Phelim McDermott

Phelim McDermott has been directing and performing for over twelve years.  His first work was for dereck dereck Productions which he co-founded with Julia Bardsley.  He performed in Cupboard Man, a solo show for which he won Fringe First.  He then co-directed and performed in Gaudete for which he won a Time Out Director's Award, going on to direct The Vinegar Works, The Glass Hill and The Sweet Shop Owner.  He has directed a number of shows in repertory theatre including The Ghost Downstairs at Leicester Haymarket and Dr. Faustus and Improbable Tales (a totally improvised two hour play that ran for four weeks) at Nottingham Playhouse.  At the West Yorkshire Playhouse he has directed The Servant of Two Masters, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and, most recently, The Government.  During 1996/97, he directed A Midsummer Night's Dream for the English Shakespeare Company, which won a TMA Regional Theatre Award for Best Touring Production.  Other projects include Get Off My Foot, a play he co-wrote and appeared in with Lee Simpson.  Productions with Improbable Theatre include the multi award-winning 70 Hill Lane, Lifegame, Animo, Coma, Spirit, Sticky, and Cinderella. He recently co-directed Shockheaded Peter by Julian Crouch, a junk opera collaboration with The Tiger Lilies, for Cultural Industry (Olivier Award, Best Entertainment, TMA best Director Award, Critics Society Best Designer Award and a Southern Bank Show Theatre Award Nomination).

The Hanging Man — 2003 Next Wave Festival