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Michael Alfreds (born 5 June 1934) is an English theatre director, adapter, translator and teacher. He has worked all over the world and won awards for his productions.
Michael Alfreds was born in London in 1934. He spent his National Service in the Royal Air Force in Singapore from 1952 to 1954.
From 1954 to 1962 he lived in the United States. He worked in the Publicity Department of MGM Studios from 1955 to 1957 and directed for small theatres around Los Angeles. He trained as a director, first at the American Theatre Wing in New York, then from 1957 to 1960 in the Theatre Department of Carnegie Mellon. During those years, he directed seasons of musicals and operas in summer stock in Kennebunkport. After graduating, he directed for Theatre West, Tucson and from 1961 to 1962, he was artistic director of the Cincinnati Playhouse-in-the-Park to 19.
Back in the UK, he taught at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) in London from 1965 to 1970. From 1970 to 1975, he worked in Israel. He was senior lecturer at the theatre department of Tel Aviv University and, from 1972 to 1975, he was artistic director of the Khan Theatre in Jerusalem and contributed immensely to its development. He also directed plays for the Cameri Theatre in Tel Aviv, Bimot Theatre, the Haifa Municipal Theatre and Beersheva Theatre.
Alfreds returned to the UK in 1975 where he founded and was artistic director of Shared Experience until 1985. He directed for the Royal National Theatre between 1985 and 1988. From 1991 to 1999, he was director of the Cambridge Theatre Company renamed Method and Madness. In 2001 and 2002, he directed for Shakespeare's Globe and in 1994, for the Royal Shakespeare Company. As well as the USA and Israel, he has worked abroad in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Norway, France, Italy, Mongolia and China. He has translated the texts of several of his productions and has also specialised in the adaptation of novels and stories for the stage and has developed techniques for storytelling in the theatre.
Alfreds has written two books on his working methods: Different Every Night, which deals with his rehearsal processes for plays, and Then What Happens, concerning his methods of working on adaptations. He has divided his career between directing and teaching acting and directing. Alfreds is known for his special method of working with actors, inspired amongst others by the principles of Constantin Stanislavski and Rudolf Laban, with emphasis on physical work, scrupulous analysis of text, spontaneity and interaction with others during the play in minimalistic productions.
