John Dexter facts for kids

John Dexter (born August 2, 1925 – died March 23, 1990) was a famous English director who worked in theatre, opera, and film. He was known for his strong vision and for directing many successful shows and performances.

Theatre Director

John Dexter was born in Derby, England. He left school at age fourteen to join the British Army during World War II. After the war, he started as an actor on stage. Soon, he began producing and directing plays for different theatre groups. In 1957, he became an Associate Director at the English Stage Company at the Royal Court.

His first big success was directing the play Roots in 1959. This play helped actress Joan Plowright become well-known. He also directed other important plays like Toys in the Attic (1960) and Saint Joan (1963).

In 1964, he joined the National Theatre of Great Britain as an Associate Director. There, he directed The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1964). That same year, he directed Othello with famous actors Sir Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, and Frank Finlay. This production was a huge hit! An audio version was recorded, and a film was made of it the next year.

Dexter continued to direct many more plays. Some of his notable works include Hamlet (1969), Equus (1973), and The Party (1973), which was Sir Laurence Olivier's last stage performance. He also directed Phaedra Britannica (1975) with his friend Diana Rigg, The Merchant (1977), and As You Like It (1979). Later, he directed Life of Galileo (1980) with Sir Michael Gambon, The Glass Menagerie (1983) with Jessica Tandy, and Julius Caesar (1988).

His last major success was the play M. Butterfly (1988) on Broadway. The next year, he directed Die Dreigroschenoper (also known as The Threepenny Opera) on Broadway, starring the musician Sting. This was his final production.

Film and TV Work

John Dexter also directed films. His first feature film was The Virgin Soldiers (1969), starring Lynn Redgrave. He then directed The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker (1970) and I Want What I Want (1972).

For Granada Television, he directed a TV version of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in 1969. This production featured well-known actors Sir Alec Guinness and Sir Ralph Richardson.

Opera Director

Dexter began directing operas in 1966 at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. His first opera there was Benvenuto Cellini. In 1983, he directed a double show of Le rossignol and L'enfant et les sortilèges for the company.

He also directed many operas at the Hamburg State Opera in Germany. These included Les vêpres siciliennes (1969), From the House of the Dead (1972), Billy Budd (1972), Boris Godunov (1972), and Un ballo in maschera (1973), which featured famous singers Luciano Pavarotti and Sherrill Milnes. For Sadler's Wells, he directed The Devils of Loudun in 1973.

From 1974 to 1981, John Dexter was the Director of Production at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. He then served as a Production Advisor until 1984. During his time at the Met, he created many new opera productions. Some of these were Les vêpres siciliennes (1974), Aïda (1976) with Leontyne Price, and Le prophète (1977) with Marilyn Horne. He also directed Dialogues des Carmélites (1977), Lulu (1977), and Rigoletto (1977) with Plácido Domingo.

Other Met productions included Billy Budd (1978), The Bartered Bride (1978), Don Pasquale (1978) with Beverly Sills, and Don Carlos (1979) with Renata Scotto. He also directed Die Entführung aus dem Serail (1979) and Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (1979). He created two special triple-bill shows, both designed by artist David Hockney. These were "Parade" (1981) and "Stravinsky" (1981).

For the Paris Opéra in France, he directed Les vêpres siciliennes (1974) and La forza del destino (1975). In Zurich, Switzerland, he directed Nabucco in 1986.

Life and Legacy

In 1978, John Dexter received the annual Shakespeare Prize from the Alfred Toepfer Foundation in Hamburg, Germany. This award recognized his amazing work throughout his career.

John Dexter passed away in London on March 23, 1990, during heart surgery. He had also faced health challenges from poliomyelitis and diabetes. After he died, his autobiography, The Honourable Beast, was published. In it, he wrote about his strong desire for everything to be perfect.

Broadway Productions

Here are some of the plays John Dexter directed on Broadway:

• The Threepenny Opera (1989 revival)
• M. Butterfly (1988)
• The Glass Menagerie (1983 revival)
• One Night Stand (1980, did not officially open)
• The Merchant (1977)
• The Misanthrope (1975 revival)
• Equus (1974)
• The Unknown Soldier and His Wife (1967)
• Black Comedy/White Lies (1967)
• The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1965)
• Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965)
• Chips With Everything (1963)

Awards and Nominations

John Dexter won several awards for his directing: