by award-winning playwright and screenwriter Michael Hastings, The Afghan and the Penguin was broadcast on Radio 4, April 2011.

He also worked as a selector for the National Student Drama Festival programming the 2012 International Student Drama Festival in Sheffield.

Stage productions

• 2003: Began directing at the Edinburgh Festival whilst at university.
• 2006: Became literary manager of Hull Truck Theatre.
• 2007: Directed Freedom Trilogy at Hull Truck Theatre.
• 2007: Became artistic director of HighTide Festival Theatre.
• 2008: Produced Joel Horwood's I Caught Crabs In Walberswick for HighTide at the Bush Theatre.
• 2008: Directed Nick Payne's The Pitch starring Alan Cox for HighTide at the Latitude Festival.
• 2009: Produced Adam Brace's Stovepipe for HighTide with the National Theatre and Bush Theatre.
• 2009: Directed Jesse Weaver's Muhmah for HighTide.
• 2010: Directed Frances Ya Chu Cowhig's Lidless for HighTide at the Edinburgh Festival.
• 2010: Produced Beth Steel's Ditch for HighTide with the Old Vic Theatre.
• 2011: Directed Lidless for HighTide in the West End.
• 2011: Directed Stephen Belber's Dusk Rings A Bell starring Abi Titmuss for HighTide at the Edinburgh Festival.
• 2011: Produced Adam Brace's Midnight Your Time starring Diana Quick for HighTide at the Edinburgh Festival.
• 2012: Produced the European premiere of Mike Daisey's controversial The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs performed by the author at HighTide Festival Theatre.
• 2012: Produced the premiere of Ella Hickson's Boys at HighTide Festival Theatre, the Nuffield Southampton and Soho Theatre.
• 2012: Directed the first play by Laura Poliakoff, daughter of Stephen Poliakoff called Clockwork.
• 2012: Produced Vickie Donoghue's Mudlarks at HighTide Festival Theatre, Theatre 503 and the Bush Theatre.
• 2012: Directed the premiere of Luke Barnes' Bottleneck for HighTide at the Edinburgh Festival.
• 2012: Produced the premiere of Joe Douglas' Educating Ronnie for HighTide at the Edinburgh Festival with macrobert and Utter.
• 2013: Directed the London transfer of "Bottleneck" at the Soho Theatre.
• 2013: Produced the European premiere of Declan Greene's "Moth" at the HighTide Festival and Bush Theatre.
• 2013: Produced Jack Thorne's adaptation of Alexander Masters' Stuart: A Life Backwards at the Edinburgh Festival and Crucible Theatre Sheffield.
• 2013: Directed "Neighbors" by Branden Jacobs Jenkins for HighTide Festival Theatre and the Nuffield Theatre Southampton.
• 2013: Directed "Pussy Riot: Letters and Writings" by Nadezhda Tolokonnikova for the Bush Theatre and Southbank Centre.
• 2014: Directed "peddling" by Harry Melling for HighTide Festival Theatre and Off-Broadway.

Radio

• 2011: Directed Michael Hastings' The Afghan and the Penguin starring Alan Cox for BBC Radio 4 (broadcast April 2011).