SAM STRONG
​ 
​Director

Sam Strong is an award-winning theatre director and one of Australia's preeminent cultural leaders.

In his most recent directorial venture, Sam spearheaded the stage adaptation of Trent Dalton's novel BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE. This ground-breaking production, commissioned, dramaturged, programmed, and directed by Strong for Queensland Theatre, Brisbane Festival, and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, achieved unparalleled success. It not only became the highest-selling show in the 50-year history of Queensland Theatre, it broke box office records as the highest-selling play in the history of QPAC.

Throughout his two-decade career, Sam has directed productions for every Australian State theatre company, the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane International Festivals, and the prestigious centres of new Australian work, Griffin and Belvoir. Known for his track record of delivering at scale, his ability to shepherd new works to the stage, and for his versatility, Strong's artistic portfolio spans classics to provocative new plays, commercial comedies, and even Shakespearean musicals featuring original songs by Tim Finn. His mainstage works have been witnessed by over 450,000 people, grossing an impressive $25 million at the box office.

In addition to his work as a director, Sam Strong has made significant contributions as a cultural leader. Most recently, Sam added public service leadership and policy to his resume, serving as the Executive Director of Creative Industries at Creative Victoria (a role that encompassed performing arts, screen/digital games, contemporary music, fashion and design). Prior to that, he held CEO, Co-CEO and Chair roles in performing arts organisations across Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. As Artistic Director of Queensland Theatre and Griffin, Sam consistently achieved remarkable milestones – programming seven consecutive seasons of subscriber growth, setting records for attendance at annual seasons and individual productions, and commissioning and programming commercially and culturally significant world premieres, including Yve Blake's FANGIRLS and Meyne Wyatt's CITY OF GOLD. His legacy also goes beyond the stage, having overseen transformative re-brands and renovations of theatres and auditoria at Queensland Theatre and Griffin.

​Sam Strong has received multiple nominations for Best Director and Best Play/Production at prestigious awards ceremonies such as the Helpmann Awards, the Sydney Theatre Awards, and Melbourne’s Green Room Awards. In 2014 Strong earned the Best Direction of a Mainstage Production accolade at the Sydney Theatre Awards for THE FLOATING WORLD. In 2016 he made history at the Helpmann Awards as only the second person to have two productions nominated for Best Play in the one year (ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY and JASPER JONES).

Sam is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts and has been admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Directing credits include: BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE (Brisbane Festival/Queensland Theatre/QPAC); CASSANDRA, ECHO AND NARCISSUS (Victorian Opera); EMERALD CITY, STORM BOY (Queensland Theatre/Melbourne Theatre Company); HYDRA (Queensland Theatre/STCSA); NEARER THE GODS, TWELFTH NIGHT (Queensland Theatre); NOISES OFF! (Queensland Theatre/Melbourne Theatre Company); ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY (Queensland Theatre/Black Swan Theatre Company); JASPER JONES, DOUBLE INDEMNITY, THE WEIR, ENDGAME, THE SUBLIME, THE SPEECHMAKER, PRIVATE LIVES, THE CRUCIBLE, THE OTHER DESERT CITIES AND MADAGASCAR (Melbourne Theatre Company); LES LIASONS DANGEROUS (Sydney Theatre Company); MASQUERADE (Sydney Festival/Griffin/STCSA/Melbourne Festival); THE BOYS (Sydney Festival/Griffin); THE FLOATING WORLD, BETWEEN TWO WAVES, AND NO MORE SHALL WE PART and SPEAKING IN TONGUES (Griffin); THE POWER OF YES (Company B Belvoir); and RED SKY MORNING, FACES IN THE CROWD (Red Stitch).

​Leadership positions include: Executive Director of Creative Industries (Creative Victoria), Chair (Melbourne Fringe), Artistic Director/Co-CEO (Queensland Theatre), Chair (Circa), Associate Artistic Director (Melbourne Theatre Company), Artistic Director/CEO (Griffin Theatre Company), Literary Associate (Belvoir), founding dramaturg in residence (Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre).