RICHARD JORDAN

SHEDx Talks are a free to watch series of ten minute talks from theatre makers and key arts industry figures, presented as part of SHEDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL 2021. All the talks are centred around the theme of Edinburgh Festival Fringe and aim to inspire, educate, reminisce and advocate for change.

Richard Jordan is an Olivier, TONY, and EMMY Award-winning artistic producer. He was born in Norwich and grew up in Norfolk. He discovered his interest in theatre watching shows at Norwich Theatre Royal, the Norwich Arts Centre, and at the Edinburgh Fringe. Drama was not a curriculum subject at the Norfolk comprehensive school he attended, and it was therefore these places that gave him a theatrical education, proving influential towards his subsequent career. Richard left school at 16 years old and began his career as a stagehand going onto train and work in stage and theatre management both in the subsidised and commercial theatre sectors. In 1998, he formed his own London-based production company, Richard Jordan Productions, and in 2001 was the first recipient of the Society of London Theatre/TIF New Producers Bursary Award. A new writing and musical theatre specialist, he has been described by the Stage newspaper as “one of the UK’s most prolific producers,” and at the forefront of developing and producing works by a diverse range of established and emerging UK and international writers and artists often with a strong social agenda. He has produced over 250 productions in the UK and 28 other countries, including 80 world premieres, enjoying relationships with many of the world’s leading theatres and a long association with the Edinburgh Fringe where he produced his first show. Past productions have been the recipients of over 60 major awards including: TONY, Drama Desk and Outer Circle Critics Award for Best Play; the Laurence Olivier; Jeff; the EMMY for Best Feature Section; the Black Alliance; Amnesty International; the Off-West End for Best Musical; Helen Hayes; Hedda; Obie and the John Gassner Award for Best New American Play. At the Edinburgh Fringe, his past productions have been the recipient of 17 Scotsman Fringe Firsts, 10 Total Theatre awards, the Carol Tambor Award; 2 Herald Angels, Tap award, MTM Musical Award, and the Adelaide Fringe Award. Richard is also Patron of the Brighton Fringe – England’s largest fringe festival, International Producing Partner at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and writes a weekly column for The Stage online www.thestage.co.uk/richard-jordan. Most recently, his co-production of Us/Them won Canada’s 2020 Dora Award for Outstanding Touring Production.