Nicholas Wright

(1940-) South African born British actor, director and playwright.

Biography

Born in Cape Town, 1940.

Training

He trained at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA)

Career

Joined the Royal Court as Casting Director before becoming the first director of the Theatre Upstairs in 1969. From 1975 to 1977, he was Co-Artistic Director of the Royal Court along with Robert Kidd. He joined the National Theatre as Literary Manager in 1984 and was an Associate Director until 1998.

His work at the Royal Court Theatre, London, was a feature of London’s spectacular advances in experimental theatre. He has produced plays in the same category at The Space on visits home.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

He wrote the play Custom of the Country about the Jameson Raid. He also wrote One Fine Day.

Directed Strindberg Without Tears at the Hofmeyr Theatre and subsequently Biography at the Nico Malan Theatre in August 1971.

He wrote the play Travelling Light in 2012, performed at the Lyttleton Theatre, London, starring Antony Sher as Jacob.

A Human Being Died That Night, a play by Nicholas Wright, based on the book by Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madizikela, a chilling portrait of Vlakplaas commander Eugene de Kock.

Opens at the Fugard Studio Theatre in Cape Town and then transfer to the Market Theatre in Johannesburg before a formal London season back at the Hampstead Theatre in London in May 2014. The play was first produced by Eric Abraham at The Hampstead Downstairs, London in May 2013 and ran for a sold out 5 week season. A Human Being Died That Night will be directed by Jonathan Mumsby (UK) and co-directed by Greg Karvellas (SA).