Trevor Nunn

Trevor Nunn – Life, Career, and Notable Insights

: Explore the life and legacy of Sir Trevor Nunn, the English theatre, film, and opera director—his formative years, landmark productions, philosophy, and enduring impact on stage and screen.

Introduction

Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is one of Britain’s foremost theatre directors, celebrated for his bold stagings of Shakespeare, his deft handling of musicals, and his versatility across opera, television, and film. Over decades, he has led institutions such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre, and has shaped how modern audiences experience classic works and large-scale musical theatre. Today his influence spans many forms of performance, and his directorial legacy continues to be studied and honored.

Early Life and Family

Trevor Nunn was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, on 14 January 1940. His parents were Dorothy May (née Piper) and Robert Alexander Nunn, who worked as a cabinetmaker. As a child, he loved reading, especially classic literature; a pivotal influence was an aunt who let him borrow and eventually gave him the complete works of Shakespeare.

Nunn attended Northgate Grammar School, Ipswich, where he was encouraged by an English teacher, Peter Hewett, who recognized his flair for theatre and urged him to pursue Cambridge. From there, he earned a place at Downing College, Cambridge, where he immersed himself in theatre.

While at Cambridge, Nunn directed Macbeth for the Marlowe Society and worked with Footlights. He also won a director’s scholarship to train at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry in 1962. This early mix of classical and experimental theatre shaped his taste for blending high art, popular forms, and bold staging.

Career and Achievements

Royal Shakespeare Company & Early Leadership

In 1964, Nunn joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), initially as an associate director, and by 1968 he became its Artistic Director, a post he held until 1986 (later sharing responsibility with Terry Hands). Under his stewardship, the RSC expanded its ambition—staging intricate Shakespearean revivals, large ensemble works, and daring new adaptations.

A hallmark of his RSC years was a willingness to deconstruct conventional stagecraft. For example, in his 1976 Macbeth, Nunn seated not-on-stage actors (those not in the current scene) on wooden crates near the playing area, dissolving the boundary between actors and audience. He also helmed The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (co-directed with John Caird), a multi-hour, epic adaptation of Dickens’s novel, which became a landmark in British theatre.

Musicals and Commercial Success

Beyond Shakespeare, Nunn made his name in musical theatre. He directed Cats (1981) and went on to helm the first English production of Les Misérables (1985), in collaboration with John Caird. These shows became international blockbusters, with long West End and Broadway runs.

He also directed Starlight Express, Sunset Boulevard, Oklahoma!, The Woman in White, and many others. His ability to cross from classical drama to mass-appeal musicals made him relatively rare among his peers.

In 1997, Nunn became Artistic Director of the Royal National Theatre, holding the position until 2003. There, he expanded the repertory, directed new plays and revivals, and deepened the institution’s public reach.

Theatre Royal Haymarket & Later Work

From 2011 onward, Nunn has been associated with the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London. He has directed productions there such as Flare Path, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Tempest, and The Lion in Winter.

He remains active in directing new works: in 2023, for instance, he directed The Score at Theatre Royal, Bath (later transferred to Haymarket).

Opera, Film & Television

Nunn’s range extends beyond theatre. He has directed opera (for example, at Glyndebourne) and has adapted productions for television. His Glyndebourne Porgy and Bess was restaged for television in 1993.

As for film, his credits include:

• Hedda (1975), an adaptation of Hedda Gabler starring Glenda Jackson

• Lady Jane (1986)

• Twelfth Night: Or What You Will (1996)

• Red Joan (2018)

On television, he has directed televised versions of Othello, King Lear, Nicholas Nickleby, The Merchant of Venice, among others.

Awards & Recognition

Throughout his career, Nunn has been honored with numerous accolades:

• Multiple Tony Awards, including for Cats, Nicholas Nickleby, Les Misérables

• Laurence Olivier Awards, including for Summerfolk / The Merchant of Venice / Troilus and Cressida and Nicholas Nickleby

• Lifetime recognitions: Nunn was knighted in 2002 for services to theatre.

• He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors’ Guild of Great Britain in 2003.

His reputation as both an institutional leader and an adventurous director places him among the most influential figures in modern British theatre.

