Sean Foley | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Foley[1] (1964-11-21)21 November 1964 (age 61)[2] Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, England |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford École Philippe Gaulier |
| Occupation(s) | Director, writer, actor, comedian |
| Spouse | [3] |
Sean Foley (bornJohn Foley; 21 November 1964) is a British director, writer, comedian and actor. Foley won twoOlivier Awards with six additional nominations, and aTony Award Nomination. Following early success as part of the comedy double actThe Right Size and their long-running stage showThe Play What I Wrote, Foley has more recently become a director, including of severalWest End comedy productions. From 2019 to 2024, he was appointed as Artistic Director of theBirmingham Repertory Theatre.
Foley trained in clown underPhilippe Gaulier atÉcole Philippe Gaulier, where her metHamish McColl.[4] Foley and McColl formedThe Right Size in 1988.[5] They devised and performed in the shows, with regular creative team collaborators such as director Jozef Houben,[6] designer Alice Power,[7] and songwriter Chris Larner.[8][9] Their style combined elements ofclowning,physical comedy,mime,slapstick,[10]vaudeville andvariety.[11][12]The Right Size's major successes wereDo You Come Here Often?, about two strangers stuck in a bathroom for 25 years, andThe Play What I Wrote, a tribute toMorecambe and Wise.[2]The Right Size were active until 2006.
Foley has played some major parts in traditional scripted roles, includingFreud inHysteria byTerry Johnson atBirmingham Rep in 2007,[13] and the single role in the film ofSamuel Beckett'sAct Without Words I directed byKarel Reisz.[14] He appeared alongsideMark Rylance inI Am Shakespeare at theMinerva Theatre, Chichester in 2007.[15] He acted at theOxford Youth Theatre before[16] his time at theUniversity of Oxford, where he studied history.[13]
On television, he appeared as pub owner Jeff in all twelve episodes of theBBC One sitcomWild West (2002–2004), playing oppositeDawn French andCatherine Tate.[17] He then starred alongside Tate in the episode "The Patter of Tiny Feet" of theBBC Threecomedy horroranthology seriesTwisted Tales (2005),[18] and also directedThe Catherine Tate Show Live tour years later in 2016.[19][20]
Foley made his stage directorial debut in 2007 withPinter's People.[2] He then directed several stage shows by stand-up comedians includingJoan Rivers,Nina Conti andArmstrong and Miller.[21]
He achieved significantWest End success in 2012, when he directed productions ofThe Ladykillers (for which he was nominated for the 2012Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director) andJoe Orton'sWhat the Butler Saw. He also, withPatrick Barlow, co-directed and co-wrote a four-actor stage adaptation ofBen Hur at theWatermill Theatre, a regional English theatre.[22]
In 2013, Foley made hisRoyal Shakespeare Company debut, directingThomas Middleton'sA Mad World, My Masters.[23] The production was well received by UK critics.
It was announced in June 2013 that Foley would be directingMatthew MacFadyen andStephen Mangan in a theatrical adaptation ofP. G. Wodehouse'sJeeves andWooster stories, to be titledPerfect Nonsense, at theDuke of York's Theatre, London, from 30 October 2013.[24][25] He also directed theX Factor stage musical,I Can't Sing! The X Factor Musical, which premiered in 2014 at theLondon Palladium and starredNigel Harman,Alan Morrissey andCynthia Erivo.[26][27] However, the show was cancelled after 6 weeks and 3 days due to poor ticket sales, and lost £4 million.[28]
Foley adapted and directedThe Painkiller starringKenneth Branagh andRob Brydon during the Kenneth Branagh season at theGarrick Theatre in the West End in March 2016. He also adaptedEugène Ionesco'sAmédée, or How to Get Rid of It starringJosie Lawrence and Trevor Fox in March 2017 at theBirmingham Repertory Theatre. He directed his andPhil Porter's adaptation ofMolière'sThe Miser starringGriff Rhys Jones,Lee Mack andMathew Horne at theGarrick Theatre in London, which was nominated for a 2018 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. He also directedNoël Coward'sPresent Laughter forChichester Festival Theatre in April 2018, starringRufus Hound as Garry Essendine withKatherine Kingsley andTracy-Ann Oberman.
Foley also adapted and directedThe Man in the White Suit for the stage, starringStephen Mangan andKara Tointon, beginning at theTheatre Royal, Bath for three weeks, before transferring to theWyndham's Theatre in the West End from 9 October until 7 December 2019.
In February 2020, Foley directedThe Upstart Crow byBen Elton, based on theBBC TV series withDavid Mitchell reprising his role asWilliam Shakespeare at theGielgud Theatre, London. The production was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play. However, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the production closed early. The production was revived at London'sApollo Theatre from 23 September to 3 December 2022.
In July 2023, Foley directedThe Crown Jewels bySimon Nye starringAl Murray,Carrie Hope Fletcher,Mel Giedroyc,Aidan McArdle,Neil Morrissey,Joe Thomas and Tanvi Virmani. The play opened at theGarrick Theatre in London, before touring the UK.
In October 2024, Foley directed a stage adaptation ofDr. Strangelove, based on the1964 film byStanley Kubrick, co-adapting withArmando Iannucci and starringSteve Coogan as Dr. Strangelove / Captain Mandrake / President Muffley / TJ Kong. It ran at theNoël Coward Theatre in London before running at theBord Gáis Energy Theatre in February 2025.[29]
In March 2019 it was announced that Foley was appointed to become artistic director ofBirmingham Repertory Theatre succeeding Roxana Silbert.[30] Foley's inaugural season was due to start in 2020 however, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic it began in autumn 2021.[31]
Foley's first production as director was a revival of his playThe Play What I Wrote from 27 November 2021 until 1 January 2022, followed byThe COVID-19 Variations: A Piano Drama composed byRichard Thomas, created byAlison Jackson and performed byPhilip Edward Fisher from 8 to 9 February 2022. In February 2023, he directed and co-wrote withAl Murray andMatt FordeIdiots Assemble: Spitting Image The Musical based on the TV seriesSpitting Image. Following its run at The Rep, the production transferred to London's West End at thePhoenix Theatre from May for a limited run.In May 2024, Foley directed the world premiere ofWithnail and I based on the 1987 film of the same name, adapted for the stage by the film's creatorBruce Robinson. On 18 April 2024, Foley announced he would be stepping down after 5 years in the role.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |