World renowned director Gregory Doran has been named Oxford University’s latest Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre for the academic year 2023-2024.
The Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre is a professorship connected to St Catherine’s College. Established in 1990 in honour of the theatre producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh, the position is held for a year by a prominent figure in the world of theatre.
Gregory Doran grew up in Lancashire and studied English and Drama at Bristol University before beginning his career at the RSC in the 1980s, with a stint as Artistic Director until April 2022. An important figure in stage, television, and film productions, he is particularly well known for his Shakespearean work, such as his 2008 Hamlet production, released as a television film starring David Tenant and Patrick Stewart in 2009. Doran’s non-Shakesperean productions include Death of a Salesman, The Orphan of Zhao, The Odyssey, as well as David Walliams’ The Boy in the Dress.
Doran will succeed Adjoa Andoh – best known for her role as Lady Danbury in Bridgerton – as Cam Mac Visiting Professor.
He has accumulated numerous awards such as the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement of the Year and the Sam Wanamaker Award from Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
Doran also has numerous doctorates from eminent universities across the UK. His memoir, My Shakespeare: A Director’s Journey through the First Folio, was also published earlier this year.
The Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professorship is designed to give students at Oxford the chance to work directly with some of the most important figures in contemporary theatre. Cam Mac Professors hold lectures in order to encourage and promote the practice of contemporary theatre at the university. The inaugural lecture is also open to the public.
When asked about the professorship, Doran said: “I am chuffed and honoured to take up the Cam Mac Visiting Professorship and to work with students. It is a privilege to be able to share your passion.”
