Phelim McDermott

Phelim McDermott

From: Manchester, England. LA Opera: Akhnaten (2016, debut; 2026); Satyagraha (2018); BambinO (2021-24).

Phelim McDermott is a director and performer. He is a founder member of Improbable and the company’s co-artistic director.

Improbable opera credits include: Philip Glass's Satyagraha (English National Opera/LA Opera); The Perfect American, the Olivier and Grammy Award-winning Akhnaten, Cosi fan tutte (English National Opera/Metropolitan Opera); Aida (English National Opera); BambinO (an opera for babies, co-produced with Manchester International Festival and Scottish Opera); Kevin Puts's The Hours (Metropolitan Opera).

Improbable theatre credits include: 70 Hill Lane, Lifegame, Animo, Coma, Spirit, Sticky, Cinderella, The Hanging Man, Theatre of Blood (in collaboration with the National Theatre); Panic, Beauty and the Beast (in co-production with ONEOFUS); The Tempest (a co-production with Northern Stage and Oxford Playhouse); Opening Skinner's Box (a co-production with Northern Stage and West Yorkshire Playhouse); Lost Without Words (a co-production with the National Theatre); Tao of Glass (co-production with Manchester International Festival) and My Neighbour Totoro (RSC, Nippon TV; winner of five Whats On Stage Awards and six Olivier Awards including Best Director for McDermott). Other productions as director include: the Olivier Award-winning Shockheaded Peter; Alex (The Arts Theatre); The Ghost Downstairs (Leicester Haymarket); Dr Faustus, Improbable Tales (Nottingham Playhouse); The Servant of Two Masters, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Government Inspector (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and artistic collaborator on She’s Leaving Home (produced by 20 Stories High). Phelim is a recipient of the International Society for the Performing Arts’ Distinguished Artist Award and is an OBIE Award winner for Outstanding Achievement in Off Broadway Theatre for 70 Hill Lane. (Improbable.co.uk)