Neil Geoffrey Armfield AO (born 22 April 1955) is an Australian
director of theatre, film and opera.Born in Sydney, Armfield is the
third and youngest son of Len, a factory worker at the nearby Arnott's
Biscuits factory and Nita Armfield. He was brought up in the suburb of
Concord, adjacent to Exile Bay. He was educated at the Homebush Boys
High School where, in 1972, he was the Vice-Captain. In that year,
Armfield directed the school's production of Milne's "Toad of Toad
Hall" which garnered him the award of "Best Director" at the NSW High
Schools Drama Festival. When asked in 2019: “Who or what was your
biggest influence?†Armfield said; “Lindsay Daines at Homebush
State High School, who encouraged my theatrical aspirations.†He
then went on to study at the University of Sydney, graduating in 1977,
and became Co-Artistic Director of the Nimrod Theatre Company in 1979.
He joined South Australia's Lighthouse Theatre before returning to
Sydney in 1985, where he was involved in the purchase of Belvoir St
Theatre and the formation of Company B, becoming its first Artistic
Director in 1994.In April 2008 he was selected as a participant in the
Towards a creative Australia strand of the Australia 2020 Summit.
Armfield announced in 2009 that the 2010 season would be his last as
Belvoir Artistic Director, but he subsequently directed under his
successor as Artistic Director Ralph Myers.
director of theatre, film and opera.Born in Sydney, Armfield is the
third and youngest son of Len, a factory worker at the nearby Arnott's
Biscuits factory and Nita Armfield. He was brought up in the suburb of
Concord, adjacent to Exile Bay. He was educated at the Homebush Boys
High School where, in 1972, he was the Vice-Captain. In that year,
Armfield directed the school's production of Milne's "Toad of Toad
Hall" which garnered him the award of "Best Director" at the NSW High
Schools Drama Festival. When asked in 2019: “Who or what was your
biggest influence?†Armfield said; “Lindsay Daines at Homebush
State High School, who encouraged my theatrical aspirations.†He
then went on to study at the University of Sydney, graduating in 1977,
and became Co-Artistic Director of the Nimrod Theatre Company in 1979.
He joined South Australia's Lighthouse Theatre before returning to
Sydney in 1985, where he was involved in the purchase of Belvoir St
Theatre and the formation of Company B, becoming its first Artistic
Director in 1994.In April 2008 he was selected as a participant in the
Towards a creative Australia strand of the Australia 2020 Summit.
Armfield announced in 2009 that the 2010 season would be his last as
Belvoir Artistic Director, but he subsequently directed under his
successor as Artistic Director Ralph Myers.
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