Clint Dyer (born 4 November 1968) is an English actor, director, and playwright. He was director of the premier production of The Big Life, whose transfer to Apollo Theatre in 2005 made him the first Black British director of a musical in the West End. In 2022, he was the first Black director of a professional production of Othello in the UK. As a playwright, he is best known for the Death of England trilogy (co-written with Roy Williams), which was premiered at the National Theatre between 2020 and 2023, followed by a revival at @sohoplace theatre in 2024. Dyer was Deputy Artistic Director of the National Theatre from 2021 to 2025.
Early life and education
Dyer was born in 1968 in Upton Park, East London, a "poverty-stricken" neighbourhood that was "seething with racial tension" when he was growing up. His parents had separately migrated to England from Jamaica in 1958 and 1961. His mother worked as a nurse and his father worked for the Ford Motor Company. As a child, he was a supporter of West Ham United F.C. and had wanted to become a footballer before being deterred from the sport due to his experiences of racist abuse.
Dyer attended Theatre Royal Stratford East's Youth Theatre from the age of 14, where he was mentored by director Philip Hedley. He also completed his A Levels in film studies, drama, and English literature at Barking College of Technology. He later studied acting at the East 15 Acting School, part of the University of Essex.
Career
Acting Dyer has worked as an actor, director, and writer. As an actor, his first major role on stage was as Zwanini in the production of Michele Celeste's Hanging the President at Battersea Arts Centre in 1990, replacing Adrian Lester who had portrayed the same character in the original production at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. Another major role in his early career was as Randall in Mike Leigh's It's a Great Big Shame in 1993, which Dyer said to have opened him up to bigger opportunities on stage as well as on the screen. He starred as Delroy in the 2000 revival production of Sus by Barrie Keeffe and later reprised this role in the 2010 film adaptation of the play as well as the stage revival at the Young Vic in addition to a UK tour in the same year. For his role in the film adaptation, he won Best Male Performance in Film at the 2011 Screen Nation Film and Television Awards as well as the Best Actor Award at British Urban Film Festival 2015 (in a special edition which considered submissions over the last 1 years0).
Other notable stage appearances by Dyer were: Big White Fog (Almeida Theatre, 2007); Perseverance Drive and The Royale (Bush Theatre, 2014 and 2015); Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (National Theatre, 2016); and The Kid Stays in the Picture (Royal Court Theatre, 2017).
Directing and writing Dyer made his directorial debut with The Big Life, a musical adaptation of Love's Labour's Lost inspired by the Windrush generation, which premiered at Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2004 before transferring to Apollo Theatre in 2005. The Big Life was said to be the first "black, British musical" staged in the West End and Dyer the first Black British director of a West End musical.
Dyer and Roy Williams were the co-writers of the trilogy of plays at the National Theatre (and later @sohoplace) entitled Death of England (2020-2024), as well as the film Death of England: Face to Face (2021), all directed by Dyer. He had previously directed the 2014 short film Death of England, written solely by Williams for the Off the Page series, a collaboration between Royal Court Theatre and The Guardian. Dyer had also directed Williams's play Kingston 14, staged at Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2014. The Death of England series marked Dyer as the first Black British artist to have worked at the National Theatre in three different capacities: as an actor (in the National's production of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom), a director, and a playwright.
Since the success of Death of England, Dyer has gone on to direct Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at Lyric Theatre (2021-2023); Othello at the National Theatre (2022); Wretch 32: HOME, a theatrical performance of Wretch 32's album Home? on the National Theatre stage (2025); and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the Old Vic (2026). He is believed to be the first Black director to work on a major stage production of Othello in the UK.
Appointments Dyer was a longstanding trustee and associate artist at Theatre Royal Stratford East. In 2020, he was appointed as an Associate of the National Theatre. The following year, he was appointed by Rufus Norris as the National Theatre's Deputy Artistic Director, making him "arguably the most high-profile person of color in British theater". He remained in this position until January 2025, succeeded by Robert Hastie. In the same year, he was appointed as one of the Artistic Associates at the National Theatre, thus continuing his long association with the company.
