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Dead Letter Perfect in association with Park Theatre present the World Premiere of

Stray Dogs

By Olivia Olsen

WRITER I OLIVIA OLSEN
DIRECTOR I ROBIN HERFORD
SOUND DESIGNER I HARRY JOHNSON


ROBIN HERFORD

Robin read Philosophy and English at St Andrews University and trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

His theatrical activity has been somewhat haphazardly divided between acting and directing.

Much of his early career was involved with Alan Ayckbourn and the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough. Joining the company in 1976 as an actor, he was appointed Associate Director in 1979 and was Artistic Director from 1986 - 1988. Robin has appeared in the original production of more Ayckbourn plays than any other actor. From Ten Time Table in 1977 to Henceforward… in 1987, and including the monster 16 play two-hander, Intimate Exchanges. He went to London with Season’s Greetings and Suburban Strains (Roundhouse); Intimate Exchanges (Ambassadors) and Henceforward… (Vaudeville).

While Artistic Director at Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, he commissioned and directed Stephen Mallatratt’s phenomenally successful adaptation of The Woman In Black, which has been running in the West End for 30 years, and has completed twelve national tours. He has also directed productions of the play abroad: in Tokyo (in Japanese), America, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.

Other London productions include: The Glory of the Garden (Duke of York’s Theatre, London); Rough Justice (Apollo Theatre, London) Joking Apart; The Importance of being Earnest (Greenwich Theatre); The Secret of Sherlock Holmes (Duchess Theatre, London).

Directorial credits:

Serjeant Musgraves Dance; All My Sons; Twelfth Night; Old Times; Clouds; Butley; She Stoops to Conquer; The Beaux Stratagem; Touch Wood and Whistle; Calling; Spokesong; Getting on; Tapster; Just Between Ourselves; Forty Years On; A Going Concern; What Every Woman Knows (all Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough), Hard Times (Warehouse Theatre, Croydon), Last of The Red Hot Lovers (Old Laundry Theatre, Bowness-on-Windermere), Ten Times Table; Sisterly Feelings; Woman In Mind; The Constant Wife (Theatre Royal, Windsor), Man of the Moment (Chester Gateway Theatre), Absent Friends; Same Time Next Year (world tours), Bedroom Farce (Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh), A Going Concern (Nuffield Theatre, Southampton); Time of my life; Taking steps; Perfect Days (Derby Playhouse), Talking Heads; April In Paris (Exeter Northcott Theatre), Time and Time Again (Salisbury Playhouse); The Rivals (Vienna), Hay Fever (Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke), Educating Rita; Sugar Daddies (The Mill at Sonning), The Price (New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-Under-Lyme), Boeing Boeing; Bedroom Farce; Sugar Daddies; Taking Steps; Private Lives; Blithe Spirit; An Inspector Calls; The Mortal Ash; Proof; The Turn of The Screw; Driving Miss Daisy (Oldham Coliseum).

National tours:

Yes, Prime Minister; Relatively Speaking; Confusions; Time and Time Again; Corpse!; Strangers on Train; Arsenic and Old Lace; The Hound of the Baskervilles; Bedroom Farce; Season’s Greetings; Rain Man; Duet for One.

As an actor, Robin’s radio credits are numerous, and his TV appearances include Only Fools and Horses; Casualty and The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. Recently he has played the lead role of Arthur Kipps in The Woman in Black in Singapore, India, Hong Kong and New Zealand, and earlier two years ago played George in Killing Time at PARK90, which transferred to 59E59 theatre in New York, and, as it was a recorded part, he was simultaneously on stage in Visitors at the Coliseum, Oldham.