IAIN SINCLAIR
Head of Acting
“Iain is one of the most forensic directors I have worked with. His knowledge of American literature is vast and he gets to the heart of what is at play. He is an inspiration.”
– Darren Gilshenan, Award-Winning Actor, Director, Writer & Teacher.”
BACKGROUND
Iain Sinclair is well recognised as one of Australia’s finest directors of actors in performance consistently helping them generate empowered, sophisticated and dignified work.
With a distinguished career marked by a deep engagement with text and a commitment to powerful storytelling, Iain has directed a diverse range of productions for many of Australia's leading theatre companies. His work is characterized by its intellectual rigor, emotional depth, and ability to resonate with contemporary audiences.
After graduating from The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and King’s College London where he specialised in directing actors and developmental dramaturgy Iain has had a rich and successful career alternating between bold new plays and the classics. He has directed for numerous mid level professional companies and also consistently works outside of the mainstream paradigm creating top level independent productions.
Actors working alongside Iain are regularly nominated for Best Actor awards here and overseas. In 2017 alone 10 actors under Iain’s direction won Best Actor awards 3 in Los Angeles and 7 in Australia alongside a compelling 34 total award nominations and 4 wins for Best Play.
Before accepting Kim’s invitation to join 16th Street Iain was the Senior Dramaturg at Playwriting Australia and a prolific Theatre Director in Sydney. Early in his career, Iain was AD to Cate Blanchett when she was Artistic Director at Sydney Theatre Company and AD to Max Stafford Clark when he was artistic director at Out of Joint in the UK. He has been a visiting artist and teacher at major institutes like NIDA, VCA and La Salle College.
Iain's directing credits include notable productions such as Thornton Wilder’s Our Town and Arthur Miller’s All My Sons for Sydney Theatre Company, Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge for both STC and Melbourne Theatre Company, a staging that garnered critical acclaim and was described by one reviewer as "a triumph." More recently, he directed the Australian premiere of Milked by Simon Longman at fortyfivedownstairs, and a dynamic production of Shakespeare's Hamlet for Melbourne Shakespeare Company.
His extensive directing work also includes productions for companies such as Ensembles Theatre, Belvoir, Queensland Theatre, Griffith Theatre and The Old Fitz Theatre to name a few.
Beyond his directing, Iain's expertise as a dramaturg has been invaluable in the development of new Australian writing and the insightful interpretation of classic plays. His passion for the craft of acting is deeply ingrained in his teaching philosophy at 16th Street, where he creates an environment that encourages rigorous exploration and artistic growth. Iain Sinclair's impact on the Australian theatre landscape, both through his professional practice and his dedication to actor training, is profound and ongoing.
PHILOSOPHY
Iain uses a process dedicated to empowering actors through story. He applies bold new thinking from the fields of social science, interpersonal neurobiology and story theory and hammers them into practicality based soundly on the principles Konstantin Stanislavski explored. He helps the actor find the engine of any scene and then he gives them the keys and lets them drive it on their own.
“When the actor honours the writer through story, they awaken their innate ability to fight for a cause, they are liberated from the fools errand of chasing emotion and in replacement, they are gifted the ancient and honourable task of stepping into the public arena to fight for what matters.
Actors who find the engine of a scene find their dignity through purpose, they find courage because of desire, they are liberated from doubt through discipline, they become psychologically resilient through catharsis and they step into substance through the ancient ceremony of struggle.
Actors engaged in story are at the centre of their artform.
When actors stand without fear at the centre of their artform the ancient gods look on and we are fused together again”.
Awards and Nominations
2024 Green Room Awards
HAMLET, presented by Melbourne Shakespeare Company
Best Ensemble - Nominee
2023 Green Room Award
BERLIN, presented by Melbourne Theatre Company
Outstanding Direction - IAIN SINCLAIR - Nominee
Outstanding Production - Nominee
Outstanding Performance; GRACE CUMMINGS - Nominee
2022 Sydney Theatre Awards
THE CARETAKER, presented by Ensemble Theatre
Best Direction of a Mainstage Production - IAIN SINCLAIR - Nominee
Best Performer in a Leading Role - DARREN GILSHENAN - Nominee
Best Performer in a Supporting Role - ANTHONY GOOLEY - Nominee
2020 Green Room Awards
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, presented by MTC
Outstanding Direction - IAIN SINCLAIR - WINNER
Outstanding Performance - STEVE BASTONI - Nominee
Outstanding Ensemble - Nominee
Outstanding Performance (featured role) - ANDREW COSHAN - Nominee
Outstanding Production - Nominee
2017 Sydney Theatre Awards
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, presented by Red Line Prod
Best Direction of an Independent Production - IAIN SINCLAIR - Nominee
Best Independent Production - WINNER
Best Male Actor in a Leading Role in an Independent Prod - IVAN DONATO - WINNER
Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role - ZOE TERAKAS - WINNER
Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role - JANINE WATSON - Nominee
Best Newcomer - ZOE TERAKAS - WINNER
2017 New South Wales Stuart Wagstaff Award
Outstanding Direction - A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, Red Line Productions -WINNER
Queensland Matilda Awards
Received the 2016 Matilda Award for Best Production for BRISBANE by Matthew Ryan
2015 Sydney Theatre Awards
OF MICE AND MEN, presented by Sport for Jove Theatre
Best Direction of an Independent Production - IAIN SINCLAIR - WINNER
Best Independent Production - WINNER
Best Male Actor in a Leading Role - ANTHONY GOOLEY - Nominee
Best Male Actor in a Leading Role - ANDREW HENRY - Nominee
Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role - ANDRE DE VANY - Nominee
Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role - CHRISTOPHER STOLLERY - Nominee
2013 Sydney Theatre Awards
ALL MY SONS, Presented by Darlinghurst Theatre Company
Best Direction of an Independent Production - IAIN SINCLAIR - Nominee
Best Actress in a Leading Role - TONI SCANLAN - WINNER
Best Actor in a Leading Role - MARSHALL NAPIER - Nominee
Best Actor in a Supporting Role - ANDREW HENRY - Nominee
Canberra Critics Circle Awards
Won three Canberra Critics Circle Awards.
Sydney Theatre Awards
Received multiple Sydney Theatre Awards, including one for directing "The Seed".
AWGIE Award Nomination
Has been nominated for an AWGIE Award.
10 Actors Under Iain Sinclair's Direction Won Best Actor Awards
In 2017 alone, 10 actors under Iain Sinclair's direction won Best Actor awards, including 7 in Australia.
4 Best Play Wins and 34 Nominations
In 2017, there were 4 wins for Best Play and a total of 34 award nominations related to Iain Sinclair's productions.