Personal life Dyer has two children with his wife.
He has spoken openly about being dyslexic.
Acting credits
Stage YearTitleRoleVenue(s)Note/1990Hanging the President, by Michele CelesteZwaniniBattersea Arts CentreReplacing Adrian Lester in the original production1993It's a Great Big Shame, by Mike LeighRandallTheatre Royal Stratford East1994Skaville, by Paul SirettEddieCockpit Theatre, Marylebone1997BabycakesWilfredTron Theatre, Glasgow Black Dove, by Robin KeyBenRed Lion Theatre2000Sus, by Barrie KeeffeDelroyGreenwich Theatre2002A Carpet, a Pony and a Monkey, by Mike PackerAlBush Theatre 2007Big White FogPercy MasonAlmeida Theatre2010Sus, by Barrie KeeffeDelroyYoung Vic and UK Tour2014Perseverance Drive, by Robin SoansJoshBush Theatre2015The Royale, by Marco RamirezWyntonBush Theatre2016Ma Rainey's Black BottomCutlerLyttelton Theatre2017The Kid Stays in the PictureMarlon BrandoRoyal Court Theatre
Film YearTitleRoleNote/1999Everybody Loves SunshineLeon2005CherpsReggie2008FalloutManny2010SusDelroy2016MineA local Berber2017Acts of VengeanceShivers2019November 1stCarl
Television YearTitleRoleChannel/NetworkNote/1991EastEndersMarcusBBC One3 episodes1992Prime SuspectGranada TVSeries 2 - Guest role, 1 episode2001'OrribleNoelBBC Two2009Hope SpringsMarius GruberBBC One5 episodes2017Black MirrorTonyNetflixSeries 4, Episode 5: "Metalhead" (main role)2018Death in ParadiseLeon LarocheBBC OneSeries 7, Episode 82024Mr LovermanHubertBBC One3 episodes
Writing and directing credits Stage +KeyDenotes upcoming productions YearTitleVenue(s) / Production(s)RoleDirectorWriter2004-2005The Big LifeTheatre Royal Stratford East (2004) and Apollo Theatre (2005)2011The Westbridge, by Rachel De-lahayRoyal Court Theatre2014Kingston 14, by Roy WilliamsTheatre Royal Stratford East2019The Happy Tragedy of Being WokeEdinburgh International Festival 2020Death of England: MichaelDorfman Theatre2020-2021Death of England: DelroyOlivier Theatre2021-2023Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley MusicalLyric Theatre, West End2022OthelloLyttelton Theatre2023Death of England: Closing TimeDorfman Theatre2024Death of England (revival of all 3 plays)@sohoplace2026One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestThe Old VicThe Story Olivier TheatreAmerican Buffalo
Films and television YearTitleNetwork/ChannelRoleNote/DirectorWriter2009One of UsShort film2014Death of EnglandShort film; part of Royal Court Theatre and The Guardians Off the Page series2019Soon Gone: A Windrush ChronicleBBC FourEpisode 3 - "Kev (1968)"2021Death of England: Face to FaceNational Theatre At Home and Sky ArtsTelevision film
Awards and nominations
YearAwardCategoryWork(s)ResultNote/2011Screen Nation Film and Television AwardsMale Performance in FilmSus2015British Urban Film Festival AwardsBest ActorSus2019Alfred Fagon AwardMain awardDeath of England: MichaelThen titled Death of England; joint nomination with Roy Williams2020Alfred Fagon AwardMain awardDeath of England: DelroyJoint nomination with Roy WilliamsBlack British Theatre AwardsBest Director for a Play or MusicalDeath of England: Michael2022Visionary HonoursPlay/Musical Of The YearDeath of England: DelroyJointly won with Roy WilliamsRoyal Television Society Programme AwardsSingle DramaDeath of England: Face to FaceBAFTA Television AwardsBest Single DramaJoint nomination with Dixie Linder, David Sabel, Rufus Norris, Christine Schwarzman, and Roy WilliamsWhatsOnStage AwardsBest DirectionGet Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical
References
External links