Positions Held
- Ayr Gaiety Theatre: Creative Producer (Pantomime)
- Cumbernauld Theatre: Executive Producer Christmas Production 2024
- Artistic Director, Royal Court Theatre Liverpool
- Artistic Director, Perth Theatre
- Artistic Director Byre Theatre St Andrews
- Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer Scheme Assessment Panel 2013 and 2024 (National Theatre of Scotland), and Interview Panel 2018 (Dundee Rep).
- Scottish Society of Playwrights Fellowship Awards: Assessment Panel Musical Theatre Matters (MTM) Awards Judging Panel, Edinburgh Festival.
- Borderline Theatre: Consultant Director. Royal Conservatoire of Scotland: Guest Director; External Examiner.
- Queen Margaret University: Guest Director; External Examiner.
- Ohio Northern University: International Guest Artist.
- Ohio Arts Council: Onsite Assessor
- Associate Director Nuffiled Theatre Southampton
KEN INTERVIEW
Tally’s Blood
Representation
Cary Parsons, Cary Parsons Management
Ken's Bio
Ken Alexander is seasoned theatre director and writer. He was the recipient of a Scottish Arts Council Trainee Directors Bursary at Perth Theatre and trained under the guidance and mentorship of Artistic Director Joan Knight, OBE.
Weaving narratives with creativity and precision, his works illuminate the human experience and captivate audiences with vibrant storytelling, insight and imaginative direction.
“…deeply enjoyable, intelligent and satisfying… the whole production is pulled together by Ken Alexander with a passionate attention to detail that creates a show of impressive elegance” Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman
‘Into the Woods’ by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, Scottish Professional Premiere, Byre Theatre, St Andrews
Elsewhere Ken’s notable productions include “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” and “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams, the Scottish professional premieres of “A Passionate Woman” by Kay Mellor, “Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, “Master Class” by Terrence McNally and The Secret Garden by Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon (Byre Theatre), “Oliver!” by Lionel Bart (Nominated for CATS ‘Best Ensemble’), “Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off” by Liz Lochhead, “The Deep Blue Sea” by Terence Rattigan, “The Slab Boys” by John Byrne, the Scottish professional premiere of “Little Shop of Horrors” by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, the premiere of “A Sense of Justice” by Vivien Adam and “Sabina!” by Chris Dolan (Perth Theatre), “Ladies Day” by Amanda Whittington, “Lucky Numbers” by Mike Yeaman, and the premiere of Laurel and Hardy’s “Sons of the Desert”, which Ken also adapted for the stage (Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool).
As a director Ken has embraced a broad range of theatre styles. He has created work in intimate studio theatres and ‘found’ spaces to medium and large-scale venues. Ken enjoyed a very fruitful association with Pitlochry Festival Theatre in the Scottish Highlands, directing thirteen productions over a number of years, notably “The Grapes of Wrath” adapted by Frank Galati from the novel by John Steinbeck, “Bus Stop” by William Inge, “Good Things” by Liz Lochhead, “Outlying Islands” by David Greig, “Passing Places” by Stephen Greenhorn, “Dr Angelus” by James Bridie “Noises Off” by Michael Frayn, “Stepping Out” by Richard Harris, and the premiere of “Whisky Galore – a Musical” adapted from the novel by Compton Mackenzie by Shona McKee McNeil and Ian Hammond Brown, for which he was nominated as ‘Best Director’ by the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland.
Ken followed his training with a spell as Associate Director to Patrick Sandford at the Nuffield Theatre in Southampton. He was subsequently appointed Artistic Director at the Byre Theatre in St Andrews, steering the theatre through a major programme of artistic and building development that saw the Byre Theatre re-housed in a brand-new state-of-the-art theatre. He went on to serve as Artistic Director at Perth Theatre, taking the theatre through one of its most prosperous periods in recent years, with record box office results and widely recognised artistic success. He went on to have a similar success as Artistic Director at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool. He has worked as a Consultant Director for Scottish Touring company Borderline Theatre and for a significant part of his career has worked extensively as a freelance director – in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England as well as occasional international work in Ireland, Austria and the USA.
