John Retallack
Introduction '''John Retallack''' (born 1950) is a British playwright and director.
Education He studied at St Paul's School in London (1963–68) and later at St Paul's College of Education, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, where he took the Double English course (aimed at future secondary school English teachers) for his C.Ed. qualification (awarded summer 1973), and English and Education for his B.Ed. (awarded summer 1974). At St Paul's he was already active in the arts, organising a number of literary events during his stay.
Career He is the author of twelve plays for young people and has adapted numerous texts for the stage and for radio.Oberon Books published four of his plays for Company of Angels (Hannah & Hanna, Risk, Club Asylum and Virgins). Methuen publish Sweetpeter. His plays have been translated and published in several languages and are performed in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Holland and France.He was the founding director of ATC Theatre (1977–85) which continues today as a National Portfolio client of the Arts Council of England.John was formerly director of Oldham Coliseum Theatre (1985–88) and Oxford Stage Company (1989–99) where his adaptation of Melvin Burgess’s ''Junk'' won the TMA Young People's Award in 1998.His Shakespeare productions for Oxford Stage Company toured internationally and won widespread critical acclaim over a period of ten years.From 2001- 2011 he was the founding director of  Company of Angels, now operating under the name Boundless Theatre, which produces new and experimental work for young audiences and continues today as a National Portfolio client of the Arts Council of England.From 2010 - 2013, he was Associate Director at Bristol Old Vic where he remains Artistic Associate.In 2013, he became Tutor in Writing for Performance at Ruskin College in Oxford.In 2015, he will revive his 2014 production of DIDO & AENEAS for Bristol Old Vic/English Concert and spend two months with the 'reseau europeen des centres culturels de rencontre' at La Chartreuse de Neuville in France researching a play about the current plight of refugees in Calais.
Awards * 1978:Edinburgh Festival Fringe First* 1983: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play* 1998:  TMA Young People's Award * 2001: Herald Angel at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival* 2010: Herald Angel at the 2010 Edinburgh Festival
Works Early adaptations for ATC1978 - 80Don Juan (adaptation from Byron's poem)ATC National tour Edinburgh FestivalAvignon FestivalFringe First AwardInternational tour with British Council1981 - 83Don Quixote parts 1 & 2 with Richard Curtis (adaptation from the novel) ATC National TourEdinburgh FestivalAlmeida & Donmar WarehouseOlivier Award International tour with British Council to over 20 countries including New York1982 - 83Berlin Berlin (adaptation from Robert Musil's The Man Without Qualities) Edinburgh FestivalATC National tourInternational tour with British Council including Berlin1983Ubu The Vandalist (adaptation from Alfred Jarry's plays)ATC National TourEdinburgh FestivalInternational tour with British Council1985HamletNational Drama Conservatoire, New Delhi (for British Council)Adaptations for Oxford Stage Company(1989 – 1999Directed 14 plays by Shakespeare Oxford Stage CompanyNational tours throughout UKInternational tours to Japan and Far East)1998 Junk (adaptation of Melvyn Burgess’ novel) Oxford Stage Company 1998/2000 Oxford Playhouse & National Tour 1999 Winner of TMA award/ Best New Show for Young People 19992000 Bergen Theatre, NorwayPublished by Methuen2000 The Plague (adaptation of Camus’ novel)Dundee RepCompany of Angels2001 Hannah and HannaCompany of Angels tour in UK and Edinburgh 2001 - 2003Edinburgh FestivalWinner of Herald Angel AwardTMA Award/Best New Show for Young People nominee2004 – 2005 British Council tours to India, Malaysia and The Philippines2002—World Service radioPublished by Oberon, English Centre, Frenchs and Editions FontaineTranslated & produced in French, Swedish, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Hebrew & JapaneseOver 200 performances in Sweden and 100 in Belgium2002 The Toll Bridge (adaptation of Aidan Chamber's novel)Reading at Soho Theatre2002/2013 Wild Girl2002 Company of Angels/ Quicksilver tour 2004 Wederzijds tour of Holland & Belgium 2004 Runner-up/Hans Snoek Award, Amsterdam2013 Bristol Old Vic tour in co-production with Theatre Royal, Bath, Dukes Playhouse, Lancaster and Theatre Iolo, CardiffTranslated & produced in French and Dutch2002 Club AsylumCompany of Angels tour of ScotlandTron Theatre GlasgowPublished by OberonTranslated in French2003 The FoundlingBrighton Theatre Company tour of South-East2003 Common Ground Cardboard Citizens tour for homeless people in London2004 Ballroom National TourRiverside Studios LondonTranslated in French2004 Sweetpeter  (with Usifu Jalloh)Company of Angels National TourPolka Theatre LondonTranslated & performed in FrenchPublished by Methuen2005 Virgins Company of Angels National TourEdinburgh FestivalTranslated and performed in French, Swedish, GermanPublished by OberonOver 150 performances in Sweden2006 Risk Company of Angels Scottish & English tourTron Theatre GlasgowTranslated and performed in French and GermanPublished by Oberon and Les Solitaires Intempestifs2008 Theater an der Parkaue Berlin2012 Compagnie L’Interlude Tour of France 2013 Avignon Festival2007A Bridge to the Stars Cottesloe TheatreNational Theatre Connections Festival2008 Radio 4 Afternoon play2009Apples (Adapted from Richard Milward's novel)Company of Angels & Northern Stage NewcastleNational TourEdinburgh FestivalWinner of Herald Angel Award2010ArloPublic Reading for Company of Angels Theatre Café Southwark Playhouse2011Truant National Theatre of Scotland & Company of AngelsGlasgow tour2012Pictures at an ExhibitionBristol Old Vic Young Company2013The Last Days of Mankind with Toby Hulse (adapted from original text by Karl Kraus)Bristol Old Vic/Bristol Old Vic Theatre School2013The Outsider (adapted from Albert Camus’ novel)Radio 3 90 minute broadcast on centenary of Camus’ birth 3.11.13ArloRadio 4 Afternoon Play 26.11.13
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