Harry Denford
Harry Denford is a stand up comedian, playwright, theatre director and actor.
Personal life
Harry Denford was born in Greenwich, London, England on 22 February 1968. His secondary school was John Roan School in Blackheath, London. He then went to Hendon Police College in 1986 before retraining as a commercial pilot ATPL and became a stand up comedian. He then spent two years studying drama at the City Literary Institute known usually as The City Lit in London. In 2010 he became the artistic director of 'The London Theatre' and within the first two years established a number of plays performed in Russian, Italian, German and French by visiting international theatre companies at this theatre.
Stand-up comedy
Denford started on the comedy circuit in 1997, becoming noted for his loud, 'Saff' London geezer on-stage persona. Within six months of performing his first ever open mike spot, he was given his first paid spot at Jongleurs in Camden.
He still performs most weeks at major comedy clubs around the UK and in 2008 was asked to become head coach for . 'The London Comedy Course'
Playwriting
Denford's best known work to date is the aviation comedy CLUB CLASS which since 2005 has played over 180 UK theatres including major theatres such as The Lowry in Manchester, Derby Playhouse, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford and on five separate occasions at the Hawth Theatre in Crawley with a professional cast plus many more theatres around the UK with amateur theatre productions.
While a student at City Lit, he wrote his first play, SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT, which was first performed in 2004 at the Barons Court Theatre in London.
In 2006 he wrote the comedy THE BRIDGE which was performed in London that year and also in 2008 now under the theatre director Tim McCavoy at the Rosemary Branch Theatre.
In 2007 he wrote the play JOY DIVISION about Nazi sex workers commissioned for the 'Branching Out' season in London where established writers have to produce a new theatre play on a subject they have no previous knowledge of. The play was staged again in London in 2008 and also in Belfast in 2009 and again in 2010. In 2014 it was selected for the RADA festival performing at the Garrick Theatre and also translated into Polish and played The London Theatre
He also co-wrote the musical THE LEGION with Dee Gaynor which various theatres around the UK.
In 2008 he wrote ROSE WITHOUT A THORN for The Rose (theatre) on London's Bankside which looked at the life of Catherine Howard and this was the first fully costumed brand new full-length play to be performed at this theatre for over 400 years.
In 2009 he co-wrote the comedy He's Behind You for the Kenton Theatre in Henley which looks behind the scenes of a Pantomime.
A selection of his plays is published by TURKINA [ISBN 978-0-9559148-0-5].
Theatre directing
Denford has directed numerous professional theatre productions around the UK, with performances at theatres such as The Lowry in Manchester and The Rose (theatre) Bankside in London.
Directing work includes:
- Shakers by John Godber at Barons Court Theatre in London
- The Cherry Orchard at The Stag Theatre, Sevenoaks and in 2009 he was asked to direct the somewhat 'eyebrows' raised from the purist mid winter production of Midsummer Night's Dream for Shakespeare's The Rose (theatre) on London's Bankside.
In June 2011 he became the Artistic director for 'The London Theatre' and in the same year associate director for 'Shakespeare in the Park'
External links
- Harry Denford official website http://www.denford.flyer.co.uk
Harry is the artistic director of the London Theatre http://www.thelondontheatre.com
Review of Denford's 2007 stage play 'JOY DIVISION'
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