David Gooderson, Director

David's Directing Career

David first began to direct at Cambridge University, where his productions for various societies included an ‘Elizabethan’ Twelfth Night in the Tudor setting of the Cloister Court in Queens’ College.

As a teacher at Leeds Grammar School he directed another ‘Elizabethan’ Shakespeare production, an all-male Antony and Cleopatra with a cast of sixty-three.

A tense, high-powered production full of well-staged and vital dramatic pictures.

Yorkshire Post

Full-Time Director

Following the success of this and other productions David joined the Salisbury Playhouse Company as a professional director. His first production, The Playboy of the Western World, starred Stephanie Cole and also featured a very youthful Christopher Biggins.

David Gooderson is the skilful director of this fine piece of entertainment

Salisbury Times

Staff Director

Preferring to concentrate on acting and writing for the next three decades, David returned to directing in 2004 as Staff Director for English Touring Opera’s tour of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

Writer/Director

In 2005 and again in 2006

David directed his own fifty-minute stage version of The Wind in the Willows at Henley-on-Thames and Reading. Later that year he directed the premiere of his play Kolbe’s Gift which opened at farnhamrep and toured to Basingstoke and the POSK Theatre in Hammersmith, West London.

In 2009

He repeated his writer/director role for the revival of his play, The Killing of Mr Toad at the Finborough Theatre, London attracting reviews such as:

A wonderful theatrical experience. At times extremely funny, and others deeply touching, it achieves exactly the right balance of humour and tragedy

Helen Macdonald, whatsonstage

In 2010

David again directed his own fifty-minute stage version of The Wind in the Willows, this time at farnhamrep.

In 2011 and 2012

David directed Oliver Gray's version of Pinocchio and Robin Hood at the Maltings Arts Centre, Farnham.

In 2013

David directed the stage premiere of his play So Great a Crime at the Finborough theatre in London, attracting excellent reviews:

Skilfully directed by David Gooderson

Carolin Kopplin, UK Theatre Network

A masterclass in the inventive craft of theatre.

Eleanor MacFarlane, The Upcoming

In 2014

David directed a staged reading of his play War! Lies! And a Packet of Fags for a sell-out house at Farnham Maltings.

In 2017

David directed a staged reading of his latest play, Sherlock the Traitor, at the Tristan Bates Theatre, London.