Steven Atkinson
Steven Atkinson
Born
Steven Atkinson

(1984-05-04) 4 May 1984
Liverpool, Merseyside, England
Alma materUniversity of Reading
Occupation(s)Theatre producer, film producer
Years active2005–present

Steven Atkinson (born 4 May 1984)[1] is a British producer working in theatre and film.

He co-founded and led HighTide, one of the UK's theatre companies, as well as the National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England. Atkinson has commissioned and produced more than 80 new plays in theatres, including the National Theatre, The Old Vic, Royal Court Theatre, Young Vic, and Off-Broadway. In addition, he has produced at least 14 HighTide festivals in Suffolk and London.[2]

Education

Atkinson graduated from the University of Reading in 2005 with a B.A. in Film & Theatre.

Career

Early career

Atkinson's career first started in script development working at the Donmar Warehouse under Michael Grandage. He worked in the Royal Court under Ian Rickson and Hull Truck Theatre under John Godber.[3] Atkinson produced Hull Truck's first new writing festival in 2007.[4]

HighTide

In 2007, Atkinson co-founded and became artistic director of HighTide,[5] quickly establishing the theatre company as one of the leading production firms in the UK.

“Under artistic director Steven Atkinson, the festival – a tempting mixture of new productions, readings and discussions - has grown to become one of the little gems of the artistic calendar in Britain. And, with alumni such as Ella Hickson and Nick Payne poached in the past for shows at the National Theatre in London and the Public Theatre in New York, it has become a real hunting-ground for new talent.”[6]

In Atkinson's opening season at HighTide, he produced Adam Brace's Stovepipe. The production was then transferred from the HighTide Festival to London through the National Theatre and Bush Theatre, where it was critically acclaimed. The Sunday Times praised Atkinson's Stovepipe as "a five-star production in its power and ambition", while The Independent called it "exhilaratingly convincing."[7] The production was ranked in The Sunday Times Best Theatre Productions of the Decade[8] as well as nominated for Best Off-West End Production in the Whatsonstage awards. In the same season, Atkinson also produced Joel Horwood's I Caught Crabs In Walberswick, which transferred to the Bush Theatre.[9] He also produced Switzerland, the first play by Nick Payne who then went on to win the George Devine Award.

At HighTide, Atkinson produced and championed many of the leading new writers of the last decade, including Anders Lustgarten,[10] Luke Barnes,[11] Tallulah Brown,[12] E V Crowe,[13] Elinor Cook,[14] Rob Drummond,[15] Kenny Emson,[16] Kieran Hurley,[17] Theresa Ikoko,[18] Branden Jacobs-Jenkins,[19] Ella Hickson,[20] Eve Leigh,[21] Vinay Patel,[22] Nick Payne,[23] Beth Steel,[24] Al Smith,[25] Sam Steiner,[26] and Jack Thorne.[27]

In 2016, Atkinson gave an interview to The Stage where he spoke of his ambitions for HighTide Festival: ‘We want to be theatre’s Sundance.’[28]

Atkinson has been awarded twice for the Emerging Producers Bursary by the Society of London Theatre for his work on Stovepipe and Lidless. In 2009, he received another award by Esquire magazine as one of the 60 Brilliant Brits Shaping 2009.

In 2019, Atkinson stepped down from HighTide after twelve years to pursue new opportunities.[29]

London Theatre credits

Regional Theatre credits

Off-Broadway Theatre credits

59E59 Theaters

  • Peddling by Harry Melling, directed by Steven Atkinson (2014) NYT Critics' Pick[30]

The Public Theater

  • The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs by Mike Daisy, directed by Jean-Michelle Gregory (2012)[31]

Radio credits

BBC Radio 4

  • The Afghan and The Penguin by Michael Hastings, directed by Steven Atkinson (2012)
  • The Shores by Vinay Patel, directed by Jessica Dromgoole (2019)
  • Silver Darlings by Tallulah Brown, directed by Jessica Dromgoole (2019)

