NICOLAS KENT is a freelance theatre, television and radio director. He started his career at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1967 as a ABC TV trainee Theatre director going on to be Artistic Director of the Watermill Theatre in Newbury in 1970. He was then Associate Director of the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh before becoming a co-director of the Oxford Playhouse Company 1976 – 1981.

He was appointed Artistic Director of the Tricycle Theatre in London in 1984 and was there for almost 30 years. In 2006 he was the recipient of an Evening Standard Special Theatre Award for “Pioneering Political Theatre” for his work there. Whilst working at the Tricycle his production of Bloody Sunday won an Olivier Award, and his productions of Guantanamo (which later transferred to the West End and off-Broadway)

and the 7 hour trilogy The Great Game (which later toured the USA) were both nominated for Olivier Awards. On leaving the Tricycle Theatre in 2012 he was awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Brent, and a Lifetime Achievement award from the Theatre Managers’ Association as well as the Peter Brook Empty Space Lifetime Achievement Award.

Whilst at the Tricycle Theatre he co-produced in the West End: Stones in His Pockets by Marie Jones,The 39 Steps by Patrick Barlow, The Price and Broken Glass by Arthur Miller and Ain’t Misbehavin and later in 2013

Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing with Vanessa Redgrave & James Earl Jones directed by Mark Rylance at the Old Vic.

He has directed plays in well over 150 theatres around the world including Japan, East Africa, the Far East Bangladesh, Iraq, Egypt, Seoul, Hong Kong and the USA.

His most notable recent Theatre productions have included:

2024 The Most Precious of Goods by Jean-Claude Grumberg, translator: Nicolas Kent
Marylebone Theatre, London.

2023 Grenfell: System Failure by Richard Norton-Taylor & Nicolas Kent
Playground, Tabernacle and Marylebone Theatres, London.

2022 Playboy of the West Indies – the Musical by Mustapha Matura.
Birmingham Rep

2021 Grenfell: Value Engineering by Richard Norton-Taylor
Tabernacle Theatre & Birmingham Rep
and as 2 episodes for Channel 4 TV

2019 Happy New Year by David Greig adapted by David Kramer
Fugard Theatre, Capetown

2018 Mark Thomas Check-up Our NHS @70
Traverse Edinburgh (Fringe First) and on tour.
London: Arcola Theatre & BAC and Command Performance for the Chief Medical officer for England – Department of Health

2017 All the President’s Men? by Nicolas Kent
National Theatre at the Vaudeville Theatre & The Public Theater New York

2016 Another World: losing our children to Islamic State by Gillian Slovo
National Theatre

Drones Baby Drones by Ron Hutchinson, Christina Lamb & David Greig
Arcola Theatre

2014 The Nightmares of Carlos Fuentes by Rashid Razaq
Arcola Theatre

2012 The Letter of Last Resort* by David Greig
Traverse Theatre also Command Performance for the Admiralty.

2012 The Riots by Gillian Slovo
Bernie Grant Theatre, Tottenham (Time Out Award).

Notable productions in London and Internationally
apart from those at the Tricycle Theatre before 2012:

2010/11 The Great Game* – a 7 hour trilogy (Olivier award nomination)
by Richard Bean, Lee Blessing, David Edgar, David Greig, Amit Gupta, Ron Hutchinson, Stephen Jeffreys, Abi Morgan, Ben Ockrent, Simon Stephens, Colin Teevan, Joy Wilkinson
Toured to the Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, Berkeley Rep, Shakespeare Theater, Washington, Public Theater as well as a Command performance for Pentagon staff in February 2011.

2004-6 Guantanamo by Victoria Brittain & Gillian Slovo (Olivier Award Nomination) Ambassadors Theatre – London, Culture Project New York, Brava Theatre, San Francisco. Special performance in the US House of Congress, Capitol Hill.

2005 Blood Sunday* by Richard Norton-Taylor (Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement) Belfast Opera House & Abbey Theatre – Dublin Theatre Festival

1999-2000 Colour of Justice – The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry* by Richard Norton-Taylor Victoria Palace Theatre and National Theatre, London and UK tour

1996 Srebrenica* by Nicolas Kent
Belfast Festival, Tricycle Theatre & National Theatre

1995 Ain’t Misbehavin by Richard Maltby Jnr
Lyric Theatre – Shaftesbury Avenue, London

1994 Half the Picture – the Scott Arms to Iraq Inquiry* by Richard Norton-Taylor & John McGrath
The Tricycle and Freeway Films for the BBC – the first play ever to be performed in the Houses of Parliament.

1989 Pentecost* by Stewart Parker
Lyric Hammersmith & BBC2 TV.

1988 Trinidad Sisters by Mustapha Matura
Donmar Warehouse, London

1986 The Great White Hope by Howard Sackler
The Tricycle Theatre 1986 and The Royal Shakespeare Company 1987
Mermaid Theatre, London

1985 The Playboy of the West Indies* by Mustapha Matura
Oxford Playhouse, Tricycle Theatre (1984,1994,2004)
Chicago International Theatre Festival (1988) & BBC2 TV (1985).

