Ed Thomason Biography
Prior to relocating to Nova Scotia in 1996 Ed worked extensively in British theatre and broadcasting as Associate Director of the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, Artistic Director of the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry (both major regional theatres), and Features Editor and Producer for BBC Radio 4. In Wolfville (NS) Ed and his wife, Shelley Thompson, founded WILLPOWER, an independent theatre company creating and producing new work in Halifax and beyond, including The Strange Case Of Jekyll & Hyde, The Afterlife Of George Cartwright (from John Steffler’s novel), Love On Main (from Schnitzler’s Reigen), Shakespeare Unplugged, and Private Views (a collaboration with visual artist Holly Carr and The Art Gallery Of Nova Scotia) At Halifax’s Neptune Theatre, directed Travels With My Aunt and Closer; at the Chester Playhouse (NS), Fields of Crimson.
Most recently he was Artistic Producer of Festival Antigonish (NS) for twelve seasons, programming, creating, directing and acting. Writing credits for CBC Radio Drama include the series: Daddy’s Home, Now You See Her, Y-Soccer, and two episodes of Backbencher. For CBC TV – screenplay Gentle Sinners; for Vision TV - The Prince & The Grail (Documentary).
For BBC Radio - The Double Man, a solo show written for Mark Wing-Davey as W.H. Auden, originally produced at the Liverpool Playhouse and The Bush Theatre, London, revived in 2017 at the Public Theatre NYC. MOST RECENTLY Dramaturge/Director – Unconfined by Elizabeth Richardson at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia; Actor - Duke of Cornwall, staged reading of King Lear directed by Leon Major – Senior in Zuppa Theatre’s This Is Nowhere; Prosecutor in Diggstown (CBC TV) – Dr Frost in Chapelwaite (Epix).
AWARDS Best Screenplay ACTRA Award for Gentle Sinners (CBC), CINO DEL DUCCA Award, for Best TV Direction for All The Days Of My Life (CBC), SONY RADIO Award, Best Feature, for Dear Miss Pym Dear Mr Larkin (BBC), Theatre Nova Scotia MERRITT Award nomination, Best Supporting Actor for Mr Noreen in Geometry In Venice.
