Phyllida Lloyd facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phyllida Lloyd CBE
Born	Phyllida Christian Lloyd (1957-06-17) 17 June 1957 (age 68) Nempnett Thrubwell, Somerset, England
Occupation	Film and theatre director
Years active	1997–present
Notable work	Mamma Mia

Phyllida Lloyd (born 17 June 1957) is a talented English film and theatre director. She is known for bringing stories to life on stage and screen.

She has directed many plays at famous theatres like the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal National Theatre. She also directed operas for Opera North and the Royal Opera House. Her special versions of three Shakespeare plays, Julius Caesar, Henry IV, and The Tempest, were highly praised. One newspaper called them "one of the most important theatrical events of the past 20 years."

Phyllida Lloyd is especially famous for directing the movie Mamma Mia! (2008). She also directed The Iron Lady (2011). Films she has directed have won two Academy Awards and many other honors. She has been nominated for important awards like the BAFTA Award and two Tony Awards.

Life and Career Highlights

Phyllida Lloyd grew up in Nempnett Thrubwell, a village in Somerset, England. She studied drama and theatre at Birmingham University. After graduating in 1979, she worked for five years in television.

Early Theatre Work

In 1985, Phyllida received a special grant to train as a director at the Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich. The next year, she became an Associate Director at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham. By 1989, she was an Associate Director at the Bristol Old Vic. Her production of The Comedy of Errors there was very successful.

She then moved to the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. There, she directed several plays, including The Winter's Tale and Death and the King's Horseman. In 1991, she directed her first play for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Success in London Theatres

In 1992, Phyllida had her first big commercial success. Her play Six Degrees of Separation moved from the Royal Court Theatre to London's West End. In 1994, she directed Pericles at the Royal National Theatre. She also directed Hysteria and The Threepenny Opera, which were well-received.

Directing Opera

Phyllida Lloyd also became a successful opera director. Her first opera, L'Etoile, was a big hit. She went on to direct many operas, including La Boheme, Gloriana, and Macbeth. Her opera productions have won several awards, including the Royal Philharmonic Society Award multiple times.

More Theatre and Film Work

Phyllida continued to direct plays at the National Theatre, such as The Way of the World and The Duchess of Malfi. In 2001, she directed the award-winning play Boston Marriage. She also directed Mary Stuart, which played in London and then on Broadway in 2009.

In 1999, Phyllida was asked to direct the ABBA musical Mamma Mia!. It became a huge hit around the world. She then directed the movie version of Mamma Mia! in 2008. This was her first feature film. By the end of 2008, it was the highest-earning film at the UK box office ever.

In 2011, Phyllida directed The Iron Lady. This movie was about former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Meryl Streep played Thatcher and won an Academy Award for her performance. Phyllida's film Herself premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020.

Between 2012 and 2017, she directed the Donmar Warehouse Trilogy in London and New York. This project featured Harriet Walter playing male roles in Julius Caesar, Henry IV, and The Tempest. Critics called this trilogy "one of the most important theatrical events of the last twenty years."

Filmography

Honours and Awards

Oxford University named Phyllida Lloyd a visiting professor in 2006. That same year, she received an honorary degree from Bristol University. In 2010, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This is a special honor given by the British monarch. She also received an honorary degree from Birmingham University in 2009.

Awards and Nominations

See also

• List of female film and television directors
• List of lesbian filmmakers
• List of LGBT-related films directed by women
• Women's cinema