Andrew Keates
Director | Acting Tutor
Andrew Keates | Director
Andrew trained at Brockenhurst College (Beacon College for Performing Arts), Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts & Guildford School of Acting (BA Hons Theatre).
West End credits include: the European Premiere of Steve by Mark Gerrard, starring David Ames and Jenna Russell; Michael Dennis’ world premiere of Dark Sublime, starring Marina Sirtis; William M. Hoffman’s first AIDS play As Is; the European premiere of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s musical, Dessa Rose, starring Cynthia Erivo and Cassidy Janson (Trafalgar Studios); the London revival of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (Charing Cross Theatre) and Martin Sherman’s Passing By (Tristan Bates Theatre).
Other credits include: the European premiere of David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish (Park Theatre); Howard Goodall and Richard Curtis’ Girlfriends (Stanwyx Theatre); Steve Furst: In Character (Museum of Comedy, Astor Theatre, Tristan Bates Theatre and Southbank Underbelly Festival 2018); directing and developing the world premiere of the new British Musical The White Feather (Union Theatre); the controversial Ugandan tragedy The River and the Mountain by Beau Hopkins; William M. Hoffman’s first AIDS play As Is; the European premiere of Rooms: A Rock Romance by Paul Scott Goodman and Miriam Gordon and Passing By by Martin Sherman (Finborough Theatre); the professional world premiere of A Winter’s Tale (directed and developed by Andrew with Howard Goodall and Nick Stimson), Joe Dipietro and Jimmy Roberts’ musical The Thing About Men and the award-winning production of The Hired Man (Landor Theatre); Short Plays By Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (Soho Theatre); Conjugal Rites by Roger Hall (Courtyard Theatre); A Spotlight On… West End Cabaret Season and Series (Landor Theatre); the London revival of Stiles and Drewe’s Just So (Tabard Theatre); and Martin Sherman’s Bent (Landor and Tabard Theatre transfer production).
Andrew and his productions have received many award nominations. In 2012 Andrew’s production of The Hired Man won Best Musical Production and in 2013 his production of A Winter’s Tale won Best New Musical in The OffWestEnd.com Awards. In 2018 the Vice Chancellor of Surrey University awarded Andrew the Young Achiever of the Year Award for his significant contribution to theatre, championing those from a social and ethnic minority background within the performing arts and raising awareness of HIV stigma. Furthermore, he has received special mentions during the Critic’s Circle Awards and won various other awards too.
Andrew co-ran the Landor Theatre for three years working on many productions as a Producer, Casting Director and Director. In 2012 he left the Landor to form his own production company, Arion Productions Ltd of which he is the current Artistic Director that gives opportunities to theatremakers, and in 2017 they launched The Show People Podcast which Andrew hosts. He is a Performance Director for the world renowned immersive theatre company Secret Cinema and recently directed their global production of Ghostbusters: The Gates Of Gozer and regularly teaches acting to private students and drama schools in the UK and internationally.
