Tom Cooper

Tom studied English and Philosophy at University of York, then trained on the MA Directing for Theatre at Goldsmiths College, University of London.

Tom was an assistant director for the Young Vic Theatre (London), the Haymarket Basingstoke, English National Opera, Opera North and Scottish Opera. As a lyricist, he participated in two-years of BOOK Music Lyrics (BML) professional development programme, for which he was funded by Creative Scotland.

Tom has worked extensively in the development of new plays and musicals, as a dramaturg attached to the development of various projects, and as a script reader for the Bush Theatre, the Royal Court Theatre, and the King’s Cross New Writing Award. He was Literary Associate (Musical Theatre) for the Finborough in London, and for some years read new musical libretti for the Donmar Warehouse.

As composer, co-lyricist and co-director, Tom created the musical The Glasgow Poisoner (with Jen McGregor (Òran Mór / OneRen / Ayr Gaiety). Other directing in Scotland includes Aladdie and Dick Whittington (Gaiety Theatre, Ayr); Shonagh Murray’s musical Armour (Òran Mór / Traverse); Who Pays the Piper? (Òran Mór); Part of the Picture (Pleasance, Edinburgh, also as writer); The World Goes Round (Wild Cabaret, Glasgow); Gianni Schicchi (Opera Bohemia, Scottish tour); La bohème (Clyde Opera Group). Other directing includes Brecht’s The Visions of Simone Machard (Hackney Empire and tour); the UK premiere of Adam Guettel’s song cycle Myths and Hymns (Finborough Theatre, London); A Day by the Sea (also Finborough); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Blenheim Palace Gardens); La traviata (UK tour); the devised L’antologia di Spoon River and Stefano Benni’s Astaroth (Rapallo Festival, Italy); Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (Upstairs at the Gatehouse); Judith (Pleasance, London); and large-scale community productions of Henry IV parts one and two (York Shakespeare Project).

He has taught and/or directed productions for Mountview Academy, Oxford School of Drama, Arts University Bournemouth, University of Cumbria, and London College of Music. In Glasgow he was Head of Acting and Programme Leader for BA Musical Theatre at GAMTA for a number of years.

As an academic researcher, his work has been published in the journals Studies in Musical Theatre, New Theatre Quarterly and The Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism. He has served as an external consultant for organisations including University of Winchester, the National Theatre of Scotland, and Mercury Musical Developments.

Tom became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2012, and a Senior Fellow in 2020. He completed the MEd Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2019.

At the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, his directing has included large-scale multi-artform retellings of Twelfth Night (The Yellow Club) and Carroll’s Alice stories (Curiouser and Curiouser) for Junior Conservatoire; Big Fish and A Little Night Music (MA Musical Theatre at Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Fringe); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Amélie (BAMT actor-muso shows).