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Sam Yates

British director (born 1983) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Not to be confused with Samuel Yates.

Sam Yates (born August 1983)[2][3] is a British director [4] working in theatre, film and television. He has been described as "a major talent"[5] in The Guardian, and "a director of unusual flair"[6] in The Observer.

Quick facts Born, Occupation ...

Yates is known for his "eclectic body of work" and his "superb sense for casting",[7] having directed Andrew Scott,[8] Daisy Ridley, Ruth Wilson,[6] Hayley Atwell,[9] Gemma Arterton,[10] Christian Slater,[11] Matthew Broderick,[12] Ciaran Hinds,[8] Jane Horrocks,[5] Elizabeth McGovern,[12] Matthew Rhys and Angelica Huston.

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Early years and education

Yates grew up in Stockport and attended Poynton High School, a comprehensive school which offered drama and the arts as part of the curriculum.

As a teenager, Yates wrote letters to Granada Television to gain work experience on set of Cold Feet, Coronation Street and Donovan. At age 15, a work experience placement with BBC Radio Drama, Manchester, led to Yates working as Broadcast Assistant for the company for eight years around his education.

While studying at Homerton College, he directed and acted in numerous productions, including Macbeth: The Hour and Purgatory by W. B. Yeats at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Following university, Yates worked as an actor for a brief time, serving as understudy in The History Boys by Alan Bennett at the National Theatre and on tour, and on screen in an episode of Heartbeat.

Upon deciding to pursue directing, Yates was employed as assistant and associate director to Phyllida Lloyd, Josie Rourke, Michael Grandage, Trevor Nunn and numerous times for Jamie Lloyd.

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Career

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2011-2015

Yates’ first production in London was Mixed Marriage at the Finborough Theatre, which he also produced, in 2011. The production gained rave reviews with The Guardian’s Michael Billington describing it as “the most compelling play in London.”[13] The following year, Yates returned to the Finborough to produce and direct Cornelius by J.B. Priestley, featuring Alan Cox. The production was widely praised and described as “monumental.”[14] The production and its original cast transferred Off-Broadway to 59E59 where the production enjoyed a sold-out run and was described as “wonderful” in Ben Brantley’s Critic’s Pick review in The New York Times.[15]

Yates produced and directed a trio of unrelated Eugene O’Neill short plays, conceived by Yates into a production called The El Train at Hoxton Hall. The production featured a live jazz quartet, and had its own bar, The Hell Hole Saloon, named after one of O’Neill’s favourite New York taverns. Yates directed Ruth Wilson in two of the plays, and Wilson directed the third. The production sold out and in a five-star review for the Observer Yates was described as “a director of unusual flair.”[16]

In 2014, Yates was invited to direct Billy Liar at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. The production won two Manchester Theatre Awards for Harry McEntire and Emily Barber.

Jamie Lloyd and ATG then invited Yates to make his west end debut in 2014 with East is East by Ayub Khan Din. Yates cast Khan Din to play his own father, opposite Jane Horrocks. The production was critically acclaimed with Lyn Gardner of The Guardian writing “Director Sam Yates announces himself as a major talent.”[17] The production went on to tour the UK in 2014, and again, with a new cast led by Pauline McLynn, in 2015.

2015-2020

Yates continued to direct work by American writers, with production of Desire Under the Elms by Eugene O’Neill at Sheffield Crucible, Outside Mullingar by John Patrick Shanley at the Ustinov Studio, The Starry Messenger by Kenneth Lonergan at the Wyndham's Theatre, featuring Matthew Broderick and Elizabeth McGovern, and a second successful partnership with ATG on David Mamet’s ''Glengarry Glen Ross''. Featuring Christian Slater as Richard Roma, the production enjoyed widespread critical acclaim and two UK Tours.

Yates’ first musical, Murder Ballad featuring Ramin Karimloo and Victoria Hamilton-Barrett, played the Arts Theatre and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress for Hamilton-Barrett.

