RICHARD FAWKES

BIOGRAPHY

Richard Fawkes was born 31 July 1944 in Camberley, Surrey, and educated at the Royal Masonic Schools, Bushey. He spent eighteen months as an instructor at the Outward Bound School in Kenya with Voluntary Service Overseas before attending the University of Wales Lampeter (BA English Honours). He joined the BBC as a general trainee in 1967.

Leaving the BBC in 1971, Richard joined a production company making commercials before going freelance as an Assistant Director for such luminaries as Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Hugh Hudson, Cliff Owen and Jack Gold. His many film credits as a director include the award-winning Channel 4 series Tom Keating on Painters, Circle Within the Square (which won a prize at the Mesa Festival in Florida) and The Original Three Tenors, a documentary about Caruso, Gigli and Bjorling, presented by the international tenor Nigel Douglas. His most recent film – GF Watts - Victorian Visionary is currently being screened on Sky Arts 2.

Richard’s stage directing credits include Waltzing in the Clouds (Covent Garden Festival), and A Dog’s Life (a one-man show with actor John Leeson, The Voice of K9) plus the operas The Yeomen of the Guard (for Opera Holland Park), Faust, The Merry Wives of Windsor, La Boheme and Verbum Nobile by Moniuszko.

Richard is a regular contributor to Classical Music magazine, for which he writes the broadcasting column, and Opera Now. He wrote the librettos for Survival Song (nominated for an Olivier Award) and Biko, both with music by Priti Paintal. He is the author of ten books including a history of Welsh National Opera, Notes from a Low Singer (the autobiography of operatic bass Michael Langdon which he ghosted) and Opera on Film. His History of Opera and History of Classical Music, both for Naxos Audiobooks, won Talkie Awards. He has written plays for the stage, television and radio, and, for Radio 2, series on both Edith Piaf and Johnny Hallyday.
He wrote the programme note for the National Theatre’s recent production of Boucicault’s London Assurance and took part in a Platforms Performance in the Olivier Theatre.