Derek Bond Theatre Director:

Dinosaur World Live (also writer, Olivier Award Winner for Best Family Show 2024, Regents Park Open Air Theatre, UK & international tours 2017-present), Drop the Dead Donkey – The Reawakening (UK Tour, 2024), Dragons and Mythical Beasts (also writer, Regents Park Open Air Theatre, UK & International tour, 2021-22, Olivier Award Nomination for Best Family Show), Let’s Talk About Philip (Pleasance Edinburgh, 2022), Catastrophe Bay (Bristol Old Vic, 2022), Anna Karenina (Guildhall, 2021), Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare (Dubai Opera House, 2019), The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher (Hammersmith Apollo, 2017), Alice in Wonderland by Glyn Maxwell (Storyhouse, Chester, 2017), Sweet Charity by Neil Simon, Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester 2016/2017), Jess and Joe Forever by Zoe Cooper (Orange Tree Theatre and UK tour, 2016; Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh 2017), Stig of the Dump adapted by Jessica Swale (Storyhouse Open Air Theatre, Chester, 2016), Little Shop of Horrors by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (Royal Exchange Theatre, 2014/2015), As You Like It by William Shakespeare (Southwark Playhouse, 2014), Microcosm by Matt Hartley (Soho Theatre, 2014), Shiver by Daniel Kanaber (Watford Palace, 2014), Lost in Yonkers by Neil Simon (Watford Palace, 2012), Floyd Collins by Tina Landau and Adam Guettel (Southwark Playhouse, 2012) and Many Moons by Alice Birch (Theatre503, 2011).

Dinosaur World Live won the Olivier Award for Best Family Show in 2024, Dragons and Mythical Beasts was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Family Show in 2022. Sweet Charity won the Manchester Theatre Awards for Best Musical, and was nominated at the UK Theatre Awards for Best Musical. Little Shop of Horrors was nominated for three Manchester Theatre Awards, including Best Musical. Derek was nominated for Best Director for As You Like It at the Off West End Awards. Floyd Collins won Best Musical at the Off West End Awards, and was nominated for Best Musical at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards.

He is a regular guest director at several drama schools, and has worked at: Guildhall, Bristol Old Vic, LAMDA, Drama Centre, Mountview, East15 and Central.

Derek co-founded the OpenHire initiative, calling on theatres , producers and other employers to advertise creative freelance jobs in theatre. He was Artistic Director and co-founder of Blackhorse Arts, a place-based company created to bring together theatre makers and audiences in Waltham Forest, between 2018 and 2020. He was Associate Director of Theatre503 from 2010-2011 and created the PLAYlist project.

Derek studied Drama & Theatre Arts at the University of Birmingham, and assisted directors including Rufus Norris and Nicholas Hytner at the National Theatre, in the West End and around the UK.

Photo by Manuel Harlan