Biography

Phil Clark was born and educated in Brecon, South Wales before training at Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama where he studied for a Diploma in Theatre Arts and a teaching qualification. He followed this by undertaking professional training at Durham University with an Advanced Diploma in Drama and Language Development. He has completed a Phd at the University of Glamorgan, Wales

His professional career began as a founder member of Theatr Powys before becoming a founder member of Bruvvers Theatre Company based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Whilst there he directed and devised over 30 new plays, originated and toured a one man show and took traditional, experimental and new plays on nine European tours.

In 1983 he joined Tyne Wear Theatre Company as a Director and established and directed Britain's largest annual Youth Theatre Festival. Whilst there he also set up Eyes of Men Theatre Company for the unemployed; PIT Theatre Company - a community theatre group for South Tyneside; and taught Performing Arts and Media Studies to secondary school students.

The position of Artistic Director at the Crucible Theatre In Education and Community Theatre followed where he commissioned and directed 11 new plays on the mainstage and in the studio and on tour; won the 1988 British Theatre Association Drama Review Award; established Sheffield's first International Children's Theatre Festival; set up and organised an International Exchange with actors from the Crucible and Moscow's Central Young People's Theatre; wrote the play Home Movies for the Crucible Theatre which was filmed and networked by Yorkshire Television Play for Today; initiated the 4th year B.Ed TIE course for Sheffield City Polytechnic; and directed the award-winning Plague of Innocence and wrote Serfdom Right?, both of which were chosen for the Vancover, Calgary and Edmonton Canadian Children's Festival of Young People's Theatre 1990.

While in Sheffield, Phil Clark was also on the advisory panel for Tertiary Education for Sheffield Education Authority, a touring production assessor for Yorkshire Arts Association, a panel member for Sheffield Education Authority Arts Exchange and established a programme of training for school governors on 'Theatre for Young People'.

Phil was appointed Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the Sherman Theatre Cardiff in 1990. The Sherman is the premier producing theatre in Cardiff. The resident professional theatre company, the Sherman Theatre Company, was directed by Phil and toured throughout Wales, Britain and internationally to large, middle and studio theatres. He prioritised new writing and commissioned some 104 new plays for the company. Alongside the professional performance work, the Sherman had an active youth community education and participatory policy prioritising work with emerging artists. Alongside the Young People’s Theatre Policy the Sherman remains the only producing professional theatre in the capital city. Phil directed over 45 productions for the Sherman Theatre Company on stage, television and radio. In 1993 he was nominated BBC Artist of the Year

Phil has directed productions for, Newcastle upon Tyne Playhouse. Theatre Centre London. Brewhouse Theatre Taunton. Grand Theatre Swansea. Off The Kerb Productions. Palace Theatre Reddich. Theatr Powys. Pomegranate Theatre Chesterfield. Mappa Mundi Theatre Co. Colin MacIntre Productions. Watershed Productions. The Anvil Sheffield. Birmingham Stage Company. Swan Theatre Worcester, Hampstead Theatre London, Taliesin Arts Centre Swansea, Grass Roots Theatre Company Wales , Everyman Theatre Cheltenham, Theatre Royal Nottingham, Fiery Angel Productions and The Jill Freud Company.

Alongside his work in theatre Phil has served on numerous committees for the Arts Council of England and the Arts Council of Wales. For five years he was a member of the BBC Broadcasting Council of Wales. He has sat on numerous boards of theatre companies and Arts centres. He is currently the Welsh Trustee on the DCMS Theatre Trust.

He received the Arts for Young Audiences Award from the Commonwealth Conference for Young People in Canada. He has edited two new books of Welsh plays published by Seren Books and Parthian Press. A collection of his plays has been published by Oberon Books, London. He has recently taught at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Actors Centre London, Tishe School of Performing Arts New York, the Drama Association of Wales, the National Association of Youth Theatres and is a regular broadcaster on BBC Wales.

