Alasdair Hunter

Education

Equipment

My Equipment/Kit:

I can use:

About me

SHAKESPEARE

My Shakespeare practice is rooted in the discoveries made at the reconstructed Globe on London’s Bankside.

I trained at Shakespeare’s Globe while Dominic Dromgoole was Artistic Director, where the influence of Mark Rylance was still keenly felt in the training I received from Master of Movement Glynn MacDonald, Master of Voice Stewart Pearce, and Master of Play Mike Alfreds.

I returned to the Globe as a professional to work in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse with Ben Crystal’s Passion in Practice company, under Emma Rice’s Artistic Directorship.

The first three Artistic Directors of Shakespeare’s Globe influence my own work every day.

OUTDOOR / SITE-SPECIFIC / IMMERSIVE

I have made work that has taken place in parks, abandoned swimming pools, museums, car parks, castles and historic buildings. I am always open to conversations about work that might take place in non-conventional spaces, and with an immersive quality. When I use the word immersive, I mean it the way Punchdrunk mean it.

DEVELOPMENT / READINGS

Development can be very useful for a playwright at a certain stage in their work to investigate specific elements of their play. I am experienced in working with playwrights at all levels of experience, to make sure they get the best out of a development process.

Rehearsed readings, when executed carefully and strategically, can be an excellent way for a writer to hear their work, and for an audience to hear and respond to a piece at a pre-production stage. I have directed rehearsed readings for playwrights at various stages in the development of their work, at theatres including the Tron and Citizens in Glasgow, the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen, and for Playwrights Studio Scotland in the Borders.

GUEST DIRECTING

Between 2012 and 2017 I was a guest director at the University of Cumbria and directed projects on various scales with undergraduate students in their second and third years. I have also led workshops of varying lengths at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Royal & Derngate, Perth Theatre, Macrobert Arts Centre and the Tron Theatre.

I am a Connections Director for NT Connections and have supported companies connected to the Lyric Belfast (2018), Traverse Theatre (2018), and Royal & Derngate (2017).

TEXT CONSULTANCY - SHAKESPEARE

I have an extensive knowledge of Renaissance text, language, and original pronunciation, developed over the past ten years. I can provide support to individual actors or to a full company, helping performers unlock the clues specific to Shakespeare’s verse and prose, by working directly from the First Folio of 1623 and the Quarto publications as required.

I am available for meetings in Glasgow, London and occasionally New York to discuss future projects and collaborations.
Industry awards:
The Wall by DC Jackson won Best Ensemble at the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland. Alasdair was Assistant Director.

The Seafarer won Best Ensemble and Best Director (Rachel O'Riordan) at the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland. Alasdair was Associate Director.
Referees:
Johnny McKnight
Artistic Director
Random Accomplice
www.randomaccomplice.com

Rachel O'Riordan
Artistic Director
Perth Theatre
Additional information:
Reviews for HAMLET:

"… a production that, at all the key moments, simply grasps Shakespeare’s great text and lets it lead the actors into the heart of the drama, revelling in its rhythms, its strength, and its unforgettable imagery, which soars out on the evening air like a force of nature in its own right." - Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman

"Mackenzie’s mixture of playful and brooding, without ever descending into a manic full-blown madness, was rather a refreshing take when other interpretations have tried to over-analyse the young Prince and his machinations of revenge […] this was "Shakespeare stripped back" and lovers of the tragic text may well admire its purity." - Marianne Gunn, The Herald

Audience feedback for THE TEMPEST:

"Thank you for tonights performance! It was wonderful!! I have two little girls, 3 and 5 years old, and you guys have turned them into Shakespeare fanatics. My 5 yr. old came home this evening and made herself a staff like Prospero's and is upstairs reading The Tempest as a bed time story. Thank you for inspiring and teaching two little girls. We are looking forward to the next performance!" - Sheila King

"I especially liked Ariel being shared by the ensemble....made it seem other worldly and magical. The cast was engaged with the text, passionate and committed to each character and scene at play." Kevin Purcell

License & Passport

Skills

Secondary Job Title	Acting Coach
Job Titles	Director, Producer, Teacher
Years in industry	6+ years
Organisations / Memberships	Equity (UK)
Work Permits	EU