Holding Two Truths at Once: Playwright Mark Rosenblatt in Conversation with Bethany McShepherd

Authors

• Bethany McShepherd
• Mark Rosenblatt

Abstract

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content: Bethany McShepherd:

If you don't know already, Mark [Rosenblatt] is an Olivier Award-winning writer and director for stage and screen. He has worked as a freelance theatre director across the UK and internationally since 1998, winning the JMK Young Directors Award in 1999 and directing new work and classics for the Oxford Stage Company, Shakespeare's Globe, the National Theatre, Sheffield Theatres, Northampton Theatres, Leeds Playhouse, the Edinburgh Festival, the High Tide Festival Theatre, the Young Vic, in the West End, off-Broadway, and at the New National Theatre in Japan. From 2013 to 2016, he was full-time Associate Director at Leeds Playhouse and Associate Artist there until 2020, directing nine main house productions. Before that from 2011 to 2013, he was the Associate at the National Theatre Studio where he ran the directors department and developed new work. For the screen, Mark co-adapted Robert Holman's play, Making Noise Quietly, and he wrote and directed the Oscar-longlisted short film, Ganef.

As a writer, Mark's debut play Giant premiered in Autumn 2024 at the Royal Court Theatre downstairs before transferring to the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End in May of 2025. It offers a nuanced portrait of a fiendishly charismatic icon, the children's writer, Roald Dahl, and explores with dark humor the difference between considered opinion and dangerous rhetoric. Giant won the 2025 Critics Circle Award for Best New Play and three Olivier Awards: Best New Play, Best Actor—John Lithgow, and Best Supporting Actor—Elliot Levey. The production was nominated for a further two Oliviers, Best Director—Nicholas Hytner, and Best Supporting Actress—Romola Garai. Mark also won the 2025 Critics Circle Award for most promising playwright. Bravo, Mark!

Recommended Citation

McShepherd, Bethany and Rosenblatt, Mark (2026) "Holding Two Truths at Once: Playwright Mark Rosenblatt in Conversation with Bethany McShepherd," Comparative Drama: Vol. 60: Iss. 1, Article 2.
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/compdr/vol60/iss1/2