Michael Boyd, the former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), passed away at the age of 68 at his home in London. Boyd served as the artistic director of the RSC from 2002 to 2012, during which he brought stability to the organization and took on ambitious projects such as a highly acclaimed residency in New York and the production of the successful non-Shakespearean musical “Matilda”. His family confirmed that his death was due to cancer in a statement published on the RSC’s website.
Boyd’s directorial career began in the early 1980s at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, England, where he directed a series of notable performances that caught the attention of both theatergoers and critics. This led to his appointment as an associate director of the RSC in 1996, and eventually, he became the artistic director in 2002.
When Boyd assumed the role, the RSC was facing challenges and criticism, including backlash over its decision to move from its long-standing home at the Barbican Centre in London and reduce its ensemble work. Under Boyd’s leadership, the RSC experienced a financial and architectural turnaround, with increased audience attendance and the renovation of its theater complex in Stratford-upon-Avon. In 2011, Boyd also oversaw a five-play residency at the Park Avenue Armory in New York, where a reproduction of the RSC’s classical theater was created. Additionally, he initiated the World Shakespeare Festival of 2012, a collaborative celebration involving over 50 arts organizations.
After a decade of leading the RSC, Boyd announced his departure in 2011, citing the toll the job had taken on him. However, he continued to direct notable productions, including a 2014 rendition of Christopher Marlowe’s classic “Tamburlaine, Parts I and II” for Theater for a New Audience in New York. This production featured extravagant use of stage blood, with 144 gallons being used each week.
Throughout his career, Boyd maintained a strong relationship with Theater for a New Audience. Jeffrey Horowitz, the company’s founding artistic director, acknowledged Boyd’s generosity and impact on their work. Boyd’s contributions to the theater community were recognized and appreciated by his peers.
Born on July 6, 1955, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Boyd’s passion for theater developed during his teenage years in Edinburgh. After studying English at the University of Edinburgh, he had the opportunity to spend a year studying theater in Moscow under Anatoly V. Efros, a renowned Soviet director. This experience influenced Boyd’s approach to theater, combining bold visual flair with a deep understanding of humanity.
Boyd’s legacy includes a successful tenure at the RSC, a multitude of remarkable productions, and his role in bringing “Matilda the Musical” to the stage. His contributions to the world of theater will be celebrated and remembered.
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