Michael
Longhurst

Michael is an award-winning stage director. His smash-hit production of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus featuring orchestral accompaniment from the Southbank Sinfonia, opened to exceptional reviews at the National Theatre in 2016 and completed two sell-out engagements in the Olivier (the longest running show there since Warhorse).

His civil rights-era musical Caroline, or Change, starring Sharon D Clarke, completed sell-out runs at Chichester and Hampstead and will transfer to the West End in November 2018 with ATG.

His Royal Court production of Nick Payne’s Constellations transferred to the West End (starring Sally Hawkins and Rafe Spall) and Broadway (starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson) winning the Evening Standard Award for Best Play as well as receiving Olivier, Drama Desk and Tony nominations. Its UK tour won Three Manchester Theatre Awards before returning to the West End alongside Bad Jews, also enjoying its second West End run.

Michael previously directed Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal in his American stage debut at the Roundabout Theatre, New York in Nick Payne’s If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet.

He has developed and directed new plays across the UK including Adam Brace’s Stovepipe about the Rebuild Iraq Project; a promenade co-production with the National Theatre, which featured in the Sunday Times ‘Best Theatre of the Decade’ list.

Michael is also a recipient of the Jerwood Directors Award at the Young Vic (Dirty Butterfly) and a Fringe First (Guardians). 

He trained in directing at Mountview after reading Philosophy at Nottingham University. 

In 2015, the Evening Standard named Michael as one of the 1000 most influential Londoners. He also appears in The Stage 100.