Born in Dorset, England, in 1961. After studying in Sheffield from 1985-88 he began training at the Crucible Theatre in Taunton. A stint at the Gate Theatre in London from 1990-92 was followed by his appointment as Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre, where he directed and produced over one hundred plays. His feature film debut, "Billy Elliot" (which received three Oscar nominations in the year 2000) and "The Hours" (nominated for nine Oscars in 2003) were international box office hits.

Source: 59. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Catalogue)