An Australian theatre director who gave new writers their first big chance has died. Ted Craig passed away aged 86. He led the Warehouse theatre in Croydon, south London, for more than 25 years. His partner, George Savvides, shared the news in an obituary.
Craig turned the small theatre into a champion of brand-new plays. In 1986 he started a playwriting festival that drew entries from around the world. It became the International Playwriting Festival in 1994 and ran until 2016. The first winner was Kevin Hood, whose next play moved on to the famous Royal Court.
Craig also created a hit series of musical comedies about Dick Barton, a hero from BBC radio. The first show was so popular it toured the country. Craig went on to direct eight more over the next ten years.
🔍 The Backstory
Ted Craig began his career in Australian television. He settled in Britain in 1979 after helping director Lindsay Anderson stage a production in Sydney. Anderson then asked him to direct Look Back in Anger in New York in 1980. Craig also worked on Anderson's 1981 film Britannia Hospital.
He took charge of the Warehouse in 1985. His first production was the premiere of David Allen's Cheapside, starring James Bolam. Craig was born in Melbourne to Hazel and Hugh Craig. He spent his working life making room for voices that had never been heard on stage before.
🎯 Why It Matters
Theatre needs new stories, and festivals like Craig's are where they are born. Many famous playwrights started on small stages like his. His life shows how one patient person can shape an art form for decades.
An Australian theatre director who gave new writers their first big chance has died. Ted Craig passed away aged 86. He led the Warehouse theatre in Croydon, south London, for more than 25 years. His partner, George Savvides, shared the news in an obituary.
Craig turned the small theatre into a champion of brand-new plays. In 1986 he started a playwriting festival that drew entries from around the world. It became the International Playwriting Festival in 1994 and ran until 2016. The first winner was Kevin Hood, whose next play moved on to the famous Royal Court.
Craig also created a hit series of musical comedies about Dick Barton, a hero from BBC radio. The first show was so popular it toured the country. Craig went on to direct eight more over the next ten years.
Ted Craig began his career in Australian television. He settled in Britain in 1979 after helping director Lindsay Anderson stage a production in Sydney. Anderson then asked him to direct Look Back in Anger in New York in 1980. Craig also worked on Anderson's 1981 film Britannia Hospital.
He took charge of the Warehouse in 1985. His first production was the premiere of David Allen's Cheapside, starring James Bolam. Craig was born in Melbourne to Hazel and Hugh Craig. He spent his working life making room for voices that had never been heard on stage before.
Theatre needs new stories, and festivals like Craig's are where they are born. Many famous playwrights started on small stages like his. His life shows how one patient person can shape an art form for decades.