Andrew Upton

Andrew Upton (born 1 February 1966) is an Anglo-Australian playwright, screenwriter and director, having adapted the works of Gorky, Chekov, Ibsen and others for London's Royal National Theatre and the Sydney Theatre Company. He wrote the original stageplay Riflemind (2007), which premiered to favourable reviews for Hugo Weaving under the Philip Seymour Hoffmann's direction, at the Sydney Theatre Company. Upton and wife Cate Blanchett are the co-founders of the film production company, Dirty Films, under which Upton served as a producer for Little Fish (2005), an award-winning feature film, and they became joint artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company from 2008-2012. As of 2016, Upton, Blanchett, and their family resided in East Sussex, England, and downtown Sydney, Australia.

Andrew Upton
Born (1966-02-01) 1 February 1966
Australia
OccupationPlaywright, screenwriter, director
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1997)​
Children4

Career

As a playwright, Upton created adaptations of Hedda Gabler, The Cherry Orchard, Cyrano de Bergerac, Don Juan (with Marion Potts), Uncle Vanya, The Maids, Children of the Sun[1][2] and Platonov for the Sydney Theatre Company (STC) and Maxim Gorky's The Philistines for the Royal National Theatre in London.[3]

Upton's original play Riflemind opened with Hugo Weaving, playing an ageing rock star planning a comeback, at the Sydney Theatre Company on 5 October 2007, and received a favourable review in Variety (magazine).[4][5][6] The London production of Riflemind, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, opened in 2008,[7] but closed as a result of financial the pressure of the Global Financial Crisis[8][9] after receiving poor popular press reviews.[9][10][11][12][13][14]

In 2008, Upton and wife Cate Blanchett became joint artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company for what became a five-year term.[15]

Upton and Blanchett formed a film production company, Dirty Films, whose projects include the films Bangers (1999) and Little Fish (2006).[1] Upton wrote, produced and directed the short, Bangers,[1] which starred Blanchett. He was the associate producer on Little Fish, an award-winning feature film,[1] which also starred Blanchett. Upton shares writing credits for the feature film Gone (2007),[1] which was directed by Ringan Ledwidge.

Upton wrote the libretto to Alan John's opera Through the Looking Glass, which premiered with the Victorian Opera in Melbourne in May 2008.

Upton acted in one of Julian Rosenfeldt's thirteen-part art film, Manifesto (2015).[16]

Awards and recognition

In June, 2014, Upton was recognised with the Rotary Professional Excellence Award, an award instituted "to honour a person who has demonstrated consistent professional excellence in his or her chosen vocation by contributing to the benefit of the wider community beyond their typical workplace role".[17]

Personal life

Upton and Cate Blanchett met in 1996 on the set of a TV show, and were married on 29 December 1997.[18] They have four children: biological sons Dashiell John (born 3 December 2001),[19] Roman Robert (born 23 April 2004),[20] Ignatius Martin (born 13 April 2008),[21] and adopted daughter Edith Vivian Patricia,[22] whose adoption was confirmed on 6 March 2015.[23] The couple's children appeared with Upton in segment 11 of the 2015 film Manifesto.[16]

They lived in Hunters Hill, New South Wales, in Australia for several years.[24] In early 2016, following the sale of their property there, Upton and Blanchett purchased an historic $6.25 million English manor, Highwell House, in East Sussex, England.[25] Variety has reported that at around the same time, the couple also purchased a modern five-bedroom duplex apartment in downtown Sydney once owned by the satirist Barry Humphries from television host Mark Bouris, for approximately $8 million.[26]

References
  1. "RGM Literary – Andrew Upton". RGM Artist Group. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  2. "Sydney Theatre Company Children of the Sun". Sydney Theatre Company. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  3. "Australian library collections". Libraries Australia. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
    * "Andrew Upton on adapting Philistines". National Theatre. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  4. "Author Profile – Andrew Upton". Currency Press. Archived from the original on 21 July 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  5. "Sydney Theatre Company and UBS present: Riflemind by Andrew Upton". Sydney Theatre Company. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  6. Boland, Michaela (10 October 2007). "Riflemind". Variety. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  7. Adams, Stephen (8 August 2008). "Philip Seymour Hoffman to direct Australian play Riflemind in London". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  8. Singh, Anita (20 October 2008). "Financial Crisis: West End shows closing". THe Telegraph. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  9. London Theatre Staff (17 October 2008). "Riflemind posts early closing notices for 25 Oct 2008". LondonTheatre.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2008.
  10. "Who could have imagined that a play about sex and drugs and rock and roll would prove as punishingly boring as this". The Daily Telegraph. London. 19 September 2008. Archived from the original on 12 June 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  11. Billington, Michael (19 September 2008). "Riflemind (review)". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  12. The Sunday Times Staff (28 September 2008). "Riflemind Misfires". The Sunday Times. London. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  13. Taylor, Paul (19 September 2008). "A dull sex, drugs and rock and roll reunion". The Independent. London. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  14. "Riflemind gets on reunion bandwagon". London Evening Standard.
  15. "For Andrew Upton, it's words that count". The Australian. 17 August 2012.
    * "Cate Blanchett on why being CEO is a matter of instinct". Business Review Weekly. 27 June 2014. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  16. Rosenfeldt, Julian (3 December 2021). "Manifesto Scenes / Pop-Art [Part 11 of 13 channel film installation]". JulianRosefeldt.com. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  17. "News: Professional Excellence Award". STC June eNews. Sydney Theatre Company. 11 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  18. "Cate Blanchett: Getting married is insanity". People. 12 January 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
    * "Cate Blanchett Regrets not Taking Wedding Photos". Celebrity Bride Guide. 10 December 2008. Archived from the original on 7 December 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  19. "Cat Blanchett and Dashiell hop to it". People. 4 December 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  20. "Cate Blanchett gives birth to a son". People. 26 April 2004. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  21. "Cate Blanchett welcomes third son, Ignatius Martin". People. 13 April 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  22. "Cate Blanchett Has Adopted a Baby Girl". The Hollywood Reporter. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  23. Rothman, Michael (6 March 2015). "Cate Blanchett and Husband Andrew Upton Adopt a Baby Girl". ABC News. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  24. Edwards, Hannah (8 July 2007). "Welcome to Cate Blanchett's dream eco-home". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  25. Spangaro, Alexandra (18 January 2016). "Cate Blanchett purchases $6 million English manor 'Highwell House'". Domain.
  26. David, Mark (26 January 2016). "Cate Blanchett Picks Up U.K. Country Estate". Variety.


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