Michael Elliott (director)

Michael Elliott
Born	1931 London
Died	30 May 1984(age 53)
Occupation	Theatre and television director
Years active	1954–1984
Spouse(s)	Rosalind Knight (July 1959–1984) (two daughters)

Michael Elliott, OBE (1931–1984) was an English theatre and television director.

He was born in London, the son of a clergyman, Canon Elliott, and was educated at Radley College and Keble College, Oxford. Whilst still at Oxford he met Caspar Wrede, the theatre director, with whom he was to work closely for the next three decades.

After leaving Oxford he assisted on a production of Edward II at the 1954 Edinburgh Festival Fringe directed by Wrede. Also in 1954 Elliott joined the BBC to direct plays for the drama department.

In 1959 Wrede founded the 59 Theatre Company, based at the Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith) with Elliott appointed assistant artistic director and, although short-lived, the company achieved considerable success with productions of Ibsen's Brand (Elliott's professional debut as a director) and Little Eyolf, plus Georg Büchner's Danton's Death. The two men supervised a season of plays at the Old Vic in 1961, this time with Elliott as artistic director and Wrede as his assistant. He directed As You Like It in Stratford for the RSC with Vanessa Redgrave, Peer Gynt for the Old Vic with Leo McKern and Miss Julie for the National Theatre with Albert Finney and Maggie Smith.

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