Lloyd Newson has led DV8 Physical Theatre since its inception in 1986. His work has had a dynamic impact on contemporary dance and theatre.
His stage and film work with DV8 has consistently received major awards, most recently the prestigious Helpmann Award for Can We Talk About This?.
Born in Australia, Newson studied psychology and social work at Melbourne University. During that time he became interested in dance, a fascination that led to a full scholarship at London Contemporary Dance School. Before forming his own company, DV8 Physical Theatre in 1986, he danced and/or choreographed with many companies including Modern Dance Ensemble, Impulse Dance Theatre/New Zealand Ballet Company, One Extra Dance Theatre and Extemporary Dance Theatre. Straddling dance, text, theatre and film, Newson’s work refuses to be defined. Since 2007 he has specifically focused his attention on investigating the relationship between verbatim text and movement.
In January 2016, Newson announced he was taking time out from the company to reflect and think about the future. During this time, the production of new work will be put on hold. To read the full announcement, click here.
Newson’s work, be it for stage or film, has won more than 50 National and International awards. He has been cited by the Critics Circle as being one of the hundred most influential artists working in Britain during the last hundred years. In 2013 Newson was awarded an OBE from Her Majesty the Queen for services to contemporary dance. His work has had a dynamic impact on contemporary dance and theatre.
[Photograph: Robert Young]
For a full list of live and film productions, visit our project index >
INTERVIEWS
A selection of published interviews, starting with the most recent:
The Independent
Hugh Montgomery | 25th October 2014 | Interview and preview of JOHN
The Australian
Jean Hannah Edelstein | 23rd July 2011 | interview and preview of Can We Talk About This?
Dance Australia
Jondi Keane | June/July 2009 | reply to Nicholas Rowe's article 'Points of Difference'
Q&A with Lloyd Newson
2007 | To Be Straight With You press information
Ohne Angst mit dem Partner Händchenhalten
Brigitte Fürle | 2007 | To Be Straight With You programme, Berlin
The Sunday Telegraph
Louise Levene | 1st May 2005 | interview on film making and the making of Just for Show
The Irish Times
Michael Seaver | 20th April 2005 | interview in the lead up to Just For Show
Event Guide, Ireland
Trish Murphy | 6th - 19th April 2005 | interview in the lead up to Just For Show
Lloyd Newson in Conversation with Jo Butterworth
1998, revised 2004 | revised text reproduced here
Article 19
Zoë Boden | 22nd July 2003 | interview published to coincide with the start of the 2003 tour of the cost of living
Dance Umbrella
Donald Hutera | Spring 2000 | issue 5 | Lloyd talks about dance and Wasted (can we afford this)
Dance Theatre Journal
Libby Snape | vol.15 no.2 | 1999 | pp. 8-12 | Lloyd talks about the making of The Happiest Day of My Life
Dance Europe
Nicholas Rowe | Oct/Nov 1999 | pp. 13-17 | Lloyd talks about dance, audiences, critics and his own life
DV8 ... Ten Years on the Edge
Based on an interview with Mary Luckhurst (unpublished) | 1997 | Bound To Please programme
Lloyd Newson ... Dance About Something
Adapted from an interview that first appeared in Live (Methuen) | Original interview by David Tushingham | 1995 | Enter Achilles programme
Ballett International / Tanz Aktuell
Josephine Leask | 1995 | vol 8-9 pp.48-53 | an essay on Lloyd Newson's physical theatre
Dance Now
Summer 1993 | pp 11-13 | Lloyd charts some of the many considerations that form a background to his work
The Independent
Louise Levene | 11th July | 1992
Dance Theatre Journal
Gary Carter | Autumn 1993 | vol.10 no.4 | a wide-ranging discussion of DV8's work, focusing on MSM
Sunday Times
Ellen Cranith | 26th July 1992
Dance and Dancers
Introduction by Nadine Meisner | Summer 1992 | Lloyd Newson talks about his new work
New Dance
Andy Solway | Autumn 1985