George Peck (theatre)

George Peck is the founder and principal of The Oxford School of Drama.^[1]

Early life and education

He was educated at Uppingham School and studied English Literature at St Catherine's College, Oxford. After university he played a variety of roles in repertory theatre ranging from Shakespeare to pantomime before joining the Royal Theatre Northampton as part of the Arts Council's Regional Trainee Directors Scheme.

Career

He became artistic director of the Royal Touring Theatre which operated out of the Royal Theatre Northampton (now Royal & Derngate) for whom his productions included The Ballad of Mrs Beeton (music George Fenton,Sherlock's Last Case by Charles Morowitz, Pericles, Prince of Tyre and The Duchess of Malfi.

In 1987 he set up The Oxford School of Drama ^[2][3] in an eighteenth century farm house and buildings at Sansomes Farm Studios, once part of the Blenheim Palace Estate in Woodstock and became its Principal. While the school was developing he was engaged in teaching both for Oxford University colleges and Stanford and Boston universities, as well as giving tutorials to students. His pupils included Sam Mendes, Kirsty Allsop, William Cash and Frances Stonor Saunders.

The school received accreditation from the National Council for Drama Training in 1995, and was accepted as a member of the Conference of Drama Schools in the following year. The school was picked as one of the top five drama schools in the UK by the BBC in 2004 and in 2006 and Acting in London in 2015.^[4] It was the first drama school to receive "Beacon" status from the minister for higher and further education.

As a teaching Principal, he continues to teach Shakespeare as well as directing productions including the first ever stage adaptation of Ted Hughes' Crow poems at BAC, Volpone at Royal Court, After the Fall at Hampstead Theatre,The American Clock at Pegasus Theatre Oxford, Work of Art at Redchurch Street Gallery and Studio1.1 in Shoreditch and cabaret at The Crazy Coqs.

Over recent years students at the School have won a number of awards, including The Society of London Theatre's Laurence Olivier Bursary Award,^[5] the BBC's Carleton Hobbs Bursary Award and The Spotlight Prize.^[6]

Notable graduates of the school include: Catherine McCormack, Charity Wakefield, Annabel Scholey, Claire Foy, Will Adamsdale, Penelope Skinner, Luke Barnes, Christina Cole, Andrew Gower, Sophie Cookson, Anna Walton, Jemma Powell, Lydia Rose Bewley, Catherine Steadman, Alexandra Dowling, Nell Hudson, Babou Ceesay and the late James Menzies Kitchin in whose memory the JMK Trust was established.

Peck was instrumental in running the Cameron Mackintosh Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Oxford University from 1990–2003. Professors included Stephen Sondheim, Ian McKellen, Thelma Holt, Arthur Miller, Michael Codron and Richard Eyre.

References

External links

• Susan Elkin, The Stage, July 2009
• The Conference of Drama Schools
• JBP
• Oxford Drama