{{short description|English stage, film producer (b. 1984)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}} {{Infobox person | name = Steven Atkinson | image = Steven-Atkinson.jpg | caption = Steven Atkinson | birth_name = Steven Atkinson | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|5|4|df=yes}} | birth_place = Liverpool, Merseyside, England | alma_mater = University of Reading | occupation = Theatre producer, film producer | years_active = 2005–present }} '''Steven Atkinson''' (born 4 May 1984)<ref>[http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831297852688/Lidless+%26+Hickson's+Talent+Next+for+Trafalgar+2.html Lidless & Hickson's Talent Next up for Trafalgar 2 - Lidless at Trafalgar Studios (previously the Whitehall) - London - News - Whatsonstage.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> is a British producer working in theatre and film.
He co-founded and led HighTide, one of the UK's theatre companies, as well as the National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England. Atkinson has commissioned and produced more than 80 new plays in theatres, including the National Theatre, The Old Vic, Royal Court Theatre, Young Vic, and Off-Broadway. In addition, he has produced at least 14 HighTide festivals in Suffolk and London.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hightide.org.uk/ |title=Home |website=hightide.org.uk}}</ref>
== Education == Atkinson graduated from the University of Reading in 2005 with a B.A. in Film & Theatre.
== Career ==
=== Early career === Atkinson's career first started in script development working at the Donmar Warehouse under Michael Grandage. He worked in the Royal Court under Ian Rickson and Hull Truck Theatre under John Godber.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120913175609/http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/14444/hull-truck-expands-senior-team-before The Stage / News / Hull Truck expands senior team before £13.8m move<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Atkinson produced Hull Truck's first new writing festival in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hull Truck Launches New Festival |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/16921/hull-truck-launches-new-playwriting-festival/?login_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestage.co.uk%2Faccounts%2Fusers%2Fsign_up.popup |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215062122/https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/16921/hull-truck-launches-new-playwriting-festival/?login_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestage.co.uk%2Faccounts%2Fusers%2Fsign_up.popup |archive-date=December 15, 2019 |website=The Stage}}</ref>
=== HighTide ===
In 2007, Atkinson co-founded and became artistic director of HighTide,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hightide.org.uk/ |title=Home |website=hightide.org.uk}}</ref> quickly establishing the theatre company as one of the leading production firms in the UK.
<blockquote>“Under artistic director Steven Atkinson, the festival – a tempting mixture of new productions, readings and discussions - has grown to become one of the little gems of the artistic calendar in Britain. And, with alumni such as Ella Hickson and Nick Payne poached in the past for shows at the National Theatre in London and the Public Theatre in New York, it has become a real hunting-ground for new talent.”<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stebbing |first=Eve |date=May 5, 2013 |title=HighTide Festival, Halesworth, Suffolk, review |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/10038627/HighTide-Festival-Halesworth-Suffolk-review.html |access-date=June 18, 2023}}</ref></blockquote>
In Atkinson's opening season at HighTide, he produced Adam Brace's ''Stovepipe.'' The production was then transferred from the HighTide Festival to London through the National Theatre and Bush Theatre, where it was critically acclaimed. ''The Sunday Times'' praised Atkinson's ''Stovepipe'' as "a five-star production in its power and ambition"{{Citn|date=June 2023|reason=Quotes must have a citation.}}, while ''The Independent'' called it "exhilaratingly convincing."<ref>{{cite news |last=Bassett |first=Kate |date=15 March 2009 |title=Stovepipe, West 12 Shopping Centre, London |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/stovepipe-west-12-shopping-centre-londonover-there-royal-court-downstairs-londonberlin-hanover-1645188.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/stovepipe-west-12-shopping-centre-londonover-there-royal-court-downstairs-londonberlin-hanover-1645188.html |archive-date=25 May 2022}}</ref> The production was ranked in The Sunday Times Best Theatre Productions of the Decade<ref>{{cite web | url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article6951638.ece?token=null&offset=12&page=2 | title=TLS - Times Literary Supplement }}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> as well as nominated for Best Off-West End Production in the Whatsonstage awards. In the same season, Atkinson also produced Joel Horwood's ''I Caught Crabs In Walberswick'', which transferred to the Bush Theatre.<ref>[http://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/production/i_caught_crabs_in_walberswick/ Bush Theatre<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323004409/http://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/production/i_caught_crabs_in_walberswick/ |date=23 March 2012 }}</ref> He also produced ''Switzerland'', the first play by Nick Payne who then went on to win the George Devine Award.
