Michael Bogdanov | |
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| Born | Michael Bogdin (1938-12-15)15 December 1938 |
| Died | 16 April 2017(2017-04-16) (aged 78) |
| Occupation | Theatre director |
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Michael Bogdanov (15 December 1938 – 16 April 2017) was a Britishtheatre director known for his work with new plays, modern reinterpretations ofShakespeare, musicals and work for young people.[1]
Bogdanov was born Michael Bogdin inNeath,Glamorgan, to a Jewish father (Francis Benzion Bogdin) and a Welsh mother (Rhoda Rees). He was educated atThe John Lyon School,Harrow on the Hill,England, atTrinity College Dublin, and inGermany andFrance. He trained atBBC in the 1960s and produced, wrote and directed for television in the UK andIreland. He was a producer and director at Irish broadcasterRTÉ from 1966 to 1969, and later extensively worked for BBC Wales, making documentaries and feature films, winning several awards.
Bogdanov directed eight productions for theRoyal Shakespeare Company, includingThe Taming of the Shrew for which he received a Director of the Year award in 1979. From 1980 to 1988, he was associate director of theNational Theatre where he directed about 15 productions. These included, in 1980,Howard Brenton'sThe Romans in Britain, which resulted in a private prosecution in which Bogdanov was accused by counsel for Christian morality campaignerMary Whitehouse of "procuring an act of gross indecency" in one scene where two male actors simulated anal rape. However, 15 months later when it came to court, Whitehouse's barrister abandoned the prosecution, saying in court: "The consequences of conviction - irrespective of penalty - would greatly damage Mr Bogdanov in his personal and professional life".[2]
During the 1980s, Bogdanov also worked internationally, directingHamlet at theAbbey Theatre, Dublin,Romeo and Juliet at the Imperial Theatre,Tokyo, andMeasure for Measure atStratford,Ontario. His opera credits included the world premiere ofStockhausen'sMontag aus Licht atLa Scala,Milan. At theDeutsches Schauspielhaus inHamburg (Germany's equivalent of the Royal National Theatre), he directed an award-winning Julius Caesar, and adapted and directedGoethe'sReineke Fuchs. From 1989 to 1992, he became Chief Executive of the Deutsches Schauspielhaus.
In 1986, Bogdanov and actorMichael Pennington founded theEnglish Shakespeare Company. As joint artistic director, he directed the company's inaugural productions ofThe Henrys and, in 1987, the seven-play history cycle ofThe Wars of the Roses, which toured worldwide. For this ambitious programme he earned the 1990Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director. In the 1990s he directed the English Shakespeare Company's international productions ofCoriolanus,The Winter's Tale,Macbeth andThe Tempest.
He continued to direct productions around the world in the 1990s, including a revival of the musicalHair at the Old Vic in London in 1993, his own version of the Anglo-Saxon epic poemBeowulf for both the Royal National Theatre ofDenmark in 1994 and the English Shakespeare Company in London in 1997,Peer Gynt for theResidenz Theatre inMunich in 1995, Goethe'sFaust Parts 1 and 2] for the Royal Shakespeare Company,Antony and Cleopatra andAs You Like It for the English Theatre Company in 1998,Timon of Athens for the Shakespeare Repertory Theater inChicago in 1999, andMacbeth for the Residenz Theater in Munich, again in 1999.
From 2002 to 2004, Bogdanov took charge of productions at theLudlow Castle Open Air Theatre as part of the annualLudlow Festival. With an ensemble of mainly Welsh players, he producedThe Merry Wives of Windsor,The Winter's Tale,The Merchant of Venice,Cymbeline andTwelfth Night.
In 2003, he was involved in setting up theWales Theatre Company, based inSwansea andCardiff, taking on the position of artistic director. He directed productions of both Shakespeare and new works, includingTwelfth Night,Cymbeline,The Merchant of Venice andDylan Thomas'sUnder Milk Wood. In 2005, he directed the critically acclaimed musical,Amazing Grace, at Swansea Grand Theatre and the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, and the dual Welsh and English language productions ofHamlet, with the same cast, at The Swansea Grand and Cardiff's New Theatre. The new Welsh Language translation by Gareth Miles was commissioned by the Arts Council of Wales.
Among his many TV credits areShakespeare on the Estate, RTS Award, Bafta Nomination andA Light in the Valley, RTS Best Regional Programme Award. Bogdanov has also directed three musicals forAberystwyth Arts Centre:Fiddler on the Roof,West Side Story andMy Fair Lady.
In 2006, Bogdanov brought his production ofMal Pope's musicalAmazing Grace in Cardiff to sell-out performances at the Wales Millennium Centre, with every show ending in a standing ovation. It was the first Welsh musical on the national stage of Wales. Judith Isherwood, the centre's chief executive, said of the show's success noting: "A new musical, Amazing Grace, was presented by the Wales Theatre Company — Welsh writers, and a very Welsh story about a revivalist preacher. It had a huge response. I’ve had letters from people saying how emotional they felt about seeing Welsh history re-created on their national stage".[3] The show was described by critic Michael Kelligan as being the "first great Welsh musical".[4]
Bogdanov returned to musical theatre in 2009, directinga musical version ofColleen McCullough’s bestselling novelThe Thorn Birds for the Wales Theatre Company. It has music by German opera composer Gloria Bruni and McCullough herself wrote the book and lyrics. It opened at the Grand Theatre,Swansea in April and then toured the UK, culminating at the Wales Millennium Centre.[needs update] This production starredMatthew Goodgame,Helen Anker andPeter Karrie.
Bogdanov continued to work extensively in Germany, above all in Hamburg, where he has won awards for productions at the Kammerspiele which includeDer Diener Zweier Herren,Der Garderobier,Warten auf Godot,Elling andFrost/Nixon.[5] In 2011 he directedA Midsummer Night's Dream inPlatt as the opening production of the newOhnsorg-Theater in Hamburg, which had moved from its old location into a newly built theatre.
His essays on Shakespeare were published in a critically acclaimed book:Shakespeare: The Director's Cut; in 2003, followed by a second volume focusing on the histories in 2005.
Bogdanov died of a heart attack on 16 April 2017, aged 78.[6]
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