Stephen Sharkey
Stephen Sharkey has translated and adapted a wide variety of classic and classical stories for the stage, including works by Euripides, Aristophanes, Wilde, Defoe, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Dickens and Goncharov. His most recent work includes a version of Tolstoy’s THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYICH for one actor, and INKHEART, adapted with Walter Meierjohann from the children’s novel by Cornelia Funke for Home, Manchester. His new translation of Brecht’s THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI was commissioned and co-produced by Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse and his adaptation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL was directed by Erica Whyman at Northern Stage, Newcastle, and is published by Josef Weinberger. Stephen has written three further Christmas shows for Northern Stage: HANSEL AND GRETEL, PETER PAN, and THE GLASS SLIPPER.
Other translations include ION by Euripides for Gate Theatre, London; THE BIRDS by Aristophanes, reworked as a musical comedy for children called CLOUDCUCKOOLAND; and SEX AND THE THREE-
DAY WEEK adapted from a Feydeau farce for Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse.
Publications include THE MAY QUEEN (Methuen) originally produced by Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse and an adaptation of THE GREAT GATSBY (Methuen) originally produced by Blackeyed Theatre.
Stephen has also written several plays for BBC Radio 4: the first of these, ALL OF YOU ON THE GOOD EARTH, won the Society of Authors’ Richard Imison prize for best radio debut.
In autumn 2018, Kiln Theatre (formerly the Tricycle) produced the world premiere of Stephen’s adaptation of WHITE TEETH, Zadie Smith’s modern classic novel, in a major production by artistic director Indhu Rubasingham.