At HighTide, Atkinson produced and championed many of the leading new writers of the last decade, including Anders Lustgarten,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/apr/12/lampedusa-soho-theatre-london-review |work=The Guardian |title=Lampedusa Soho Theatre London Review |date=12 April 2015}}</ref> Luke Barnes,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/edinburgh-festival/9483450/Edinburgh-2012-Bottleneck-Pleasance-Courtyard-review.html |work=The Telegraph |title=Edinburgh 2012: Bottleneck, Pleasance Courtyard, review |date=17 August 2012}}</ref> Tallulah Brown,<ref>{{cite news |last=Weigand |first=Chris |date=18 September 2018 |title=Tallulah Brown: 'Robert Redford was talking about dragons with our song in the background' |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/sep/18/tallulah-brown-playwright-songlines-hightide-walthamstow}}</ref> E V Crowe,<ref>{{cite news |last=Stebbing |first=Eve |date=13 September 2015 |title=HighTide Festival, Aldeburgh, review: 'an inspiring programme' |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/hightide-festival-aldeburgh-review/}}</ref> Elinor Cook,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/reviews/pilgrims-hightide-festival-elinor-cook_41741.html |work=Whatsonstage |title=Review: Pilgrims (HighTide Festival) |date=12 September 2016}}</ref> Rob Drummond,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/aug/22/in-fidelity-review-traverse-edinburgh-festival-fringe-rob-drummond |work=The Guardian |title=Review: In Fidelity review – cheating hearts and audience chemistry |date=22 August 2016}}</ref> Kenny Emson,<ref>{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Holly |date=2 July 2019 |title='Rust' review |work=Time Out |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/rust-review}}</ref> Kieran Hurley,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/theatre/mouthpiece-review-soho-theatre-a4111711.html |work=Evening Standard |title=Mouthpiece review: Touching and humane reflection on the responsibility of storytellers |date=8 April 2019}}</ref> Theresa Ikoko,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/theatre-dance/article/theatre-hightide-festival-at-aldeburgh-suffolk-bxgtjktl7 |work=The Times |title=Theatre: HighTide Festival at Aldeburgh, Suffolk |date=13 September 2016}}</ref> Branden Jacobs-Jenkins,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/jan/04/actors-black-up-neighbours-hightide |work=The Guardian |title=Actors to wear blackface for 'hackle-raising' new play |date=4 January 2013}}</ref> Ella Hickson,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/boys-soho-theatre-london-7820505.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/boys-soho-theatre-london-7820505.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Independent |title=Boys, Soho Theatre, London |date=16 June 2012}}</ref> Eve Leigh,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/interviews/2019/eve-leigh-trick-bush-theatre/ |work=The Stage |title=The Trick's Eve Leigh: 'The more you enjoy your life, the better your work is going to be' |date=26 February 2019}}</ref> Vinay Patel,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/playwright-vinay-patel-putting-on-the-play-is-not-enough--its-who-you-get-in-the-room |work=The Stage |title=Playwright Vinay Patel: 'Putting on the play is not enough – it's who you get in the room' |date=11 September 2018}}</ref> Nick Payne,<ref>{{cite news |last=Billington |first=Michael |date=14 April 2014 |title=HighTide festival review – new plays put across with zest |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/apr/14/hightide-festival-review-nick-payne-incognito}}</ref> Beth Steel,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/ditch-old-vic-tunnels-london-1984983.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/ditch-old-vic-tunnels-london-1984983.