Tony Nominee Writer/Director joins Behind the Awards to discuss the creation of The Picture of Dorian Gray alongside Sarah Snook.  Kip shares how his vision married technology and art to create Oscar Wilde’s novel for this generation.

Also in this episode - Eila & Bruce discuss the announcement of Darren Criss and Renee Else Goldsberry as the hosts of The Tony Awards streaming on PlutoTV at 6:40pmEST, Sunday June 8th.  As well as Montego Glover taking over the role of Rose for 8 performances in Gypsy from Monday June 30th - Sunday July 6th while Audra McDonald is on vacation. 

Kip Williams is a multi-award winning writer and director of theatre, opera and screen, who has revolutionised the stage with his ‘cine-theatre’ productions. His hugely critically acclaimed gothic trilogy of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, and Dracula has been seen to date by a global audience of over 350,000 people and has brought him international acclaim, with The Economist calling his work “the future of theatre” and The New Yorker hailing Williams “an Australian megatalent exploring the cutting edge of video onstage”. Following its sold-out run in the West End in early 2024, Williams’ adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray opened on Broadway at The Music Box in March 2025 to huge acclaim, with Sarah Snook reprising her Olivier Award winning performance. The production was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Williams who is nominated for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play, along with nominations for Outstaning Director of a Play at the Drama Desk Awards and Outstanding Direction of a Play at the Drama League Awards.
Williams’ professional career began with Sydney Theatre Company (STC), Australia’s largest theatre company, when in 2012 he was appointed STC’s Directing Associate by then Artistic Directors Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton. He was subsequently made Resident Director from 2013-2016, and in November 2016, Williams was appointed Sydney Theatre Company’s seventh Artistic Director & Co-CEO, a role in which he served for eight years. His appointment, at the age of 30, made him the youngest Artistic Director in the company’s history. During his celebrated tenure, Williams transformed the company’s production of new writing, with over two thirds of the 101 shows he programmed written by Australian writers, whilst also achieving gender parity for writers and directors across all seasons for the first time in the company’s history.
In addition to STC, Williams has directed for many of Australia’s leading theatre companies and festivals, including Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC), Malthouse Theatre, Adelaide Festival, Perth Festival, and Melbourne’s RISING Festival, as well as internationally for Auckland Arts Festival, Princeton Summer Theatre, Michael Cassel Group, Kindred Partners, Theatre Royal Haymarket in the West End, and The Music Box on Broadway. Williams’ will direct his adaptation of Dracula at the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End, starring screen and stage virtuoso Cynthia Erivo playing all 23 roles.

Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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