Hairspray

Ian Talbot was the Director and Artistic and Managing Director of the New Shakespeare Company,until last year. Ian has been associated with the company since 1971 and roles performed there include: Bottom - A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Sir Toby Belch - Twelfth Night; Trinculo The Tempest; Touchstone - As You Like It; Napoleon - Man Of Destiny and Dogberry - Much Ado About Nothing. He scored a great personal success as Lord Brockhurst in the last production The Boy Friend which he also directed.

With the RSC he has played, among others, the roles of Hortensio - The Taming Of The Shrew; Fool - King Lear; Trinculo -The Tempest; and Cornwall - Bond’s Lear.

In the West End, Ian played Max in Lend Me A Tenor at The Gielgud.

His directing credits include Joe Orton’s Good and Faithful Servant (RSC), The Secret Garden (Watermill Theatre, Newbury), The Pirates of Penzance (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and Kiss Me, Kate (Brisbane Festival).

For the New Shakespeare Company in Regent’s Park Ian has directed: Babes In Arms, The Fantasticks, Lady Be Good, The Card, Kiss Me, Kate and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (all nominated for Olivier Awards), Much Ado About Nothing, Androcles and the Lion, Look Here Old Son, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Conneticut Yankee, The Taming of the Shrew (Middle East Tour), The Comedy Of Errors, Paint Your Wagon, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Music Man, Where’s Charley?, The Pirates of Penzance (Olivier Nomination Best Director 2000), Camelot, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pirates Of Penzance, the much acclaimed H.M.S. Pinafore and last summer a return of Lady Be Good and The Boy Friend.

On television Ian has appeared in a number of productions, some of which include As Time Goes By, Heartbeat, Poirot and Midsomer Murders.

Ian was awarded the OBE in the 2007 Christmas honours.

Back to cast list