Michael Oakley
2008 JMK Award Winner
Michael was born in Ipswich and was a pupil at Copleston High School. Before going to university he was employed as the Globe Education Gap-Year Assistant at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. He went on to study English/Writing and Performance at the University of York where he directed full-scale productions of Much Ado About Nothing, The Duchess of Malfi, The Winter's Tale, Agamemnon, Sexual Perversity in Chicago and Betrayal.
Michael returned to Globe in 2007 as the assistant director on Globe Education's landmark project Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank, and also worked on their revival of Much Ado About Nothing which toured internationally, in early 2008.
He was a runner-up of the 2007 JMK Award with his proposal of Racine's Phaedra and also assisted on Mike Packer's play tHe dYsFUnCKshOnalZ! at the Bush Theatre. Michael directed Graceland by Gabriel Bisset-Smith as part of The 24 Hour plays - Old Vic: New Voices at The Old Vic Theatre.
Michael's previous reviews:
Michael Oakley's Much Ado About Nothing is a sumptuous, consummate affair. His direction is innovative, even ingenious.
The Duchess of Malfi, directed by Michael Oakley, is a slick production that possesses tremendous performances, a strong visual style and a tightly maintained ambiance of creeping menace.
Moving and majestic, Michael Oakley's captivating production magnifies the magic of the play. The Winter's Tale .
Michael Oakley's production is highly impressive. The acting is raw, charged and powerful." Agamemnon.
Simple, bold and confident, this sweltering hot production is smooth and fun. Sexual Perversity in Chicago.
"Outstanding...a mature, subtle and sensitive production" Betrayal.
All quotes from York Newspaper, York Vision.