Theatre, film and opera director Michael Bogdanov, aged 78

Theatre, film and opera director Michael Bogdanov has died at the age of 78 while on holiday with friends, his publicist has confirmed.

Bogdanov, born in Neath, south Wales, died of a heart attack.

He was known for his work with new plays, modern reinterpretations of Shakespeare, musicals and works for young people.

A family funeral in Wales will be followed by a memorial service in London at a later date.

Bogdanov directed in many of the world’s leading theatres and companies, including the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Opera House, Sydney Opera House, Vienna’s Burgtheater, on Broadway and the West End.

He was an associate director of the Royal National Theatre for eight years, directed eight productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company and co-founded the English Shakespeare Company in 1986 with actor Michael Pennington.

In 1982, he went on trial at the Old Bailey for staging an act of simulated male sex in the play the Romans in Britain.

He had been accused of procuring an act of “gross indecency” likely to cause offence for his production at London’s National Theatre, and spoke 30 years later of his “enormous relief” when the case collapsed and the prosecution withdrew its evidence on the third day of the hearing.

He also said he felt “very angry” that the private prosecution brought by the morality campaigner Mary Whitehouse had been allowed to happen at all.

His publicist said: “Michael’s iconoclastic approach to Shakespeare influenced a generation of audiences and practitioners.

“He had a lifelong commitment to education and creating shows for young people and his approach to theatre was to make it political, accessible, joyous and transformative.”

Michael Kelligan, founder of the Welsh Fargo Stage Company, said: “He was a great theatre director and we were very fortunate he decided to return to Wales, where he put on some wonderful shows and gave work to lots of actors. I think his coming here was the start of the strengthening of the Welsh theatre scene as it’s become today.

“He was ready to explore everything and anything and he brought his great talent to everything that he touched. I’m just overwhelmed with the fact that he’s gone.”

Musician and composer Mal Pope added that Bogdanov had changed his life and that of a number of now Hollywood actors.

Michael Bogdanov.