A MARSDEN man is currently the hottest director on the planet.
That’s because he has shows opening on both Broadway and London’s West End within the week.
John Tiffany’s dark, one-man production of Macbeth starring Alan Cumming opens at New York’s Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Sunday. And musical, Once, premieres at London’s Phoenix Theatre next Tuesday after bagging a host of glittering prizes on Broadway. John’s highly-acclaimed American production won eight Tony awards, including Best Director, and is already being touted by critics as the next big West End hit.
Once is a story about an Irish singer songwriter who fixes vacuums in the family’s Dublin shop by day and plays music by night.
He’s on the verge of giving up when a Czech immigrant girl persuades him to record a demo album. Their unexpected friendship evolves into a powerful and complicated love story.
John, who describes the London version as “more gritty” than the American show, has arranged VIP passes for his parents and sister Rachael Lawrence and her three sons, who all still live in Huddersfield, for the opening night of the musical.
Despite the red carpet treatment, the down-to-earth former Honley High and Huddersfield New College pupil credits his family and friends with keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground.
He said: “I always try to include them in all the good things.
“I was home just before Christmas and I was moaning to Mum about how busy I was and she said: ‘John, love, isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?’”
John, 42, was born in Marsden and moved to Meltham as a boy when his mother got a job there as a district nurse.
He has been described by critics as both “a breath of fresh air” and “a scruffy Yorkshire lad.”
His mother Margaret said: “John’s got two shows on Broadway and one in the West End, that’s not bad for a scruffy Yorkshire lad!”
He inherited his love of the arts from his parents Margaret and Neil. Margaret was involved with amateur dramatics in Marsden and Neil played in Marsden Silver Prize Brass Band.
John got involved at an early age, playing the lead role in Oliver! at Huddersfield Town Hall at the tender age of 10, and was a member of Huddersfield Choral Society Youth Choir for many years.
He said: “I’m a Marsden cuckoo, born and bred. Coming from where we come from, you don’t really see a career in the arts as having security, even though our family loved them.
“I really loved biology, but I went to university in Glasgow, which was City of Culture, and saw this amazing theatre and thought: ‘To heck with this’ and changed from biology to theatre and classics.
“It was a big gamble, but it has worked out.”
Some of John’s most successful collaborations have been with other natives of Huddersfield.
His work with award-winning choreographer Steven Hoggett is well known. Steven, from Almondbury, and also a fellow member of the youth choir has won prestigious Olivier and Obie awards.
Slaithwaite-born Natasha Chivers, a former Colne Valley High School pupil, is the lighting designer on Macbeth. She has also won an Olivier award.
Once is still running on Broadway and Joanna Christie, from Almondbury, is about to take on the lead female role.