The Guardian

  • Lampedusa by Anders Lustgarten, directed by Steven Atkinson (2015)[32]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Stage Play Result
2009 Society of London Theatre New Producers' Award Stovepipe Won
2009 Whatsonstage Award for Best Off West End Production Stovepipe Nominated
2010 Fringe First Award Lidless Won
2011 Society of London Theatre New Producers' Award Lidless Won
2012 Fringe First Award Educating Ronnie Won
2016 Manchester Evening News Awards Best Production So Here We Are Won
2016 Manchester Evening News Awards Best Play So Here We Are Won
2017 Evening Standard Theatre Awards Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright Harrogate Nominated

References

  1. ↑ Lidless & Hickson's Talent Next up for Trafalgar 2 - Lidless at Trafalgar Studios (previously the Whitehall) - London - News - Whatsonstage.com
  2. ↑ "Home". hightide.org.uk.
  3. ↑ The Stage / News / Hull Truck expands senior team before £13.8m move
  4. ↑ "Hull Truck Launches New Festival". The Stage. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ↑ "Home". hightide.org.uk.
  6. ↑ Stebbing, Eve (5 May 2013). "HighTide Festival, Halesworth, Suffolk, review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  7. ↑ Bassett, Kate (15 March 2009). "Stovepipe, West 12 Shopping Centre, London". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022.
  8. ↑ "TLS - Times Literary Supplement".
  9. ↑ Bush Theatre Archived 23 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ "Lampedusa Soho Theatre London Review". The Guardian. 12 April 2015.
  11. ↑ "Edinburgh 2012: Bottleneck, Pleasance Courtyard, review". The Telegraph. 17 August 2012.
  12. ↑ Weigand, Chris (18 September 2018). "Tallulah Brown: 'Robert Redford was talking about dragons with our song in the background'". The Guardian.
  13. ↑ Stebbing, Eve (13 September 2015). "HighTide Festival, Aldeburgh, review: 'an inspiring programme'". The Telegraph.
  14. ↑ "Review: Pilgrims (HighTide Festival)". Whatsonstage. 12 September 2016.
  15. ↑ "Review: In Fidelity review – cheating hearts and audience chemistry". The Guardian. 22 August 2016.
  16. ↑ Williams, Holly (2 July 2019). "'Rust' review". Time Out.
  17. ↑ "Mouthpiece review: Touching and humane reflection on the responsibility of storytellers". Evening Standard. 8 April 2019.
  18. ↑ "Theatre: HighTide Festival at Aldeburgh, Suffolk". The Times. 13 September 2016.
  19. ↑ "Actors to wear blackface for 'hackle-raising' new play". The Guardian. 4 January 2013.
  20. ↑ "Boys, Soho Theatre, London". The Independent. 16 June 2012. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022.
  21. ↑ "The Trick's Eve Leigh: 'The more you enjoy your life, the better your work is going to be'". The Stage. 26 February 2019.
  22. ↑ "Playwright Vinay Patel: 'Putting on the play is not enough – it's who you get in the room'". The Stage. 11 September 2018.
  23. ↑ Billington, Michael (14 April 2014). "HighTide festival review – new plays put across with zest". The Guardian.
  24. ↑ "Ditch, Old Vic Tunnels, London". The Independent. 28 May 2010. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022.
  25. ↑ Bennion, Chris (25 October 2016). "Harrogate's dark, tender drama defies interpretation – review". The Telegraph.
  26. ↑ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (11 September 2016). "The second coming of Kanye: rapper is reborn as a woman in new play". The Guardian.
  27. ↑ Gardner, Lyn (13 August 2013). "Stuart: A Life Backwards – review". The Guardian.
  28. ↑ "HighTide Festival's Steven Atkinson: 'We want to be theatre's Sundance'". The Stage. 9 September 2016.
  29. ↑ "Steven Atkinson to step down as artistic director of HighTide, 2018 programme announced". Whatsonstage. 3 July 2018.
  30. ↑ "THEATER REVIEW A Lost Boy, Trying to Find His Way". The New York Times. 18 May 2014.
  31. ↑ "Mike Daisey gives anyone a free byte of his Steve Jobs play". The Guardian. 14 February 2012.
  32. ↑ Hill, Produced by Matt; Atkinson, Directed by Steven (11 June 2015). "Lampedusa by Anders Lustgarten - audio drama". The Guardian.
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