Adrian Jackson

Who is Adrian Jackson?

Adrian Jackson is the founder-director and chief executive of a unique theatre company, Cardboard Citizens, in which most the performers and many other employees are homeless and ex-homeless people, refugees or asylum-seekers. Founded in 1992, the company tours theatre productions, especially inter-active Forum Theatre, to all sorts of venues, including hostels, day centres, schools and theatres; apart from the interactive Forum Theatre shows the company is renowned for, it has also mounted a number of larger-scale usually site-specific productions, including The Beggar’s Opera, The Lower Depths, and Mincemeat. In September 2003, Adrian directed a co-production of Pericles for Cardboard Citizens with the Royal Shakespeare Company. This was followed in November 2004 with a co-commissioning of playwright Sarah Woods, resulting in a new play Visible which was performed at the RSC’s New Work Festival, and in 2006 at Soho Theatre and touring. He is currently directing the full production of that play, which is touring in March, April and May. In Autumn 2006 he directed a site-specific production of Timon of Athens, for Cardboard Citizens as part of the RSC’s Complete Works festival, and at Belfast Festival. In 2007, he devised and directed Down/Out, a reaction to George Orwell, and Going Going Gone for Cardboard Citizens, and Home and Away for Formaat Theatre in Rottterdam.