FRANK THOMPSON
Director / Choreographer
Frank began his theatrical life as a performer, and now work as a director and choreographer.
Frank trained at Laine Theatre Arts and went on to appear in Cats (West End, UK tour including the closing night performance at New London Theatre); War & Peace (The London Coliseum); La Cava (Churchill Theatre, Bromley and Piccadilly Theatre); The Pajama Game (Birmingham Rep, Prince of Wales Theatre, Toronto & The Victoria Palace); S’Wonderful (London Palladium); Hey Mr Producer! (Lyceum Theatre); Sunset Boulevard (Adelphi Theatre); Pickwick The Musical (UK Tour); Jack in Review (London Palladium); and West Side Story and Mother Goose (York Theatre Royal).
Film and Television credits include: Tom Jones, All We Need is Love, Jethro Tull 25 Years Celebration, Elaine Page - As If We Never Said Goodbye, The South Bank Show, This Is Your Life - Petula Clark, The Lawrence Oliver Awards and The Royal Variety Performance; Reach for the Stars, a documentary based around the Sylvia Young Theatre School, (BBC1); Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - The Making of a Musical (Mentorn); Turning Point Documentary (ITVC); Hey Mr Producer! (Cameron Mackintosh & VCI Video Ltd); Cats (Film for RUG & Polygram); Hale & Pace & The People Program (LWT); Great Westerners (HTV); Free Time & CITV (Carlton).
Frank choreographed a new production of Tom Foolery with Kit & the Widow and Dillie Keane at the Jermyn Street Theatre and UK tour; the critically acclaimed productions of Aladdin, Cinderella and A Christmas Carol (directed By Susie McKenna at the Hackney Empire); No One in The World (a new musical directed by Steven Dexter); A Chorus Line (directed by Gillian Gregory); MGM with Cyd Charisse and The Styne Way with Chita Rivera and Rita Moreno (London Palladium); The Ultimate Knees Up, Cinderella and Mother Goose (Hackney Empire); The Beaux Stratagem and The Boyfriend (Wimbledon); The Fleet’s In (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane); Slapper and Slaphead (The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester). He was the associate choreographer for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium), The Ford Centre (Broadway and UK tour). Frank was the assistant choreographer on War & Peace for ENO; and resident choreographer for the Miss Saigon School. Frank has reproduced work for The Royal Varity Show, Proms in the Park, Children In Need, Blue Peter, The Varity Club of Great Britain Awards and ITV’s The Christmas Show.
Frank was assistant director for Hackney Empire’s Mother Goose starring Clive Rowe (Olivier nomination for his performance), and associate director on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s London Palladium production of The Sound of Music (directed by Jeremy Sams). In 2007 Frank staged a new production of The Marriage of Figaro at Sadler’s Wells, which also toured the UK, for the Classical Opera Company. Frank co-directed and choreographed Rags at the Chelsea Theatre. He directed and choreographed the Opera Band Amici for their 2006 UK, Australian and New Zealand stadium tour.
Frank directed Fascinating Aida’s ‘comeback’ show at the Jermyn Street Theatre in spring 2008 and Fascinating Aida: The Silver Jubilee which toured and played the 2009 Edinburgh Festival and opened on Broadway in December 2009. Earlier this year Frank directed The Australian Fire & Flood Benefit at the Palace Theatre, starring Lee Mead, Jodie Prenger, Jason Donavan and Rolf Harris. He also co-directed and choreographed A Christmas Carol starring Gareth Hale playing at the Arts Theatre.