In London his work has been seen at The Riverside Studios Hammersmith, The Bloomsbury Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Oval House Theatre, The Shaw Theatre, Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, Polka Childrens Theatre Wimbledon and The Young Vic.

Phil's work has been see internationally in Holland, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, the USA, Dubai, Canada and On and Off Broadway in New York.

As a writer he has written A HORIBLE HISTORY OF WORLD WAR TWO , ELMER THE ELEPHANT for BSC, THE DEVOTED FRIEND for Sherman Cymru,and co-written A HORRIBLE HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAM, ALADDIN and DICK WHITINGTON, SLEEPING BEAUTY and CINDERELLA for Everyman Theatre Cheltenham. His three adaptations of Oscar Wilde stories for children, THE HAPPY PRINCE, THE SELFISH GIANT and THE DEVOTED FRIEND have been published by Oberon Books London. He has also edited and published an anthology of THE PLAYS OF FRANK VICKERY and a collection of new plays from Welsh theatres TRANSITIONS published by Parthion Books Wales.

He also edited a compilation of one act plays from Welsh writers ACT ONE WALES published by Seren Books Wales. As an arts consultant Phil has been working with M6 THEATRE COMPANY in Rochdale, developing their Youth Theatre and management development programme, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF YOUTH THEATRES training the trainers development programme, PINT SIZED PLAYS programme of new theatre writing in pubs in Pembrokeshire, Wales, ODD THEATRE COMPANY Manchester developing their management strategy, CHELMSFORD COUNCIL advising on their Youth Arts strategy, the DRAMA ASSOCIAION OF WALES running their residential Summer Schools, THE COURTYARD THEATRE, Hereford training their education department staff, and developing the work of the THEATRE TRUST in Wales.

Shortened Biography

After five years with The National Youth Theatre, Phil trained at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama, Durham University and gained a PhD from the University of Glamorgan, Wales. He started his professional career with THEATR POWYS, Wales. He was an original founder member of BRUVVERS THEATRE in Newcastle upon Tyne, He was the founding Director of TYNEWEAR YOUTH THEATRES FESTIVAL. In the 1980’s he was Director of the CRUCIBLE THEATRE T.I.E and COMMUNITY COMPANY in Sheffield. For fifteen years he was Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the SHERMAN THEATRE Cardiff where he commission and created over 130 new plays.

Phil has directed productions for the HAMSTEAD THEATRE London, THEATRE CENTRE London, BREWHOUSE THEATRE Taunton, GRAND THEATRE Swansea, OFF THE KERB PRODUCTIONS, TALIESIN ARTS CENTRE Swansea, PALACE THEATRE Redditch, SWAN THEATRE Worcester, POMEGRANITE THEATRE Chesterfield, MAPPA MUNDI THEATRE Co Wales, WATERSHED PRODUCTIONS, GRASS ROOTS THEATRE Wales, U.K.PRODUCTIONS. FIERY ANGEL PRODUCTIONS, The JILL FREUD THEATRE COMPANY and many more.

Phil is committed to creating theatre for young audiences. He specializes in theatre for family audiences and working with emerging artists. He is passionate about new writing and constantly works with established and emerging writers. He also works as a writer and many of his plays have been published.

He has received the Canadian Arts for Young Audiences Award and the BBC Wales Arts Enabling Award. His production of Noel Griegs’ PLAGUE OF INNOCENCE won the Yorkshire Arts Award and the British Theatre Association Drama review award.

Phil regularly works with the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF YOUTH THEATRES, the ROYAL WELSH COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND DRAMA and the ACCADEMY OF LIVE AND RECORDED ARTS London and is committed to investing in the next generation of Artists.

Phil works regularly with THE BIRMINGHAM STAGE COMPANY, nationally GRASS ROOTS THEATRE COMPANY, Wales and the EVERYMAN THEATRE Cheltenham.

He is a trustee of the THEATRES TRUST and in 2011 his production of David Almonds SKELLIG for Birmingham Stage Company will open on Broadway, New York.