Guy Masterson

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Guy Masterson
Guy Masterson

Guy Alexander Masterson (Mastroianni; born 10 August 1961) is a British actor, writer, theatre director, producer and playwright widely known for his solo theatre performances of

Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best New Comedy. It opened on Broadway
on August 10, 2023 for a 16 week run.

Personal life

Masterson was born in

Roberto Duran and André the Giant
. He returned to the UK in 1989 and continued his professional career after studying for a year at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). In October 1998 his met Brigitta Scholz, a German actress/model living in Paris, and they married in January 1999. Their first child, Indigo Scholz-Mastroianni, was born in September 1999. Their second, Tallulah Scholz-Mastroianni, was born in June 2005. The family resides in London. Photo credit: NUX Photography - www.nuxphotography.com

Professional life

In 1984, his great uncle, the actor Richard Burton, died and Masterson (then Mastroianni) was persuaded to attend an acting class in Hollywood. He enrolled at UCLA's Extension Drama Programme for two semesters before auditioning and winning his first leading role in the Equity Waiver musical The Wonderful World of Waiver! His first professional job was understudying the roles of both Mick and Aston in The Caretaker at the LA Theatre Center, directed by Alan Mandell for which he received his Equity Card.

After performing in a number of plays in Los Angeles including The Elephant Man by

The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
– on the Postgraduate Course, graduating in 1990.

After a number of collapsed projects, he self-produced his first solo work – The Boy's Own Story by

Edinburgh Fringe Festival
.

During this period, he also directed a one-man show about the life of his Great Uncle, actor Richard Burton - Playing Burton by Mark Jenkins starring the Welsh actor Josh Richards. Both Under Milk Wood and Playing Burton achieved great critical success and transferred to Riverside Studios London, and from there, both shows toured around the UK for several years.

The success of Masterson's solo

Edinburgh Fringe Festival
, where the entire run sold out prior to opening. Both Animal Farm and Under Milk Wood then toured extensively domestically and internationally for several years including major tours all over India (1996) and New Zealand (1997).

In 1996, Masterson directed a production of The House of Correction by Norman Lock for the Edinburgh Fringe and presented it at the Pleasance where it received a Stage Award for Best Actress[4] for Beth Fitzgerald.

In 1997, Masterson presented his first international work, a Kiwi production The Ballad of Jimmy Costello with

Edinburgh Fringe Festival where he also presented Playing Burton, Bye By Blackbird by Willard Simms and Shylock by Gareth Armstrong
. All the shows were critically successful with each artiste garnering a Stage Award nomination for Best Actor or Actress.

His early years at the

Edinburgh Fringe Festival were followed by appearances & presentations over the globe, and over 29 consecutive festivals he, through his company, Theatre Tours International [4], has presented over 150 more shows, mostly at the Assembly Rooms, but also at The Pleasance and the Traverse Theatre
. Many of these productions were co-presentations with international companies of great repute, and their multiple and varied award nominations enhanced Masterson's own reputation as a producer of renown.

In 1998, his co-presentation of Skin Tight by New Zealand writer Gary Henderson won a

Scotsman Fringe First Award
.

In 1999, after a major tour to New Zealand with Animal Farm, Under Milk Wood and A Soldier's Song his co-presentation of Krishnan's Dairy with the New Zealand actor/writer

Scotsman Fringe First Award and a Stage Best Actor nomination for Rajan at the Edinburgh Fringe. Linda Marlowe also received a Stage Best Actress Award Nomination for Berkoff's Women, and Masterson directed Pip Utton
's Adolf which was one of the biggest hits of the Fringe that year, and went on to become one of the most successful solo shows of all time.

In 2000, Masterson introduced the work of the eminent New York writer/director

Scotsman Fringe First Award, as did Masterson's co-production of New Zealand writer Toa Fraser's Number Two. Stage Award nominations for Best Actress were also received by Madeleine Sami (for Number Two) and Jules Leyser for All Words For Sex which Masterson directed. This subsequently played at London's Soho Theatre
.

2001 saw Masterson present 8 shows at the Edinburgh Fringe including a new solo performance of a compilation of Dylan Thomas short stories and poems Fern Hill & Other Dylan Thomas [5] for which he received the Stage Best Actor award.[4] A nomination was also received for Pip Utton's Resolution [6] which Masterson directed.

2002, Masterson presented 10 shows at the Edinburgh fringe, co-presenting 4 with John Clancy including Horse Country by

Scotsman Fringe First Awards
for Horse Country & Cincinnati The Scotsman 'Best of the Firsts' award for Horse Country; The 'Jack Tinker Spirit of the Fringe Award' for Nancy Walsh-Clancy; The Herald Angel award; Horse Country, 'The Stage Best Actor Award' for David Calvitto for Horse Country, and 'The Stage Award Best Actress' nomination for Nancy Walsh-Clancy for Cincinnati.

2003 saw Masterson create the first of the three biggest theatre successes at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival which broke the existing box office record for Theatre at the Fringe and garnered much critical acclaim.[6] This production won 'The Strathmore Audience Award' and a nomination for 'The Stage Awards Best Ensemble'. Masterson also received a Stage Award Nomination for Best Actor for his solo Under Milk Wood now with music added by composer Matt Clifford a multi-year collaborator with The Rolling Stones
.

