Biography
After gaining a degree in English from Birmingham University, Paul took a Master’s degree at Royal Holloway College at the University of London. He also studied piano at the Birmingham Conservatoire.
He began working straight away as an assistant director for various small opera companies, learned a lot and simultaneously set up a little theatre company that toured castles and gardens playing Shakespeare outdoors.
He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company as Assistant Director for their 1996/7 season and had the honour and terror of working with Sir Peter Hall, Ian Judge and Steven Pimlott. At The Other Place in Stratford he directed the UK premiere of LA NUIT DE VALOGNES by Eric Emmanuel Schmitt and was Artistic Director of the RSC Fringe Festival at The Young Vic. He went around the world with Adrian Noble’s production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and led Shakespeare workshops in Australia, Japan and Hong Kong.
He began a collaboration with the poet Glyn Maxwell and directed a number of his plays including BROKEN JOURNEY based on the Kurasawa film, RASHOMON, THE LIFEBLOOD and ANYROAD at The Bridewell Theatre. He devised and directed TAKE THE FIRE, a collection of monologues by Jean Cocteau with Amanda Harris at The Lyric Hammersmith and for Ambassador’s Theatre Group, PICASSO’S WOMEN at The Edinburgh Festival, Richmond Theatre and an international tour. In Paris, he directed VITA AND VIRGINIA at Le Petit Herbetot and Genet’s THE MAIDS in a disused shop in Montmartre.
For The Really Useful Group he was Resident Director in the West End for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND and The Pet Shop Boys’ CLOSER TO HEAVEN.
In 2000 he was invited to become the International Associate Director of the hit musical MAMMA MIA! and there began a wholly unexpected 20 year journey. Always in the local language, he has directed productions in France, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Russia and in 2010, the first western musical to be produced in China, in Mandarin. In addition, he directed the International Tour of MAMMA MIA! that continues to enjoy huge success just about everywhere and supervises cast changes for the West End production.
In Germany he directed the stage version of the film DIRTY DANCING, a production that played in Hamburg, Berlin, Oberhausen and Utrecht and then went on to play in London and on a US tour.
For Stage Entertainment he directed JOSEPH AND HIS AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT in Amsterdam and a Dutch tour, running for 2 years.
In Seoul, his production of DANCING SHADOWS by Ariel Dorfman collected 5 Korean Tony awards, including Best Musical.
In 2010 he was asked to direct The Spice Girls’ musical VIVA FOREVER by Jennifer Saunders. After 2 years of workshops and planning, together with an incredible creative team and producer, Judy Craymer, the show opened at The Piccadilly Theatre in 2012 to delighted audiences and appalled critics. Spirits were bruised and lessons were learned.
He regularly works with The National Theatre of China in Shanghai and Beijing and has recently directed DEATH AND THE MAIDEN, ART and MISERY there, all in Mandarin.
At The National Theatre of Finland, he has directed ART and Bryony Lavery’s SKATTKAMARÖN (TREASURE ISLAND) in Swedish. In Seoul, he directed PICASSO’S WOMEN in Korean and a site specific ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW in Hamburg.
He won a Best Director award in Sweden for MAMMA MIA!, a Korean Tony for DANCING SHADOWS and a JOOP VAN DER ENDE award for DIRTY DANCING.
He regularly coaches young singers and directors and runs masterclasses and teaches audition technique all over the world.