Sam Brown

Sam Brown is a theatre and opera director based in London. He read Classics at Oxford and studied on the MFA in Theatre Directing at Birkbeck College, London. In 2006-7 he was Assistant Director at West Yorkshire Playhouse and in 2009-11 Staff Director at Opera North.

In 2011 with designer Annemarie Woods he won the European Opera Directing Prize and the Ring Award. This was the first time any director had ever won both.

As assistant director at West Yorkshire Playhouse he directed the premiere of Oliver Emanuel's new play on commission, Magpie Park (Guardian critics' pick), and in 2011 he directed Over Gardens Out by Peter Gill at Riverside Studios.

He has worked in opera houses across Europe including Italy, France, Austria, Germany and Switzerland. 2012/13 he directed "Sigurd the Dragonslayer" at Bayerische Staatsoper München, "Jacob Lenz" at Englisch National Opera, "I Capuleti e i Montecchi" at Teatro Sociale di Como, "The Gypsy Baron" at Theater Klagenfurt, "The Triumph of Time and Truth" at Karlsruher Händelfestspiele, "The importance of being Earnest" (World scenic premiere) at Opera National de Lorraine in Nancy, "La Cenerentola" at Luzerner Theatre. 

In 2014 he will direct "Robin Hood" by Frank Schwemmer at Zürich Opera, "La Favorite" by Geatano Denizetti" at Opera Graz and "Candide" at Opera National de Lorraine in Nancy.

As a writer and performer he co-devised the sell-out Edinburgh Fringe hit show Learn To Play The Ukulele In Under An Hour (How George Formby Saved My Life) with comedy writer Donal Coonan.