Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes CBE (born 1 August 1965) is an English film and stage director, producer and screenwriter. In theatre, he is known for his dark re-inventions of the stage musicals Cabaret (1994), Oliver! (1994), Company (1995), and Gypsy (2003). He directed an original West End stage musical for the first time with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2013).
For directing the play The Ferryman, Mendes was awarded the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play in 2019.
Sam Mendes Creates U.K. Theater Fund, Backed by Netflix and Steven Spielberg
variety.comManori Ravindran International EditorA new U.K. theater fund spearheaded by “1917” director Sam Mendes has been created with the support of Netflix, and the backing of Steven Spielberg and Armando Iannucci.Industry orgs Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre will set up the fund, which is supported by a £500,000 ($623,000) donation from Netflix.
The initiative will provide small grants for theater practitioners that have run out of options as theaters endure a four-month shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.The fund is designed specifically to support those who have been ineligible for government aid and have not been able to work since venues closed the week of March 16.
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