Melbourne Theatre Company Artistic Director Brett Sheehy AO has announced that Sam Strong has renewed his contract with the Company and will continue in his role as Associate Artistic Director.
“Sam has brought extraordinary energy, skill and creativity to the role of Associate Artistic Director since day one, and I couldn’t be happier that he has extended his tenure at MTC,” says Brett Sheehy. “As one of Australia’s leading theatre directors, Sam is an artist of the highest calibre and one I am thrilled to continue working alongside.”
In the two years since Strong joined the Company he has directed five MTC productions, which were been seen by over 110,000 people. He also directed The Floating World at Griffin Theatre – for which he won Best Direction of a Mainstage Production at the 2013 Sydney Theatre Award.
His work at MTC has ranged from classics such as Private Lives and The Crucible to the hit international play Other Desert Cities, to new Australian plays including The Speechmaker and The Sublime. His productions have also embraced cross-artform collaboration seeing theatre debuts for artists such as screen comedy legends Working Dog, acclaimed visual artist Callum Morton and musical theatre star Lucy Durack.
MTC Associate Artistic Director Sam Strong said, “I love being a part of MTC’s leadership team working with Brett Sheehy and Virginia Lovett. It’s a rare opportunity as an artist to work across such a stylistically varied slate, and to work alongside such passionate and talented people in all areas of the Company. It’s also a rare privilege and a thrill to share your work with so many people.”
Strong has also made great contributions to the Company off-stage through his input to programming, mentoring of other directors, and involvement in artistic and business development.
MTC Executive Director Virginia Lovett said, “The stylistic range of Sam’s directorial output and his critical and commercial success is proof of his versatility as an artist. His ability to contribute to the over-all operation of MTC and provide guidance to other creatives only strengthens the argument that he’s not only a great director but a highly valued member of the MTC team.”
Sam Strong said, “I am excited by what the next stage of my tenure will bring. I’m looking forward to getting to know Melbourne audiences even better, to helping open up MTC to more new artists and audiences, and to thinking longer-term about developing the next landmark piece of Australian theatre.”
In 2015, Strong will direct Endgame and The Weir for MTC, and co-direct Masquerade with Lee Lewis in a Sydney Festival/Griffin Theatre co-production.
For more information, visit: www.mtc.com.au for details.
Image: Sam Strong – photo courtesy of Melbourne Theatre Company