In 2004, Masterson originated a production of Dale Wasserman's

Sydney Theatre and Melbourne Athenaeum including Shane Bourne as Juror 3, Peter Phelps as Juror 4, Marcus Graham as Juror 8, George Kapiniaris as Juror 2 and Henri Szeps as Juror 9.[8] This production won three 2005 Melbourne Green Room Awards and a nomination for Best Play at the national Helpmann Awards.[9]

In 2005, Masterson directed the most successful ever theatre production at the

Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Odd Couple by Neil Simon starring comedians Bill Bailey, Alan Davies, Phil Nichol, Owen O'Neill, Dave Johns, Ian Coppinger, Katherine Jakeways and Lizzie Roper
. This production sold a capacity 850 seats a day at the Assembly Hall for the full run of the Festival.

In 2006, Masterson directed comedian

Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Masterson also presented his solo Under Milk Wood at Union Hall, Adelaide to great acclaim.[10]

In 2007, his production of Follow Me [7] by Ross Gurney-Randall and Dave Mounfield, won a Herald Angel, an Argus Angel and another Stage Award Best Actress nomination for Beth Fitzgerald.

In 2008, he directed Justin Butcher in his performance of his own Scaramouche Jones[8] which sold out its run at the Assembly Rooms and embarked on a national tour. He also produced and directed Suzie Miller's first U.K. play, Reasonable Doubt [9] also at the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh.

In 2009, he produced and directed Morecambe by Tim Whitnall which won a Scotsman Fringe First, a Stage Award nomination for Best Solo Performance, and went on to appear at the Royal Variety Performance and open at the Duchess Theatre in London's West End where it was nominated for a What's on Stage Award for Best Play, ITC Award for Best Touring Production, two Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment (Winner) and Best Performance in a Musical or Entertainment. The show then toured over 250 performances around the United Kingdom.

In 2011, Masterson remounted and performed his 1997 production of Shylock [10] directed by the author Gareth Armstrong. This won Masterson his 5th Stage Award nomination, this time for Best Solo Performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

In 2012 Masterson was invited to direct and play the role of Oscar in Neil Simon's The Odd Couple at the Theatre At The Mill (also featuring the actor/comedian Dave Johns. This production played at the Hawthorne Theatre in Welwyn Garden City the following summer of 2013. Guy also directed Samsung's global product launch show, Samsung Unpacked in 2012 and 2013.

In 2014, Masterson directed an epic 40 actor production of his own adaptation of Animal Farm [11] with Tumanishvili Film Actors Theatre Company of Tbilisi (Georgia) which won The Stage Award 2014 for Best Ensemble at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.[4] He also compiled and performed a WW1 Commemorative show Anthem For A Doomed Youth [12] which toured the UK around Remembrance Day and produced/directed Bill Clinton Hercules [13], a bio-play about Bill Clinton by Rachel Mariner starring Bob Paisley.

In 2015, Masterson collaborated with Hannah Ellis, granddaughter of Dylan Thomas to produce Dylan Thomas - The Man, The Myth *. He also adapted and performed a cut down 65 minute version of Under Milk Wood entitled Under Milk Wood - Semi Skimmed.

In 2016, Masterson directed the poet Clair Whitefield on Chopping Chillies [14]. He also wrote and performed his own stand-up comedy show, Love & Canine Integration (later retitled Barking Mad! [15]) which then toured to Australia.

In 2017, Masterson wrote, produced & directed

Dempsey & Makepeace) in Off Ramps at Edinburgh Fringe Festival to great acclaim. For the festive season he premièred his 11th solo work, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol [16]
adapted and directed by Nick Hennegan.

In 2018, Masterson presented a WW1 Commemorative Season at the Adelaide Fringe Festival bannered

Lest We Forget. At Edinburgh 2018, (his 25th consecutive EdFringe), Masterson also presented a controversial new play purporting to reveal the truth behind the death of Marilyn Monroe The Marilyn Conspiracy [17]
, co-written with Vicki McKellar, to critical acclaim.

In 2019, Masterson collaborated with actor/writer

Edinburgh Fringe and was subsequently picked up by Sonia Friedman
Productions for a West End transfer in May 2020, but postponed due to the Covid Pandemic.

In 2021, Masterson presented a truncated season of Under Milk Wood - Semi Skimmed at Assembly Festival (his 27th EdFringe excluding 2020). In October The Shark is Broken [18] finally opened at the

Laurence Olivier Award
nomination for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play.

In 2022, Masterson directed 9 Circles at Park Theatre (London) and Assembly Festival at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to strong acclaim. The Shark Is Broken opened at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto for 7 weeks. Masterson then completed his 5th tour of A Christmas Carol.

Early 2023, Masterson directed Peter Tate in Picasso: Le Monstre Sacré [19] by Terry D'Alfonso at The Playground Theatre, London. He then co-Directed The Marvellous Elephant Man - The Musical with Christopher H F Mitchell for the

Golden Theatre
on August 10, 2023 where it played for 18 weeks.

References

  1. ^ "UNDER MILK WOOD by Dylan Thomas with Guy Masterson (1994 to present)". www.theatretoursinternational.com.
  2. ^ "Animal Farm".
  3. ^ "SHYLOCK - by Gareth Armstrong performed by Guy Masterson". www.theatretoursinternational.com.
  4. ^ a b c *
  5. ^ "PAST SHOWS 12 Angry Men (UK) by Reginald Rose 2003". www.theatretoursinternational.com.
  6. ^ "Edinburgh Festival Fringe - Scotland is Now". Scotland.
  7. ^ "Past Shows: 12 ANGRY MEN (OZ) by Reginald Rose (2005)". www.theatretoursinternational.com.
  8. ^ "12 Angry Men (Australian Cast) :: Arts Projects Australia". www.artsprojects.com.au.
  9. ^ 5th Helpmann Awards
  10. ^ "UNDER MILK WOOD by Dylan Thomas with Guy Masterson (1994 to present)". www.theatretoursinternational.com.
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