Photograph Peter Searle

Sam Yates is an award-winning film and theatre director. He was voted one of Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow in 2016, named a rising star in The Observer in 2014, and featured in GQ Magazine’s Men of the next 25 years in 2013. Yates has been described as “a major talent” in The Guardian newspaper and “a director of unusual flair” in The Observer. For his first film The Hope Rooms Yates won the Grand Prize Future Filmmaker Award at Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival 2016. 

Theatre

Ruth Wilson in The El. Train. Photograph by Marc Brenner

Stage: Desire Under The Elms (Sheffield Crucible, 2017), Murder Ballad with Kerry Ellis & Ramin Karimloo (Arts, West End, nominated for three WhatsOnStage Awards and 2017 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress), Cymbeline with Joseph Marcell (SWP, Globe Theatre, Ian Charleson Award commendation); East is East with Jane Horrocks/Pauline McLynn & Ayub Khan Din (West End & 2 UK Tours); The El. Train with Ruth Wilson (Hoxton Hall); Outside Mullingar by John Patrick Shanley with Deirdre O’Kane (Ustinov); Billy Liar with Harry McEntire (Royal Exchange; Winner Best Actor & Best Newcomer, 2015 Manchester Theatre Awards); Cornelius with Alan Cox (Finborough & 59E59 New York; nominated for four Off West End Awards and Critics’ Pick New York Times); and Mixed Marriage  (Finborough Theatre). He directed ECCo by Chris Harrald for BBC Radio 4 with Hayley Atwell and Pauline McLynn (Sparklab). 

Film

Screen: The Hope Rooms with Ciarán Hinds & Andrew Scott (31Productions & BKF, Winner Grand Prize Future Filmmaker Award, RIIFF 2016); Cymbeline with Hayley Atwell, All’s Well That Ends Well with Lindsay Duncan & Ruth Wilson, and Love’s Labour’s Lost with Gemma Arterton & David Dawson (The Complete Walk, Shakespeare’s Globe); and two music videos, Emeralds and Auld Wives (MTV’s A-List) for Ivor Novello Award-nominated band Bear’s Den (Communion Music). 

Training

He trained with directors Michael Grandage, Jamie Lloyd, Josie Rourke, Phyllida Lloyd, Rachel Kavanaugh and Trevor Nunn, working for the National Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Bush Theatre, Headlong, Birmingham Rep, Royal Opera House, on Broadway and in the West End.