David Freeman (1952–) is an Australian-born stage director. After graduating from the University of Sydney he founded the Opera Factory experimental company (1973), which subsequently had bases in Zurich (1976–1995) and London (1981–1998). The Opera Factory followed the ideas of Peter Brook and Jerzy Grotowski. The most groundbreaking works from the London period include productions of La Calisto by Francesco Cavalli, Gluck's two Iphigénies and a Mozart and Da Ponte trilogy. Together with the London Sinfonietta chamber orchestra he staged works by 20th century composers: Hell's Angels by Nigel Osborne (to a libretto by Freeman), Punch and Judy and Yan Tan Tethera by Harrison Birtwistle, The Knot Garden by Michael Tippett, Aventures and Nouvelles Aventures by György Ligeti, the monodrama Eight Songs for a Mad King by Peter Maxwell Davies and Die Gespenstersonate by Aribert Reimann. Has collaborated with English National Opera, for which he staged Monteverdi's Orfeo (1981), Glass' Akhnaten (1985, British premiere), Birtwistle's Mask of Orpheus (1986, world premiere) and Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (1989) among other opuses. He was the director of the first American staging of Glass' Akhnaten (1984, Houston Grand Opera).
In 1991, to mark one century since the birth of Prokofiev, at the Kirov (now the Mariinsky) Theatre he directed The Fiery Angel. This production was performed on tours to London, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo in addition to being recorded (Arthaus Musik, 1993). At the Mariinsky Theatre Freeman has also staged Richard Strauss' Salome (2000).
Productions from the 21st century include Berg's Wozzeck at La Monnaie (2008), Handel's The Messiah at the Oper Frankfurt (2016), and Carmen (2002), Madama Butterfly (2007) and Tosca (2008) at the Royal Albert Hall. In 2019 at the Sydney Opera House he staged Elena Kats-Chernin’s opera Whiteley about the acclaimed Australian artist Brett Whiteley. Has also worked as a stage director in drama theatres, mounting Goethe's Faust at London's Lyric Hammersmith theatre (1988) and Shakespeare's Winter's Tale at The Globe (1997) among other works.
Information for August 2020
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