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Independent |title=Ditch, Old Vic Tunnels, London |date=28 May 2010}}</ref> Al Smith,<ref>{{cite news |last=Bennion |first=Chris |date=25 October 2016 |title=Harrogate's dark, tender drama defies interpretation – review |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/harrogate-royal-court-review-brutal-dark-and-tender/}}</ref> Sam Steiner,<ref>{{cite news |last=Ellis-Petersen |first=Hannah |date=11 September 2016 |title=The second coming of Kanye: rapper is reborn as a woman in new play |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/sep/11/kanye-west-the-first-sam-steiner-play-interview-high-tide}}</ref> and Jack Thorne.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gardner |first=Lyn |date=13 August 2013 |title=Stuart: A Life Backwards – review |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/aug/13/stuart-a-life-backwards-review}}</ref>
In 2016, Atkinson gave an interview to The Stage where he spoke of his ambitions for HighTide Festival: ‘We want to be theatre’s Sundance.’<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/hightide-festivals-steven-atkinson-we-want-to-be-theatres-sundance/ |work=The Stage |title=HighTide Festival's Steven Atkinson: 'We want to be theatre's Sundance' |date=9 September 2016}}</ref>
Atkinson has been awarded twice for the Emerging Producers Bursary by the Society of London Theatre for his work on ''Stovepipe'' and ''Lidless''. In 2009, he received another award by ''Esquire'' magazine as one of the ''60 Brilliant Brits Shaping 2009''.{{Citn|date=June 2023|reason=Quotes must have a citation.}}
In 2019, Atkinson stepped down from HighTide after twelve years to pursue new opportunities.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/edinburgh-theatre/news/steven-atkinson-2018-programme-hightide_47011.html |work=Whatsonstage |title=Steven Atkinson to step down as artistic director of HighTide, 2018 programme announced |date=3 July 2018}}</ref>
== London Theatre credits == {{col-begin}} {{col-break}} ;Bush Theatre * ''I Caught Crabs In Walberswick'' by Joel Horwood, directed by Lucy Kerbel (2008) * ''Mudlarks'' by Vickie Donoghue, directed by Will Wrightson (2012) * ''Moth'' by Declan Greene, directed by Prasanna Puwanarajah (2013) * ''True Brits'' by Vinay Patel, directed by Tanith Lindon (2014) * ''Incognito'' by Nick Payne, directed by Joe Murphy (2014) * ''Forget Me Not'' by Tom Holloway, directed by Steven Atkinson (2015) * ''Rust'' by Kenny Emson, directed by Eleanor Rhode (2019) * ''The Trick'' by Eve Leigh, directed by Roy Alexander Weisse (2019) * ''Collapsible'' by Margaret Perry, directed by Thomas Martin (2020)
;Young Vic * ''See Me Now'' by Molly Taylor, directed by Mimi Poskitt (2017)
;Royal Court Theatre * ''Harrogate'' by Al Smith, directed by Richard Twyman (2016)
;Soho Theatre * ''Boys'' by Ella Hickson, directed by Robert Icke (2012) * ''Pastoral'' by Thomas Eccleshare, directed by Steve Marmion (2013) * ''Bottleneck'' by Luke Barnes, directed by Steven Atkinson (2013) * ''Smallholding'' by Chris Dunkley, directed by Patrick Sandford (2014) * ''Lampedusa'' by Anders Lustgarten, directed by Steven Atkinson (2015) * ''Girls'' by Theresa Ikoko, directed by Elyace Ismail (2017) {{col-break}}
;Royal National Theatre * ''Stovepipe'' by Adam Brace, directed by Michael Longhurst (2009)
;Old Vic Theatre * ''Ditch'' by Beth Steel, directed by Richard Twyman (2010)
;Trafalgar Studios * ''Lidless'' by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, directed by Steven Atkinson (2011)
;The Yard Theatre * ''BRENDA'' by E V. Crowe, directed by Caitlin McLeod (2015) * ''Pilgrims'' by Elinor Cook, directed by Tamara Harvey (2016)
;Arcola Theatre * ''Peddling'' by Harry Melling, directed by Steven Atkinson (2014) * ''The Sugar Coated Bullets Of The Bourgeoisie'' by Anders Lustgarten, directed by Steven Atkinson (2016)
