Welcome to matthewparker.net the official site for Director Matthew Parker
Parker’s sure, hugely inventive dramatic touch generates an impressive, lingering impression
Time Out, Mary Rose, 2011
Matthew Parker is a freelance director living in London. He is Artistic Director of award nominated DogOrange Theatre Company and its sister youth theatre company MOBstars*. He is also Artistic Director / Director in Residence for First Draft, a new writing / devising company based at The Horse, Waterloo.
Matthew trained on the One Year Postgraduate Directing Course at Drama Studio London having previously gained a first class degree in Theatre Arts (Acting) from Bretton Hall, University of Leeds.
Matthew has a passion for bringing his physical style and visual imagination to classic stories. He is particularly interested in physical storytelling, absurdism, music and movement and has a penchant for dark comedy and emotionally raw but visually beautiful work. He has worked in a variety of styles from absurdism to farce to classics to tragedy. In addition to directing Matthew is an experienced youth theatre workshop deviser and facilitator and has worked at some of London’s leading youth theatre schools. He also works as a choreographer. His company DogOrange specialises in imaginative retellings of classic stories and flights of fancy. In the past year DogOrange, under the direction of Matthew, has presented 3 sell out shows on the London Fringe, all of which have gained excellent critical and audience response.
Matthew is also experienced in devising work and adaptations. His own adaptation of Chekhov’s classic short story Ward No.6 was presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2009, achieving a Best Ensemble nomination from The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence. The recent sell out transfer of this production to the Camden People’s Theatre gained 4 stars and a Recommendation from Time Out.
Recent directing projects include the transfer of DogOrange’s production of J.M. Barrie’s Mary Rose to the Riverside Studios, a revival of Howard Barker’s The Possibilities at the Tristan Bates Theatre, the transfer of speed-dating comedy A Date to Remember (First Draft) to the Phoenix Bar, West End, The Late Edwina Black (Sheringham Summer Rep), a schools tour of Pinocchio, Two (Dispense Theatre),and sell out runs of shows for his company DogOrange; a reinterpretation of Franca Rame and Dario Fo’s A Woman Alone and his adaptation of Ward No.6 (Time Out Recommended). He also directs regular scratch performances for his new writing / devised company First Draft. As a choreographer Matthew has recently worked on Romeo and Juliet (Sheringham Little Theatre) and comedy cabaret troupe Scales of the Unexpected. Upcoming projects include
For more information on Matthew Parker’s projects browse further on this website. Alternatively visit his Stage Jobs Pro page:
