Fuel > Mark Murphy > Bio
Mark Murphy is an award winning director, published writer, filmmaker, movement specialist and teacher. As founder and director of the acclaimed Vtol Dance Company, he directed between 1991 and 2001, seven major shows - all touring extensively throughout the UK and Europe. In the 1990’s his name also became synonymous with The Northern Stage Ensemble in Newcastle, for whom he co-directed the ground breaking A Clockwork Orange and the award winning 1984, both utilising Mark’s signature mix of film and live performance. In 2002 he became associate director for outdoor specialists Walk The Plank and has since directed many of their site specific shows including their collaboration with Australian company Bambooco for the Manchester Commonwealth Games, Creekside at Laban (2004 RIBA Building of the year) and Saints and Singer at the All Rivers Festival in Sunderland. The highlight of their collaboration to date is the highly praised firework, film and performance production S.W.A.L.K.
Mark closed Vtol to move away from dance and focus fully on his writing and directing. After teaming up with producing company Fuel, he has subsequently written and directed two plays – A Wing and a Prayer and The Night Shift, both of which have been the subject of six venue commissions. He has also received two prestigious Peggy Ramsay Foundation Awards for his writing. The Night Shift had its world premiere at the Traverse Theatre in the Edinburgh Festival before a London run at BAC. During this time, Mark was also filmmaker and movement director for David Farr’s Julius Caesar with The Royal Shakespeare Company. More recently he collaborated with Australian aerial company Legs On The Wall by writing and co-directing their show On The Case to huge audiences at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. On The Case was nominated for five Helpmann Awards and went on to collect best outdoor show and best direction. Recently he directed Boilerhouse’s one-woman show Drenched in Scotland and after a successful re-writing period, toured his debut play The Night Shift to packed houses in Singapore and across the UK.
2007 saw Murphy direct and devise The Recovery Position, a new site-specific show for National Theatre of Scotland and make new work for Hope St in Liverpool. The second half of the year has seen him direct and devise Accidental Heroes for the Lyric, Hammersmith main house in London and direct Half Life - an ambitious outdoor co-production between National Theatre of Scotland and world renowned environmental company NVA. In January 08 Mark directed the opening night ceremony for the Liverpool Capital of Culture to an estimated audience of fifty thousand.
