STAGES Episode 634: WAYNE HARRISON

Wayne Harrison is one of Australia’s most accomplished and sought-after theatre directors and creative producers, with an extensive career spanning Australia, the UK, Europe and North America.As Director/CEO of Sydney Theatre Company from 1990 to 1999, he directed more than 40 productions, including The Normal Heart, A Little Night Music, Dead White Males, Into the Woods, Medea and Two Weeks With the Queen. His tenure was marked by bold programming and an ambitious expansion of the company’s artistic profile.From 1999 to 2002, Harrison was based in London as Creative Director of SFX/Back Row and Clear Channel Entertainment (Europe), working on international hits including Gumboots, Tap Dogs, Slava’s Snowshow, Fosse and Mum’s the Word, directing productions worldwide.His diverse directing credits range from Sunday in the Park with George at NIDA to The One Day of the Year in London, Letter to Larry in Paris and For Crying Out Loud in Canada. In Las Vegas he directed Human Nature – The Motown Show at The Venetian. Wayne co-wrote and directed Absinthe for Ross Mollison’s Spiegelworld in Las Vegas. The show, at Caesars Palace, is now in its 16th year. Wayne was Creative Director of Sydney Harbour’s New Year’s Eve celebrations (2005–2007) and directed the Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. Other highlights include Sunset Boulevard for The Production Company (Green Room Award – Best Director), End of the Rainbow, Just Macbeth for Bell Shakespeare, and the acclaimed comedy Codgers, later adapted into a feature film.Equally at home in intimate drama, large-scale spectacle and musical theatre, Wayne Harrison continues to shape contemporary performance with vision, wit and international reach.The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au