Alan Stanford facts for kids

Alan Stanford, born in 1949, is a talented English-Irish actor, director, and writer. He has spent many years working in the theatre. He was connected with the Gate Theatre for 30 years, where he both acted and directed plays. Many people also know him for his role as George Manning in the popular Irish TV show Glenroe.

About Alan Stanford's Life

Alan Stanford grew up on the Isle of Wight, even though he was born in Liverpool, England. He studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. In 1969, he moved to Ireland after touring there and later became an Irish citizen. Since 2011, he has lived in the USA, based in Pittsburgh.

In 2010, when he was 61, Alan Stanford found out he was adopted. He learned that he shared a biological mother with six younger children. He has been married twice and has two sons from his second marriage.

Alan Stanford's Early Career as a Director

Alan Stanford started his directing career in Ireland at the Project Arts Centre. There, he directed plays by famous writers like Shaw, Graham Greene, Brecht, Dürrenmatt, and Shakespeare.

He used to be the Artistic Director of Second Age Theatre Company. For this company, he directed many plays, including King Lear, Othello, "Hamlet", "Macbeth", and Philadelphia Here I Come.

He also directed for the Irish Theatre Company and other independent groups. For a theatre company called Storytellers, he directed The Mayor of Casterbridge and Oedipus.

For over 30 years, Stanford worked closely with the Gate Theatre Dublin as both an actor and a director. At the Gate, he directed many well-known plays. These include Romeo and Juliet, Tartuffe, Pride and Prejudice, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Great Expectations, and A Christmas Carol. He also directed Oliver Twist, Jane Eyre, Private Lives, and The Importance of Being Earnest.

Alan Stanford's Theatre Acting Roles

As an actor, Alan Stanford has played roles in plays by many different writers. These include plays by Shaw, Wilde, Ibsen, and Ayckbourn. He won an award for Best Actor for his role as Salieri in Amadeus. He was also nominated for awards for his performances in Uncle Vanya, Pygmalion, and Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

During the Gate Theatre Beckett Festival, he performed in two plays by Samuel Beckett. He played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot and Hamm in Endgame. He performed these roles again to great praise in New York, Toronto, Melbourne, London, Beijing, and Shanghai. Later, he appeared at the Abbey Theatre as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest. He also played Herod in Oscar Wilde's Salome at the Gate Theatre. In the USA, he acted as King Henry in The Lion in Winter.

Other Theatre Work by Alan Stanford

Alan Stanford has also directed and adapted many plays for the stage. He adapted Pride and Prejudice, A Christmas Carol, Romeo and Juliet, and The Constant Wife. All these adaptations were shown at the Gate Theatre.

He also created a new version of A Doll's House. He made a stage version of How Many Miles to Babylon? for Second Age Theatre Company. He wrote a screenplay for The Picture of Dorian Gray, which he had previously adapted for the stage with writer Gavin Kostick. He also helped write and direct two pantomimes at the Gaiety Theatre: Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.

His adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre have been performed in many theatres in the USA and Canada.

From 2006 to 2011, Alan Stanford was a member of the Arts Council of Ireland. This council helps support arts and culture in Ireland.

Stanford started working with PICT Classic Theatre in 2008. He became their Artistic Director in 2013 and retired from that position in 2022.

Alan Stanford's Television and Film Work

Alan Stanford has appeared in many films and television shows. His film work includes Educating Rita, The Treaty, Moll Flanders, and Michael Collins. He also appeared in Kidnapped and Animal Farm. For many years, he played the character George Manning in RTÉ's popular Irish TV series Glenroe.