Masters of the Bench

The son of Master Ben Hytner and Joyce Hytner, Sir Nicholas is the Director of the National Theatre in London.  Sir Nicholas's directorial work for theatre includes The Country Wife, Edward II, Don Carlos, Miss Saigon, Orpheus Descending, a two-part adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, Alan Bennett's The History Boys; Measure for Measure, The Tempest, King Lear and more recently England People Very Nice.  He has also directed movies including The Crucible, The Madness of King George, and The Object of My Affection, as well as operas, with his production of Xerxes winning the Laurence Olivier Opera Award in 1985.  He has also directed opera for Covent Garden, Glyndebourne, Théâtre du Châtelet, Grand Théâtre de Genève and Bavarian State Opera. (Above photo: Charlotte MacMillan)