Matthew Dunster is a theatre and film director and writer.
He was born and raised in Oldham and now lives in South East London. Previously an actor, he has directed or written over sixty shows, often with major national companies (including RSC, NT, Royal Court, Young Vic, Royal Exchange, Shakespeare’s Globe, The Bridge), as well as directing on the West End, Broadway and internationally. He has been the Associate Director of The Young Vic and Shakespeare’s Globe.
His most recent productions are 2:22 A Ghost Story which ran in the West End for 694 performances, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the inaugural production at the new Shakespeare North Playhouse, Shirley Valentine, and The Pillowman at The Duke Of Yorks.
Matthew has been nominated for three Olivier Awards and his Broadway production of HANGMEN was nominated for five Tony’s.
In 2019, Matthew made his Japan directorial debut, adapting OEDIPUS, which is considered by many to be the height of Greek tragedy. His play featured an all-Japanese cast that includes Kabuki actor Ebizo Ichikawa in the titular role and Hitomi Kuroki. The year before he directed Sam Shepard’s play TRUE WEST at the Vaudeville Theatre.
Matthew directed Martin McDonagh’s A VERY VERY VERY DARK MATTER(The Bridge), and HANGMEN (Royal Court, The Wyndhams, West End, and at The Atlantic). Matthew has directed LOVE’S SACRIFICE for the RSC and THE SEAGULL for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre over the Spring and Summer of 2015.
Directing credits includes: True West (The Vaudiville, West End); Oedipus (Bunkamura Theatre, Tokyo), Hangmen, Liberian Girl (Royal Court), The Seagull, A Midsummer Night’s (Open Air Regent’s Park), Love’s Sacrifice (RSC), The Lightning Child, Arthur Darvill and Doctor Faustus (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Love Girl & the Innocent, You Can Still Make a Killing (Southwark Playhouse), Mametz (National Theatre Wales), Before the Party (Almeida), A Sacred Flame (English Touring), Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (Royal Exchange Manchester), Mogadishu (Royal Exchange Manchester and Lyric Hammersmith), The Most Incredible Thing (Sadler’s Wells), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Royal & Derngate, Northampton).
Writing credits include: Children’s Children (Almeida), You Can See the Hills (Royal Exchange Manchester), You Used To, Tell Me, The Glazier, The Bank, Two Clouds Over Eden.
Writing for BBC R4: Depth of Field and Poor Echo. Directing for R4: Love and Money.
He has collaborated as a writer with choreographer Jane Mason.
