Trevor Nunn
Trevor Nunn
#### Full Name and Common Aliases
Trevor Robert Nunn is a British theatre director and former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-upon-Avon.
#### Birth and Death Dates
Born on August 14, 1940, in Surrey, England. Still active in the industry as of this writing.
#### Nationality and Profession(s)
British; Director, Artistic Director, Producer
#### Early Life and Background
Trevor Nunn was born into a family with a strong background in the arts. His mother, Muriel Nunn, was a musician and an actress who later became a drama teacher. This exposure to theatre from a young age instilled in him a deep passion for the craft. Nunn attended the prestigious Woldingham School before pursuing his studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.
#### Major Accomplishments
Throughout his illustrious career, Trevor Nunn has directed over 300 productions worldwide, earning numerous awards and accolades for his work. Notable achievements include:
Being appointed as the Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1968
Directing a number of notable productions at the National Theatre, including Hamlet and The Comedy of Errors
Winning four Tony Awards for Best Direction of a Musical or Play
#### Notable Works or Actions
Some of Trevor Nunn's most notable works include:
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby: A musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel, which earned him two Olivier Awards
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead: His critically acclaimed production of Tom Stoppard's play at the Almeida Theatre in London
Les Liaisons Dangereuses: Nunn's 2008 production of Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' novel at the Donmar Warehouse
#### Impact and Legacy
Trevor Nunn's influence on the world of theatre is immeasurable. As a director, he has been instrumental in shaping the careers of numerous actors, including Ian Charleson, Judi Dench, and Anthony Hopkins. His dedication to preserving classical works while innovating within traditional boundaries has left an enduring legacy.
#### Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Trevor Nunn's quotes offer insights into his approach to theatre, highlighting the importance of collaboration and creative risk-taking. He is widely respected for his ability to balance artistic vision with commercial viability, making him a sought-after voice in the industry.
Quotes by Trevor Nunn
Trevor Nunn's insights on:
The film director, in many instances, has to swallow somebody else’s decision about the final form of something. It’s so hard as to be intolerable.
In a way, I have to have a dictatorship. I can’t be told that I’m wrong. That conflicts with what I was saying earlier about listening. It isn’t to do with receiving criticism and responding to other views, it’s who has that last decision.
If you can’t fully believe in your ideas, it very quickly communicates to a group of actors who need something to hold onto. They need to believe that whatever criticism, whatever comment is received, is meant.
What you’re doing is putting into professional play the way that you relate to other people, the way that you analyze and relate to a written text, the way that you would persuade anybody to do anything. It has to do with listening, with humility and a sense of yourself.
If you feel very deeply about something, it’s not possible to sacrifice your integrity about that.
I tend to arrive in the rehearsal process with very strongly developed ideas about what I want to do. But I don’t like those ideas to be things that are not subject to change, or subject to development, or subject to challenge.
In the commercial theater, I’ve been pretty fortunate. The producers that I’ve worked with have allowed me to define the artistic integrity, the artistic limits of the work.
I’ve never had any feeling of disconnection between the classical theater, or the contemporary theater, or musical theater, or the thing that we call opera.
I had a feeling about Shakespeare’s soliloquies, that there should be a real exchange between the actor and the audience.
I’ve experienced a private doubt, something that I’ve kept deeply inside, and then eventually delivered a piece of work that people responded to with huge enthusiasm.