1:1 Chat with Simon Phillips

We chat with the illustrious Simon Phillips about his approach to directing and stagecraft, the lessons he’s learned from a career of developing new work, national tours, and transferring shows to the West End and Broadway. Oh and running not one but two state theatre companies. Phew. As always there will be a chance for you to ask your questions at the end.

The 1:1 Chats are a monthly online interview series delving into craft and process with industry professionals across the spectrum of disciplines in music theatre. This session will be facilitated by theatre director and MTW Co-Director, Casey Gould.

Simon was Artistic Director of the State Theatre Company of South Australia from 1990 to 1993 and Artistic Director of the Melbourne Theatre Company from 2000 to 2011, where he oversaw the design and construction of the company’s new headquarters and the Southbank Theatre.

His directing credits range from new works to contemporary and Shakespearean classics to musicals to opera.  He has directed works by most of the great contemporary writers: Edward Albee, Samuel Beckett, Berthold Brecht, Caryl Churchill, David Hare, Martin McDonagh, Joe Orton, Sam Shepherd, and Tom Stoppard. He has also directed the premieres of many new works by leading Australian writers, including Matt Cameron, Joanna Murray-Smith, Hannie Rayson, Stephen Sewell and David Williamson. Among his many classical productions, The Tempest, Julius Caesar, A Comedy of Errors and The Importance of Being Earnest all toured nationally in Australia. His production of North By Northwest, adapted for the stage by his wife, Carolyn Burns, also toured Australia and had seasons at the Bath Festival and Toronto in 2017.

Simon’s musical credits include Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (which toured internationally, including seasons on the West End and Broadway), the new Australasian version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies (which was filmed by Universal and toured North America), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Twenty-Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Urinetown the Musical, Company, The Threepenny Opera, Cabaret, High Society (which also toured regionally in the UK) and Ladies in Black, the award-winning new Australian musical which he created with Tim Finn and Carolyn Burns. Most recently his production of Muriel’s Wedding, the Musical toured Australia in 2019.

Simon’s opera credits include: The Turk in Italy, L’Elisir d’Amore, Falstaff, La Bohème and Lulu for Opera Australia, The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni for Opera New Zealand, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Billy Budd for Hamburg State Opera and a co-production of Otello between Cape Town Opera, WA Opera and Opera Queensland.

Simon’s numerous awards include seven Green Room Awards and six Helpmann Awards.