Legacy and Influence

Trevor Nunn’s contributions lie not just in box office success or awards, but in how he bridged high art and mass culture, classical theatre and popular musicals, and how he pushed boundaries of theatrical form.

• Synthesis of genres: He was among the first to bring Shakespeare into the same orbit as musicals and operatic scale, showing that rigorous drama and spectacle could co-exist.

• Institutional transformation: Under his leadership, the RSC and National Theatre expanded reach, repertory, and ambition.

• Global imprint: His productions have toured worldwide; his musicals have seen countless revivals, and his staging choices continue to influence directors globally.

• Textual reinterpretation: His readings of Shakespeare and classics often involved spatial experimentation, actor placement, and breaking the “fourth wall.”

• Mentorship and platforming: Through his institutional roles he fostered new directors, actors, and design teams, embedding his aesthetic values in upcoming talent.

In combination, Nunn’s legacy is not just the productions he created, but the paradigm he offered: theatre that risks, transforms, and converses with audiences across eras.

Personality, Approach & Directing Philosophy

While public commentary from Nunn is more measured than theatrical, several traits emerge:

• Ambitious and risk-taking: He frequently undertakes large, complex projects—Nicholas Nickleby, Les Misérables, Porgy and Bess—that require bold coordination.

• Textual respect: Even while innovating, Nunn holds fidelity to authorial intent; his departures tend to emerge from textual questions, not mere spectacle.

• Collaborative spirit: He has often worked with co-directors (e.g. John Caird) or delegated segments to designers, especially in musicals.

• Adaptability: Over decades, he has shifted between theatre, musicals, opera, TV, and film—adjusting his style to suit medium while preserving his voice.

His directorial process is known to be exacting, with attention to detail in staging, movement, and how space is inhabited. His works often ask the audience to inhabit the emotional or moral space of the text, not remain distant.

Selected Notable Productions

Here are a few standout works that illustrate Nunn’s range and impact:

• Cats (1981) – A landmark in musical theatre, combining dance, spectacle, and emotional resonance.

• Les Misérables (1985, London) – One of the most enduring musicals globally; its first English production under Nunn established standards of scale and gravitas.

• The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby – Dickens adaptation that pushed theatrical form and ensemble work.

• Macbeth (1976 production) – Innovative staging that challenged spectator/actor dynamics.

• Hedda (1975 film) – His adaptation of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler for the screen.

• Twelfth Night: Or What You Will (1996) – A cinematic adaptation of Shakespeare’s play.

• Recent: The Score (2023) – A new stage production showing his continued active presence in the theatre world.

Memorable Ideas & Reflections

While Nunn is less quoted in popular media than writers or actors, a few reflections and ideas about his craft resonate:

• He once observed that the line between classical theatre and popular culture should not be rigid—both can inform each other and enrich the experience of audiences.

• In interviews he emphasizes that theatre must continue to evolve—visually, spatially, sensorially—even when dealing with centuries-old texts.

• He has acknowledged that in directing musicals, emotion and narrative must remain central—spectacle should serve story, not overshadow it.

These guiding ideas help explain his dual loyalty to integrity of text and openness to innovation.

Lessons from Trevor Nunn

From his life and work, we can draw several lasting lessons for theatre makers, directors, and artists generally:

1. Embrace both tradition and innovation
   Nunn’s work shows that you can honor canonical texts while rethinking how they live in space, time, and audience awareness.

2. Scale with care
   Large spectacles (musicals, ensemble productions) demand rigorous internal logic—successful ones, like his Cats or Les Misérables, are more than glitz; they integrate character, music, and narrative.

3. Institutional leadership as artist’s canvas
   By leading major theatres, Nunn used institutional power to broaden theatrical possibilities, launching new voices and ambitious works.

4. Cross-disciplinary flexibility
   Moving between theatre, opera, film, and television sharpens one’s sense of what each medium affords—and constraints demand creativity.

5. Longevity through adaptation
   Over decades, Nunn evolved without losing his artistic core: a love for text, interest in staging innovation, and commitment to connecting with audiences.

Conclusion

Sir Trevor Nunn stands as a titan of modern theatre—someone who has shaped how we stage Shakespeare, how musicals feel emotionally grounded, and how institutions can be both imaginative and sustainable. His career demonstrates that bold ambition and textual sensitivity need not be mutually exclusive.