About

Mark Barford is an Australian born stage director, writer and producer based in New York City. He specializes in the development of new work and the reimagining of classics.

Mark is founding Co-Artistic Director/ Co-Executive Producer of The Australian Theatre Festival NYC.

Recent directing highlights include: ‘Wavelength’ (Theatre Row, NY), ‘As You Like It’ (Circle in the Square, NY), ‘The Children’s Hour’ (Circle in the Square, NY), ‘Hubris & Humiliation’ (Theaterlab, NY), ‘The Tiniest Thing’ (Alchemical, NY), and the award-winning production ‘Breakfast’ (Secret Theatre, NY).

He wrote and co-directed ‘Stranded’ (ATF online), and co-wrote & directed ‘Hadrian & Antinous’ (Lenfest, NY) and the Croatian National Theatre production of ‘Antidote’ (CNT, Rijeka).

Mark’s multi award-winning, 5 star production of ‘F*cking Men’ played at The Vaults London (11 week run), Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Assembly Festival), International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival, and The King’s Head Theatre London (multiple sold-out seasons).

As resident director for ICW productions/ The Music Theatre Company of W.A, he directed large-scale productions of ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, ‘The Sound of Music’, ‘The Mikado’, ‘CATS’, and ‘Company’.

Other directing highlights include: ‘King Richard II’, ‘The Cherry Orchard’, ‘Freddie’, ‘Dark Meat’, ‘The Only Living Boys in South Jersey’, ‘Hillary &; Monica’, ‘The Cat in the Box’, and ‘Never Mind the Monsters’.

Mark has worked as an assistant to director Barrie Kosky on ‘La Boheme’ (Komische Oper, Berlin) and Ivo van Hove on ‘Network’ (Belasco, Broadway).

He has been an educator for over 10 years and is currently the Chair of Acting at Circle in the Square Theatre School in NYC.

Mark is a graduate of the Acting Shakespeare program at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Film & Theatre) and Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary Teaching) from Murdoch University. He earned an MFA in Theatre Directing from Columbia University, under professors Anne Bogart and Brian Kulick.

Mark is an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC).

www.markbarford.com IG @markbarford