In 2015, Yates produced and directed his first film, a short called The Hope Rooms. He commissioned playwright David Watson to write the script from a story by Yates, before engaging Ciarán Hinds and Andrew Scott to play father and son. The film played multiple festivals around the world and for it Yates won the Future Filmmaker Award at RIIFF.

Yates was asked by Ella Road to direct her debut play, The Phlebotomist at the Hampstead Theatre Downstairs. The production marked the first collaboration between Yates and designer Rosanna Vize, who have subsequently worked together on over ten productions. The Phlebotomist sold out its run and achieved critical acclaim, including a nomination for Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre, before transferring to the Hampstead Theatre Main Stage the following year.

Paul Fahy of Galway International Arts Festival invited Yates to stage INCANTATA, a poem by Paul Muldoon about artist and printmaker Mary Farl Powers. Originally expecting a staged reading, Yates, actor Stanley Townsend and the creative team conceived a “visually stunning” hour-long production.[18] The piece transferred to The Gate Theatre, Dublin and Off-Broadway to the Irish Rep, where it was hailed as “magic” in the Critic’s Pick review in The New York Times.[19]

In 2019, Yates directed Television Movie Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar for Channel 5. Shot entirely on location in Malta, the cast included Jonah Hauer-King, Lyndsey Marshall, Stanley Townsend and Katherine Kingsley.

2020-2025

Yates returned to Hampstead Theatre to direct Tennessee Williams’ play The Two-Character Play, which was delayed multiple times due to the pandemic. The production incorporated live video and live music, added by Yates following research into William’s life.

He has stated that his work on INCANTATA and The Two Character Play led directly into his work on VANYA. Yates and producers Wessex Grove commissioned Simon Stephens to write a version of Uncle Vanya, centralising Vanya’s grief over his deceased sister, and relocating the action to Ireland. They approached Andrew Scott for the titular role, and while Yates, Scott and Stephens read the play together for the first time, Scott assumed multiple roles. So began a development process which became VANYA, a one-person version of Chekhov’s play. The production opened at Richmond Theatre for a week, before an entirely sold-out run at the Duke of York’s Theatre. The production won the 2024 What’s on Stage Award and Olivier Award for Best Revival, where Andrew Scott was nominated for Best Actor.

The filmed National Theatre Live production, directed by Yates, played in cinemas internationally and took over $2.5million at the box office.[14]

Yates made his feature debut as director of Magpie, a neo-noir written by Tom Bateman and starring Daisy Ridley. It premiered at the 2024 South by Southwest festival on 9 March 2024. In May 2024, Signature Entertainment acquired the UK distribution rights.[5] In August 2024, Shout! Studios acquired the North American distribution rights.[6] The film was released in the United States on October 25, 2024. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 46 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.1/10. Screen Daily described the film as “An assured, gratifyingly cheeky debut by Yates… expect it to cause a wave”.[20]

In 2025, VANYA transferred Off-Broadway to the Lucille Lortel Theater. The entire run sold out, and the production received multiple awards including Best Revival at the Drama League, Lucille Lortel and New York Outer Critic’s Circle Awards. Yates was nominated for Best Director at the Drama League and Lucille Lortel Awards.

Mammoth Screen Invited Yates to direct three-part mini-series Towards Zero by Agatha Christie, adapted by Rachel Bennette. Shot on location in Bristol and Devon, the cast included Anjelica Huston, Matthew Rhys and Clarke Peters, and featured an original score by Isobel Waller-Bridge. The series was broadcast on BBC and Britbox in the United States.

2025-

It was announced that Yates will direct Josh O’Connor in [[Golden Boy (play)|Golden Boy by Clifford Odets]] at the Almeida Theatre in 2026.

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Personal life

He is in a relationship with Irish actress Charlie Murphy.[21]

Works

Theatre

Film

Television

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Awards and nominations

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References

External links

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