Notable productions in London before he became Director of the Tricycle Theatre:

Class Enemy (1978), Trial Run (1980) both by Nigel Williams
Young Vic, London

Love of a Good Man (1979) and No End of Blame (1981) both by Howard Barker
Royal Court, London.

The Workshop* by Jean-Claude Grumberg translated by Tom Kempinski
The Hampstead Theatre, London (1981) & The American Jewish Theatre New York (1993)

You are my Heart’s Delight by C.P. Taylor
Soho Poly Theatre, London (1975)

*Later Broadcast by the BBC
Available on the Guardian Big Listen 8.09.24

Television Productions as Director include:

2022 GRENFELL: Scenes from the Inquiry by Richard Norton-Taylor
Channel 4 in 2 x 1 hour+ episodes.

2004 JUSTIFYING WAR: Scenes from the Hutton Inquiry by Richard Norton-Taylor.
BBC 3 TV.

1998 THE COLOUR OF JUSTICE: – Scenes from the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry by Richard Norton-Taylor.
BBC 2 TV.

1993 HALF THE PICTURE: Scenes from the Arms to Iraq Inquiry by Richard Norton-Taylor & John McGrath.
BBC 2 TV.

1993 PENTECOST by Stewart Parker. Play of the week
BBC 2 TV

1984 PLAYBOY OF THE WEST INDIES by Mustapha Matura. Play of the week
BBC 2 TV

1983 OCEANS APART by Olwen Wymark & THE PRODIGAL GRANDFATHER by Donald Churchill
Sharing Time series: 2 x 50 episodes
BBC 2 TV

1983 THE WORKSHOP by Jean Claude Grumberg-translated by Tom Kempinski
Play of the week
BBC 2 TV

As Co-Producer
BORN IN THE RSA by Barney Simon (1985)
Channel 4 TV Play

MACBETH by Shakespeare (1974)
Iraq State TV – London Shakespeare Group production recorded in the studio in Baghdad

Radio Productions as Director include:

2022 SUNRISE by Amit Gupta BBC Radio 4 (repeated 2022)

2019 THIS IS YOUR COUNTRY TOO series of 5 plays about Child refugees
as Deviser for BBC Radio 4

2015 THE PRICE OF OIL week-long series of 7 plays as Deviser for BBC Radio 4
(repeated 2023) and as Director: STAND FIRM, YOU CADS and BABY OIL by Jonathan Myerson, LOOKING FOR BILLY by Nigel Williams and NO TWO DAYS by Joy Wilkinson

2013 LETTER OF LAST RESORT by David Greig BBC Radio 4

2010 THE CONFLICT IS OVER by Michael Eaton BBC Radio 4

2007 CALLED TO ACCOUNT by Richard Norton-Taylor BBC Radio 4

2006 BLOODY SUNDAY by Richard Norton-Taylor BBC Radio 4
Irish Radio Drama Award winner.

1997 NUREMBERG by Richard Norton-Taylor
from the original Tricycle Theatre stage production
BBC World Service

As writer:
1997 SREBRENICA by Nicolas Kent BBC World Service

Awards

The Great White Hope
by Howard Sackler
– TIME OUT Best Fringe production

Guantanamo
by Victoria Brittain & Gillian Slovo
– Nomination OLIVIER Award Special Achievement

Bloody Sunday 
by Richard Norton-Taylor
– OLIVIER Award for Special Achievement

Tricycle Theatre 
Evening Standard Drama Awards
– Special award for pioneering political theatre

The Great Game – Afghanistan
– Nomination: OLIVIER Award Special Achievement

The Riots 
– TIME OUT What’s on Stage Best Off-West End Production 2012

Mark Thomas Check up:Our NHS@70
– The Scotsman FRINGE FIRST Edinburgh Festival 

Personal Awards

Honorary Doctorate of Letters
– Westminster University 2008

Theatre Managers’ Association Special Achievement Award 2008

Liberty Human Rights Arts Award 2011

Peter Brook Empty Space Special Achievement Award 2012

Granted the Freedom of the London Borough of Brent 2012

List of boards served on

British Actors’ Equity:
Directors’ Committee & Afro-Asian Committee

Arts Council of Great Britain:
Drama Panel

Council Member:
Arts Council of England – London Office

Founder member:
Mayor of London’s Cultural Strategy Group

Governing Body:
Central School of Speech and Drama

Council Member:
Architectural Association

Shakespeare’s Globe:
Artistic Directorate + Governing Body

Board Member:
Waterman’s Arts Centre – Brentford

Board Member:
English Pen

External Assessor:
for the Irish Arts Council for the Irish National Theatre,
The Abbey Theatre, Dublin

Currently

Patron:
Muslim/Jewish Youth Theatre

UK Friends of Healing Focus
(An orphanage school in Uganda of 250 pupils)

Regent Street Cinema Management Advisory Board

Civil Liberties Trust, the parent board of LIBERTY

Visitors’ Arts Foundation, which he co-founded