Stuart Draper
Encyclopedia
Stuart B Draper is a British
actor
, playwright
and theatre director. He attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
and graduated from Durham University
, and teaches at the South London Theatre
.
, Draper said, "I’m particularly interested in the relationship between Mercutio and Romeo. Romeo is young and impressionable: Mercutio is witty, and dangerous - and also clearly in love with Romeo. Their relationship is not sexual - but there are homoerotic undertones there."
His works include the 2006 performance of Stay with Me, at the South London Theatre
in March and then the Greenwich Playhouse
of which Indie London wrote, "This follows its success, not only with audiences but also with critics, when it was performed by the South London Youth Theatre in March this year",
An adaption of Two Gentlemen of Verona, of which Gaydar Nation wrote, "Adapted by director, Stuart Draper this colourful new version of William Shakespeare's Gentlemen of Verona
sees a brace of clowns, a dog, a troupe of gay bandits and four star-crossed, mismatched lovers battling for love and honour under the Mediterranean sun."
To W.H.
, of which Indie London wrote, "To W.H. combines the soul and passion of Shakespeare’s sonnets (the majority of which were written to a Mr W.H.) with the exuberance and bawdiness that characterise his most exciting comedies", The Stage
wrote, "Stuart Draper’s new play, in which he also stars, runs with the theory that the initials were those of William Herbert, future Earl of Pembroke", and " his Bard is besotted with the young nobleman when they first meet and, though Herbert is 20 years his junior, they go on to have a full blown affair", and UK Theatre Web wrote, "Stuart Draper has written a pacy romp which interlaces a large amount of Shakespeare’s writing. There are weaknesses: the opening of each half is slow, the sung sonnets drag, the Dark Lady is under-developed. The time shift is not thoroughly worked through, but allows knowing nods to the present. However, the whole conceit has more to like than condemn."
Of his August 2008 presentation of his play Paper Moons, Tamara Gausi wrote, "Draper neither stands over nor sentimentalises any of his characters, allowing this heartfelt depiction of teenage angst to entertain, but also to touch".
by the Bexley Times which wrote, "In a good cast, Stuart Draper shone brightest as the Lord High Executioner Ko-Ko, a blustering, avaricious coward in a pink suit who would have given Rik Mayall
or Alexi Sayle a run for their money in the comedy stakes.".
Of Draper's performance in Horst Buchholz and Other Stories, Sarah Monaghan of Theatreworld Internet Magazine said, "Stuart Draper stands out as a middle-aged geek called George", Emma Whitelaw of Indie London said, "Stuart Draper is excellent as the uptight, pistol-wielding George. Having placed a ridiculously large bet with their arch-rival team, 'the flying underpants', George is particularly keen to win", and Jonathan Gibbs of Time Out said, "...This (includes) a largely amusing pub quiz skit by Matthew Wilkie featuring Stuart Draper as sad-sack George, who has unwisely bet a grand that his team win on the very night it disintegrates all together"
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and theatre director. He attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art is a leading British drama school in west London. LAMDA's president is Timothy West and its new principal is Joanna Read, who recently succeeded Peter James...
and graduated from Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
, and teaches at the South London Theatre
South London Theatre
The South London Theatre is a Community theatre in West Norwood in the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The first play opened in October 1967, and it is now a busy theatrical venue, presenting more than 22 shows annually in two auditoria: the 100-seater proscenium arch "Bell Theatre" and a...
.
As playwright
As a playwright, Draper's works often take a deeper look at the relationships between characters. Of his 2004 production of Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
, Draper said, "I’m particularly interested in the relationship between Mercutio and Romeo. Romeo is young and impressionable: Mercutio is witty, and dangerous - and also clearly in love with Romeo. Their relationship is not sexual - but there are homoerotic undertones there."
His works include the 2006 performance of Stay with Me, at the South London Theatre
South London Theatre
The South London Theatre is a Community theatre in West Norwood in the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The first play opened in October 1967, and it is now a busy theatrical venue, presenting more than 22 shows annually in two auditoria: the 100-seater proscenium arch "Bell Theatre" and a...
in March and then the Greenwich Playhouse
Greenwich Playhouse
The Greenwich Playhouse in the central Greenwich district of the London Borough of Greenwich is an eighty-four seat studio theatre which opened in 1990. It is situated above and has its entrance within, the St. Christopher’s Inn Pub...
of which Indie London wrote, "This follows its success, not only with audiences but also with critics, when it was performed by the South London Youth Theatre in March this year",
An adaption of Two Gentlemen of Verona, of which Gaydar Nation wrote, "Adapted by director, Stuart Draper this colourful new version of William Shakespeare's Gentlemen of Verona
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1590 or 1591. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as his first tentative steps in laying out some of the themes and tropes with which he would later deal in more...
sees a brace of clowns, a dog, a troupe of gay bandits and four star-crossed, mismatched lovers battling for love and honour under the Mediterranean sun."
To W.H.
To W.H.
To W.H. is a play that examines the potential sexuality of William Shakespeare and the identity of "W.H." who has been referred to a number of times in Shakespeare's work...
, of which Indie London wrote, "To W.H. combines the soul and passion of Shakespeare’s sonnets (the majority of which were written to a Mr W.H.) with the exuberance and bawdiness that characterise his most exciting comedies", The Stage
The Stage
The Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. Covering all areas of the entertainment industry but focused primarily on theatre, it contains news, reviews, opinion, features and other items of interest, mainly to those who work within the...
wrote, "Stuart Draper’s new play, in which he also stars, runs with the theory that the initials were those of William Herbert, future Earl of Pembroke", and " his Bard is besotted with the young nobleman when they first meet and, though Herbert is 20 years his junior, they go on to have a full blown affair", and UK Theatre Web wrote, "Stuart Draper has written a pacy romp which interlaces a large amount of Shakespeare’s writing. There are weaknesses: the opening of each half is slow, the sung sonnets drag, the Dark Lady is under-developed. The time shift is not thoroughly worked through, but allows knowing nods to the present. However, the whole conceit has more to like than condemn."
Of his August 2008 presentation of his play Paper Moons, Tamara Gausi wrote, "Draper neither stands over nor sentimentalises any of his characters, allowing this heartfelt depiction of teenage angst to entertain, but also to touch".
As actor
He was well received for his role in the play Hot MikadoHot Mikado
Hot Mikado is a musical comedy, based on Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado, adapted by David H. Bell and Rob Bowman...
by the Bexley Times which wrote, "In a good cast, Stuart Draper shone brightest as the Lord High Executioner Ko-Ko, a blustering, avaricious coward in a pink suit who would have given Rik Mayall
Rik Mayall
Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall is an English comedian, writer, and actor. He is known for his comedy partnership with Ade Edmondson, his over-the-top, energetic portrayal of characters, and as a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s...
or Alexi Sayle a run for their money in the comedy stakes.".
Of Draper's performance in Horst Buchholz and Other Stories, Sarah Monaghan of Theatreworld Internet Magazine said, "Stuart Draper stands out as a middle-aged geek called George", Emma Whitelaw of Indie London said, "Stuart Draper is excellent as the uptight, pistol-wielding George. Having placed a ridiculously large bet with their arch-rival team, 'the flying underpants', George is particularly keen to win", and Jonathan Gibbs of Time Out said, "...This (includes) a largely amusing pub quiz skit by Matthew Wilkie featuring Stuart Draper as sad-sack George, who has unwisely bet a grand that his team win on the very night it disintegrates all together"