MIKE OCKRENT (1946-1999) was born in London and received a B.Sc. in Physics from Edinburgh University. In 1969 he won an Independent Television Award and was appointed Assistant Director at Perth Repertory Theatre in Scotland. During the three years he was there he directed over 20 plays. In 1973 he was appointed Artistic Director of the internationally renowned Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh where he stayed for three years. Many of the plays he produced and directed then transferred to London.
In 1976 Mike went freelance in London and productions included _x001c_ Union Jack_x001d_ and _x001c_ Bonzo_x001d_ by Stanley Eveling at Hampstead Theatre, C.P. Taylor s adaptation of Carl Sterheim s _x001c_ Schippel_x001d_ (retitled _x001c_ The Plumber s Progress_x001d_ ) with Harry Secombe at the Prince of Wales Theatre, _x001c_ Once A Catholic_x001d_ (nominated Best Comedy by the Society of West End Theatres) at the Royal Court and Wyndhams Theatre, Brecht s _x001c_ A Respectable Wedding_x001d_ at the Open Space Theatre, _x001c_ And A Nightingale Sang_x001d_ at the Queen s Theatre, _x001c_ Educating Rita_x001d_ by Willy Russell at the RSC and the Piccadilly Theatre (winner of the Evening Standard Award for Best Play), _x001c_ Passion Play_x001d_ by Peter Nichols for the RSC (subsequently at Wyndhams and winner of the Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy), Stephen Sondheim s _x001c_ Follies_x001d_ at the Shaftesbury (winner of the Laurence Olivier, Evening Standard, Plays & Players and Drama Magazine Awards for Best Musical) and _x001c_ Just So_x001d_ at the Tricycle Theatre for Cameron Mackintosh. National Theatre Productions include _x001c_ Watch on the Rhine_x001d_ with Dame Peggy Ashcroft, _x001c_ Inner Voices_x001d_ with Sir Ralph Richardson, Laurence Olivier s 80th Birthday Celebration and _x001c_ Zenobia_x001d_ for RSC at The Young Vic.
Mike s Broadway productions include _x001c_ Once A Catholic,_x001d_ Rowan Atkinson s review _x001c_ Atkinson at the Atkinson_x001d_ , _x001c_ Big,_x001d_ which received 10 Drama Desk nominations and 5 Tony nominations, and the World Premiere of the concert version of the musical _x001c_ King David_x001d_ , written by Alan Menken and Tim Rice, the inaugural event at Disney s renovated New Amsterdam Theatre. Mike directed and co-conceived several productions of the celebrated _x001c_ Me and My Girl_x001d_ at the Adelphi where it won the Olivier, Ivor Novello and Drama Magazine Awards for Best Musical, and on Broadway where it was nominated for 13 Tony Awards and for which he also won the Drama Desk Award for Best Director. He also directed and co-conceived _x001c_ Crazy For You_x001d_ : the Broadway production, which won three Tony Awards (including Best Musical 1992); the London production, which won several Olivier Awards (including Best Musical 1993), the U.S. tour production, in addition to the Japanese, Canadian and Australian productions.
His films include: _x001c_ Dancin Thru the Dark_x001d_ (BBC Formost Films and British Screen), Popular Choice of 1990 Venice Film Festival, _x001c_ Money for Nothing_x001d_ (BBC), Writer s Guild Award for 1994. He also wrote a theatrical novel, _x001c_ Running Down Broadway,_x001d_ Random Century.
