“A subtle and intelligent theatre-maker” – The Guardian
David Mercatali is an award-winning theatre director. His next production, Edward Albee’s WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF, opens at the Bristol Tobacco Factory on Feb 19th 2020: https://www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/edward-albees-whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf/
In March of 2019 he directed a new play by Phil Porter GOD OF CHAOS, at Plymouth Theatre Royal. Later in the year he directed MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at the Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival, and Tess Berry-Hart’s new play THE STORY at The Other Room.
In 2018 he was the associate director at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, where he directed Brad Birch’s new play TREMOR. It transferred to 59E59’s Brits Off Broadway festival, New York, from 15th May to 10th June 2018. It then played throughout the Edinburgh Fringe at the Paines Plough Roundabout venue in Summerhall. He also directed Katherine Chandler’s new play BUDDY, which transferred from RWCMD to The Gate Theatre, London.
In 2017 he directed the first London revival in over two decades of Terry Johnson’s masterpiece, INSIGNIFICANCE. It will play at the Arcola Theatre, and tickets are available at their website: www.arcolatheatre.com/event/insignificance/.
Prior to that, his production of BLUE HEART by Caryl Churchill, ran at the Orange Tree Theatre having transferred from the Tobacco Factory in Bristol:
★★★★★ “pushes the edges of what a play can be… reveals something incredibly truthful and humane” Reviews Hub
★★★★ “directed with great brio by David Mercatali and superbly acted” Michael Billington, The Guardian – read the full review
★★★★ “They are both very clever and gloriously silly plays and it is an absolute treat to watch them staged so well by director David Mercatali” Daisy Bowie-Sell, WhatsOnStage – read the full review
★★★★ “David Mercatali’s production is excellent: precise, playful and tough.” Andrzej Lukowski, Time Out – read the full review
★★★★ “David Mercatali’s impressively crisp revival” Henry Hitchings, Evening Standard – read the full review
★★★★ “A warm welcome for this exhilarating revival… It would be invidious to single out particular actors in Mercatali’s ensemble. But they are great collective interpreters of Churchill.” Paul Taylor, Independent – read the full review
★★★★ “pumps with narrative energy… The cast is super slick… outrageously funny… Director David Mercatali’s confident touch allows the production to embrace the bizarreness and beauty of these plays. And that these experimental pieces are at once so moving and intellectually challenging is almost mind-blowing.” Sally Hales, Exeunt
★★★★ “a breathtakingly confident imagination and thrilling theatrical panache… David Mercatali’s precise and exciting revival… an event that is both playful and genre-busting, excruciating and exhilarating, alarming and truthful.” Aleks Sierz, The Arts Desk – read the full review
★★★★ “Under the direction of David Mercatali, the domestic veneer of the two one-act plays is kept brightly polished, yet a palpable anxiety bubbles beneath.” The Stage
At the same time David’s hit production of Philip Ridley’s TONIGHT WITH DONNY STIXX was remounted at The Bunker.
Earlier in 2016, David directed CARGO by Tess Berry-Hart. It ran at the Arcola Theatre in July and August, picking up seven five-star reviews.
David directed Philip Ridley’s RADIANT VERMIN at the Tobacco Factory, Bristol and the Soho Theatre, London, before taking it to 59E59 in New York. You can read Ben Brantley’s NY Times review here.
In 2015 David’s productions TONIGHT WITH DONNY STIXX by Philip Ridley and YOU LOOK TASTY! by Stewart Pringle played at the Edinburgh Fringe at the Pleasance Theatre. Prior to that RADIANT VERMIN played in Bristol and London, and he directed Alice Birch’s LITTLE LIGHT at the Orange Tree Theatre. David has successfully staged new work from writers including Critics Circle Award winner Barney Norris, multi-award winner Timberlake Wertenbaker and Harold Pinter Playwrights Award winner Anders Lustgarten. He picked up a Fringe First award for Dark Vanilla Jungle 2013, and was nominated for Off West End awards for Best Director in both 2011 and 2014. In 2011 he was also nominated for the Evening Standard Outstanding Newcomer Award 2011.
David serves on the board of Stage Directors UK.