Andy was Artistic Director of Classic Stage Ireland for ten years.
He has directed at Dublin’s Abbey and Gate Theatres, Galway’s Druid Theatre, Glyndebourne, Lyric Theatre Belfast, Wexford Opera, Scottish Opera, London’s King’s Head and Soho Theatre and for some time was Associate Director at The Bristol Old Vic. Work as Director includes The Bacchae, Macbeth, As You Like It, The Winter’s Tale, Fidelio, La Cenerentola, Mother Courage, The Revenger’s Tragedy, All’s Well That Ends Well, Twelfth Night, Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Iphigenia in Aulis, Agamemnon and Oedipus the King.
Some Classic Stage Ireland REVIEWS
IPHIGENIA IN AULIS
‘This proves Greek tragedy never dates… This version by Andy Hinds lets the work speak for itself. The result is powerful and all argued out in a translation that’s modern without being banal.‘
I. Mail on Sunday
‘Hinds, in a translation of his own, manages to render the archaic ancient drama both accessible and engaging without pandering to the usual ‘modernistion’ that the classics are often subjected to.’
Irish Times
‘Hinds’ entertaining and surprisingly easy to follow version of Euripides’ tragedy.’
Sunday Times
OEDIPUS THE KING
‘Andy Hinds and his Classic Stage Ireland company have hit the jackpot with their production of Oedipus the King. It has clarity, it has solid production values and it has quite enough acting talent to leave the audience with a numbing sense of the play’s overwhelming greatness.’
Sunday Independent
‘Classic Stage Ireland have been quietly carving a niche for themselves in the Irish theatrical landscape over the last seven years… Andy Hinds’ lucid production… is absolutely satisfying, thoroughly watchable and occasionally moving, and that is not a bad achievement considering the material they are working with is over two thousand years old.’
Irish Theatre Magazine
‘A tough play to pull off but again Classic Stage Ireland manages it.’
Metro
“…fascinating and enjoyable…. Being used to modern film and theatre, I foolishly found myself trying to think of the play in modern terms as I watched – “Is it a murder mystery?”, “No, wait, it’s a political thriller!”. It just is what it is, and it’s good.”
Dublin Culture
THE WINTER’S TALE
‘Following on from their production of ‘Julius Caesar’ in 2008, could Classic Stage Ireland follow that triumph with another masterful retelling of the Bard’s work? The answer, in its simplest expression, is an overwhelming YES.’
RTE Arts Magazine
‘Will almost certainly be shortlisted for an award later in the year. Go see it!‘
Centre Stage – Anna Livia Radio
‘CSI’s staging of The Winter’s Tale, following a masterful production of Julius Caesar, is faithful yet inventive… this atmospheric tale is magicked fully to life.’
Evening Herald
‘This production by Classic Stage Ireland is well up to the standards the company has set for itself… the verse and dialogue is spoken with precision… The acting is controlled and persuasive, rising to scale dramatic peaks as required.‘
Irish Times
‘A thoroughly masterful production… Under the assured direction of Andy Hinds the cast bring much life to the story… Shakespeare at his most accessible with the ensemble clearly at ease with the text.‘
Aertel Theatre Guide
‘CSI achieves a clear vision of this neglected drama in its intelligent, gripping and hugely entertaining production of the play… the actor’s deep penetration of both language and character, the whole production is pulled off with stylish brio.’
Sunday Business Post
‘Four stars. Thankfully, CSI, under the aegis of director, Andy Hinds, manages to do justice to this, one of Shakespeare’s oddest texts… This is a bold production.‘
Metro
THE BACCHAE
‘The production breathes relevance and vitality into the play giving convincing voice to some of its limitless dramatic, poetic and philosophical riches…. [the play’s] tragic power builds compellingly to a gorily impressive conclusion.‘
Irish Independent
‘The control never falters… there are no great tricks or spectacles to distract you from pure theatrical dialogue. It could so easily feel like an exercise or a show, but it doesn’t. It is good, basic, dare we say ‘classic’ theatre, finely executed and extremely effective.’
Irish Theatre Magazine
‘The great achievement of CSI with their Shakespeare productions has been clarity… Hinds succeeds in harnessing the actors’ vocal skills and in experimenting with rhythm and the distribution of lines to add variance to the text….the choral sections in particular are rendered with deep texture.’
The Sunday Business Post
‘The large female chorus is excellent… atmosphere is generated by fine lighting and sound effects… everything is generally expertly choreographed by director Andy Hinds, who sensibly doesn’t try to force any modern parallels on the audience.’
The Mail on Sunday
‘…lives up to their well-earned reputation for clarity….It hits the ground running…. This sparse, modern-dress production… excellent use of light and sound to set the scene…’
Totally Dublin
‘This nuanced Classic Stage Ireland production seeks to articulate the play’s complexity…. McDonough is charismatic as the androgynous god, seductive and sinister by turns. Nick Devlin and Patrick O’Donnell provide strong support.’
Sunday Times
JULIUS CAESAR
‘A production by Classic Stage Ireland is always worth waiting for, and the current production of Julius Caesar confirms that their Shakespearean flame still burns strongly… production values tuned to supportive harmony… The famous lines and dramatic set-pieces are quite brilliantly delivered. This is one not to miss.‘
Irish Times
‘CSI has put the text at the heart of this production… it is spoken with great clarit… imaginative lighting… well choreographed, snappy movement directed by Andy Hinds…excellent leading performances… excellent support in a variety of roles.’
Mail on Sunday
‘Classic Stage Ireland’s energetic, multilayered reading of Shakespeare’s bloody Roman tragedy… is impressive for its verve and for the vivacity of its actors…‘
Sunday Business Post
‘The text is spoken with great clarity… imaginative lighting… well choreographed, snappy movement directed by Andy Hinds…excellent performances which hammer home the power and modern resonance of this overtly political play.’
Mail on Sunday
‘…hugely effective…Hinds’ direction expertly evokes the 1930’s… the strong cast convey comfortable flexibility with the language.‘
Sunday Business Post
TWELFTH NIGHT
‘…a thoroughly engaging production at a very high level of professionalism. Andy Hinds set up his company Classic Stage Ireland to… present classic drama to a high and classic standard… Its self-imposed remit is also to provide high-level classical training for drama students and actors. And it shows.’
Sunday Independent
‘…well up to CSI’s established standards… it is all quite beautifully done… the undoing of Malvolio is a comic coup. What is particularly striking is CSI’s progress towards the larger aim of creating a distinctively Irish Shakespearean Voice.’
Irish Times
‘Andy Hinds underscores the solid work being done by CSI by creating a production of clarity and understanding.’
Sunday Tribune
‘This is a delightful production – the farthest thing from a laboured interpretation as can be imagined.’
Sunday Business Post
‘...the production is well up to CSI’s established standards…’
Irish Times
AGAMEMNON
‘It isn’t often that one Greek tragedy leaves you hungry for another. But Classic Stage Ireland’s production does exactly that. Hinds’ new adaptation is naturalistic, crystal clear, yet full of an almost Elizabethan richness of poetic imagery.’
Irish Independent
‘The set-piece confrontations are powerfully dramatic and the verse speaking is, as always with this company, impeccable.‘
Mail on Sunday
Andy Hinds 