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Jonathan KentEnglish theater and opera director
Country:
 Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Jonathan Kent
Jonathan Kent is an English theater and opera director who has worked extensively with Ian McDiarmid at the Almeida Theatre in London from 1990 to 2002. He was born in 1946 in South Africa and attended Diocesan College, a boys' school in Cape Town. In the 1970s, Kent moved to London and became a student at the Central School of Speech and Drama, where he learned the secrets of the acting craft.
Early Career
Kent began his career working under directors Giles Havergal and Philip Prowse at the avant-garde Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, where he realized the challenges of the acting profession. In 1990, he joined forces with Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid and became one of the artistic directors of the Almeida Theatre, transforming it into one of the leading theaters in London and the country.
Success at the Almeida
Under their leadership, the Almeida Theatre produced numerous English and international plays, many of which went on to be staged in the West End and even on Broadway. Fourteen productions from the Almeida transferred to the West End between 1990 and 2002. In 1995-1996, Kent directed "Mother Courage and Her Children" at the Royal National Theatre, which helped Diana Rigg, the lead actress, win the Evening Standard Theatre Award.
Operatic Success
After leaving the Almeida, Kent established himself as one of the key directors in the world of opera. His operatic directorial debut, a production of "Katya Kabanova," received critical acclaim at the Santa Fe Opera in 2003. In 2005, he directed Michael Tippett's oratorio "A Child Of Our Time" in the UK.
Kent continued to direct operas, including Mozart's "Lucio Silla" and Thomas Adès' "The Tempest," both at the Santa Fe Opera. In the UK, one of his recent opera productions was Puccini's "Tosca" at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Kent has also worked at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
Recent Work
In 2008, Kent returned to the Santa Fe Opera for a new production of "The Marriage of Figaro." He directed the premiere of American composer Paul Moravec and librettist Terry Teachout's opera "The Letter" in 2009, based on Somerset Maugham's play of the same name. In 2010, Kent directed a production of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" at Glyndebourne.