On tour Ken has directed “Bondagers” by Sue Glover, “Tally’s Blood” by Ann Marie Di Mambro, the premiere of “Misty’s Magical Adventure” by Alan McHugh, “The Odd Couple” by Neil Simon “A Happy Medium” by Dorothy Paul and John Bett, the sketch shows “Hormonal Housewives” by Julie Coombe and John MacIsaac, “Sex in Suburbia” by Claire Sweeney and Mandy Muden and the highly successful premiere of Anne Downie’s play “Parking Lot In Pittsburgh”.
Ken also enjoys directing pantomime and for the last five years has been leading on the development of in-house produced pantomime for the Gaiety Theatre in Ayr, as Creative Producer and Director. Ken also directs regularly for Michael Harrison and Crossroads Pantomimes (formerly QDOS Pantomimes) at venues that have included Richmond Theatre, Nottingham Theatre Royal, Plymouth Theatre Royal, the Derngate & Royal in Northampton and the New Theatre in Cardiff with a host of top British entertainers.
Ken has enjoyed a very happy collaboration in developing new work with the ‘World Famous A Play, A Pie and A Pint’ for venues that include Oran Mor in Glasgow, the Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, Macrobert Stirling and Aberdeen’s Lemon Tree. Amongst the most successful have been “Ae Fond Kiss” and “Rachael’s Cousins” by Ann Marie Di Mambro, “Death Story” and “Paring Off” by Alma Cullen, the mini musicals “Wee Free” and “Melania” by Hilary Brooks and Clive King, and the box office smash “Aye, Elvis” by Morna Young – recently restaged for the Traverse Theatre and Gilded Balloon at ‘MultiStory’ for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Ken’s most recent work includes the 2023 tour of “Tally’s Blood” by Ann Marie Di Mambro (co-produced by Perth Theatre, Cumbernauld Theatre and the Gaiety Theatre Ayr), the award winning premiere of Peter Arnott’s “The Signalman” (‘Best New Play’, ‘Best Actor’ and ‘Best Production’ – Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland) for A Play, A Pie and A Pint with the Traverse Theatre, and on tour with RAW Material. For his work on “The Signalman” Ken was also nominated as ‘Best Director’ by the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland. In Austria, Ken has directed the European premiere of “A Doll’s House, Part 2” by Lucas Hnath, “Dial M for Murder” by Fredrick Knott”, the European premiere of “Outside Mullingar” by John Patrick Shanley and “Corpse” by Gerald Moon for Vienna’s English Theatre.
Writing Credits
In addition to his directing work, Ken also writes for theatre. As a co-writer Ken has enjoyed great success in collaborating with Fraser Boyle on Pantomime scripts. Since 2019 Ken and Fraser have enjoyed a fruitful partnership with the Gaiety Theatre in Ayr, having scripted ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, ‘The Scunner That Stole Christmas’ (a five part online digital series), a wholly original panto story ‘Jamie and the Unicorn’, ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘Cinderella’. They are currently collaborating on ‘Mother Goose’ for Christmas 2024. Ken also wrote ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Dick Whittington’ with the late, great Scottish Panto legend Walter Carr, ‘Aladdin and His Enchanted Lamp’ with Paul Nivison (Perth Theatre) and ‘Hansel and Gretel’ with Vivien Adam (Byre Theatre, St Andrews). Ken had a big hit at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool with his word premiere stage adaptation of ‘Laurel and Hardy’s Sons of the Desert’.
Education Work
Ken works frequently enjoys contributing to the work of drama training institutions. He is a regular guest director and visiting artist at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. His productions have included four major musicals for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival ‘The Addams Family’, ‘Urinetown’ and ‘Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5’ at the Assembly Hall, and ‘Little Women’ at the Assembly Rooms. He has been a guest director, workshop leader and external examiner at Queen Margaret University, where his productions have included Stuart Paterson’s ‘The Snow Queen’ and two Shakespeare productions - ‘Romeo and Juliet’ adapted by Jo Clifford, and his own adaptation of ‘All’s Well the Ends Well’. He has run many professional practice workshops with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and with the Drama programme at New College, Lanarkshire. He has twice been International Guest Artist at Ohio Northern University in the USA, directing ‘‘Night Mother’ by Marsha Norman, ‘Closer Than Ever’ by Maltby and Shire and ‘Suddenly Last Summer by Tennessee Williams’.