Glenn Elston OAM has directed over 250 seasons Shakespeare, Classic Works, Musicals and Family Theatre. A prominent figure in Australian theatre, he is particularly known for pioneering outdoor picnic theatre in Australia and creating immersive, family-friendly experiences that have become beloved traditions.
Elston began his journey in 1987, forming a small performance collective that has since grown to be Australia's largest independent theatre company. His dedication to making Shakespeare and other classic stories accessible to a broad audience has led to the production of iconic outdoor performances, particularly during the summer season, attracting audiences from across the nation.
His repertoire includes celebrated productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III, Comedy of Errors, Henry IV - Part I, Richard III, Merry Wives of Windsor, Hamlet, Macbeth, and As You Like It. Beyond Shakespeare, he has written and directed original stage adaptations of beloved stories like The Wind in the Willows, Alice in Wonderland, Toad’s Birthday Party, The Caribbean Pirates, Jack and the Beanstalk, Tinkerbell and the Dream Fairies and Jungle Book – The Next Chapter. His productions of classic texts includes Lady Chatterley's Lover, Wuthering Heights, The Crucible and Pygmalion.
In 1987, Glenn was founding producer of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival which has gone on to become the 3rd largest comedy festival in the world. Glenn also was a founding member of the Melbourne Comedy Club, originally based at the Hilton Hotel and formed with Rita Rudner, Martin Bergman, Michael Edgely Group, Greg Hocking and Tim Woods.
In 1990, Glenn was co-producer of Hair which opened in Melbourne and then began a tour around Australia. Glenn took over as tour director in Sydney and travelled with the production to venues in Camperdown, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, Townsville, Cairns, Kuranda, Darwin, Wollongong, Launceston, Hobart, Newcastle and Tweed Heads.
In 2002, He adapted and directed Much Ado About Nothing into a rock musical with his regular songwriting collaborator, Paul Norton. This adaptation has toured Australia and has enjoyed sold out seasons in many Australian capitols. Six of Glenn’s productions have appeared in five different Adelaide Festivals.
Since 2003, Glenn has been collaborating with Djilpin Arts and co-presented the Walking with Spirits festival - a powerful celebration of Aboriginal traditions held at Malkgulumbu (Beswick Falls) in the Northern Territory. This partnership is this ongoing. Furthermore, in 2010 he produced Noel Tovey’s acclaimed production Little Black Bastard to the Edinburgh’s Gilded Balloon, further amplifying Indigenous voices on the international arts scene.
In 2014, Glenn directed and designed a new Australian touring production of Godspell the Musical which played seasons at Arts Centre Melbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Traralgon, Sale, Warragal and the Sydney Opera House.
Glenn has produced many local and international acts over the years including Sir George Martin in Concert with Glenn Shorrock, The John Farnham Band, James Rayne & Tommy Amanuel (QPAC, Hammer Hall at Arts Centre Melbourne and the Sydney Opera House), David Strassman, The Heartbreak Kid, Blues in the Night, The Life and Death of Sandy Stone (Barry Humphries), Five Guys Named Moe, Bitch! Dyke! Faghag! Whore! (Penny Arcade), A Stretch of the Imagination and three Australian Tours of Marianne Faithfull including a special performance of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins.
In recognition of his contributions, Glenn Elston was honoured with a Melbourne Award for Contribution to Melbourne's Profile by an Individual in 2014 and the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2018 for his service to the performing arts. He is the Artistic Director of the Australian Shakespeare Company (ASC) and a director at A.T. Management.
This year, Glenn is bringing three productions to London's Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It will mark his seventh season there.