;Gate Theatre * ''Pink Lemonade'' by Mika Johnson, directed by Emily Aboud (2019) * ''Since U Been Gone'' by Teddy Lamb, directed by Billy Barrett (2019) {{col-end}}
== Regional Theatre credits == {{col-begin}} {{col-break}} ;Live Theatre * ''Pops'' by Charlotte Josephine, directed by Ali Pidsley (2019)
;Nottingham Playhouse * ''LIT'' by Sophie Ellerby, directed by Stef O’Driscoll (2019)
;Nuffield Theatre * ''Neighbours'' by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by Steven Atkinson (2013)
;Paines Plough * ''Chicken'' by Molly Davies, directed by Steven Atkinson (2015)
;Royal Exchange Theatre * ''So Here We Are'' by Luke Norris, directed by Steven Atkinson (2015)
;Sheffield Crucible * ''Stuart: A Life Backwards'' by Jack Thorne, directed by Mark Rosenblatt (2013) {{col-break}} ;Theatr Clwyd * ''Pilgrims'' by Elinor Cook, directed by Tamara Harvey (2016) * ''Heroine'' by Nessah Muthy, directed by Steven Atkinson (2017)
;Traverse Theatre * ''In Fidelity'' by Rob Drummond, directed by Steven Atkinson (2016) * ''Mouthpiece'' by Kieran Hurley, directed by Orla O’Loughlin (2018)
;Ustinov Studio Theatre Royal Bath * ''The Big Meal'' by Dan LeFranc, directed by Michael Boyd (2014)
;Watford Palace Theatre * ''Dusk Rings A Bell'' by Stephen Belber, directed by Steven Atkinson (2012) {{col-end}}
== Off-Broadway Theatre credits ==
=== 59E59 Theaters === * ''Peddling'' by Harry Melling, directed by Steven Atkinson (2014) NYT Critics' Pick<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/03/theater/peddling-in-brits-off-broadway-plumbs-a-youths-soul.html |work=The New York Times |title=THEATER REVIEW A Lost Boy, Trying to Find His Way |date=18 May 2014}}</ref>
=== The Public Theater === * ''The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs'' by Mike Daisy, directed by Jean-Michelle Gregory (2012)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/feb/14/mike-daisey-steve-jobs-play |work=The Guardian |title=Mike Daisey gives anyone a free byte of his Steve Jobs play |date=14 February 2012}}</ref>
== Radio credits ==
=== BBC Radio 4 === * ''The Afghan and The Penguin'' by Michael Hastings, directed by Steven Atkinson (2012) * ''The Shores'' by Vinay Patel, directed by Jessica Dromgoole (2019) * ''Silver Darlings'' by Tallulah Brown, directed by Jessica Dromgoole (2019)
=== The Guardian === * ''Lampedusa'' by Anders Lustgarten, directed by Steven Atkinson (2015)<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/audio/2015/jun/11/podcast-lampedusa-audio-play-migration | title=Lampedusa by Anders Lustgarten - audio drama | newspaper=The Guardian | date=11 June 2015 | last1=Hill | first1=Produced by Matt | last2=Atkinson | first2=Directed by Steven }}</ref>
== Awards and nominations ==
{| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Award ! Stage Play ! Result |- | 2009 | Society of London Theatre New Producers' Award | ''Stovepipe'' | {{won}} |- | 2009 | Whatsonstage Award for Best Off West End Production | ''Stovepipe'' | {{nom}} |- | 2010 | Fringe First Award | ''Lidless'' | {{won}} |- | 2011 | Society of London Theatre New Producers' Award | ''Lidless'' | {{won}} |- | 2012 | Fringe First Award | ''Educating Ronnie'' | {{won}} |- | 2016 | Manchester Evening News Awards Best Production | ''So Here We Are'' | {{won}} |- | 2016 | Manchester Evening News Awards Best Play | ''So Here We Are'' | {{won}} |- | 2017 | Evening Standard Theatre Awards Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright | ''Harrogate'' | {{nom}} |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website}} * {{IMDb name}} * [http://www.ayoungertheatre.com/feature-the-rise-of-hightide-festival/ Steven Atkinson interview]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, Steven}} Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:English theatre managers and producers Category:English film producers Category:Alumni of the University of Reading