Chris Monks

Chris Monks succeeded Alan Ayckbourn as Artistic Director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre on 1 April 2009.

A theatre director and writer, he has a history of producing exciting, imaginative theatre in the round; the majority of his work has been for The New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme, The Orange Tree Theatre, Bolton Octagon and the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester.

His writing for the stage and his innovative music theatre adaptations have won him critical acclaim. Chris' adaptation of Don Giovanni for the New Vic was nominated for Best Musical Production at the 2008 Theatrical Management Association Awards.

Born in Sheffield, he studied woodwinds and jazz composition at The Leeds College of Music. After graduating he joined The Royal Exchange Theatre Company, where he has composed the scores for over 50 productions including: The Count of Monte Cristo, Riddley Walker, Oedipus, and Class K. He remains an Associate Director of the company.

During the 1980s Chris wrote the songs for Trafford Tanzi, for Contact Theatre, Manchester and was Musical Director on Lennon for the Everyman, Liverpool. Tanzi, eventually took Chris to New York, working alongside Debbie Harry and Andy Kaufman. Lennon, arguably the first successful actor/musician show, transferred to the West End, New York and Australia.

Following several years working as an actor, musician, composer and musical director he began to direct. His first professional production was Music Hall at The Bolton Octagon in 1990. In 2006 he returned there to direct Absurd Person Singular.

Through the 1990s his freelance directing career included productions for D'O'yly Carte Opera (The Count of Luxembourg), The Belgrade, Coventry (Romeo and Juliet), and Salisbury Playhouse (Blues in the Night).

In 1995 he directed his reworking of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado for The New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme. Since then his music theatre adaptations have been an essential part of that company's repertoire. His work at the New Vic includes: Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, Sweeney Todd, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Billy Liar, Oliver! and On Golden Pond.

Chris is also involved in Drama training; he helped found the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester, and is a guest director and lecturer and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

His writing for the stage includes: The Bat (2005), Beauty and the Beast (2003), and Trojan Women (2000). Big Nose! (1999) was co-written with Kwame Kwei-Armah. Don Giovanni (2008) completes a trilogy of Mozart adaptations, alongside The Magic Flute (1999) and The Marriage of Figaro (2002).