Born into a Jewish family in London, Braham Murray struggled against his parents’ expectations that he should follow them into the world of commerce. Instead, following his phenomenal success directing the revue Hang Down Your Head and Die, first in Oxford and then the London’s West End and on Broadway, he became the youngest Artistic Director in the United Kingdom when he took over the Century Theatre aged 22.
In a career that has since spanned over four decades in the theatre and taken him all over the world, his work has included everything from new plays to classics to musicals to full-scale operas. He is a Founding Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre Company for whom he directed over 70 productions. The final one was Leonard Bernstein’s Wonderful Town with The Halle Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder in the pit. It is his passionate championing of the work of the Royal Exchange since its inception in 1976 that is perhaps his most remarkable achievement.
In January 2010 he received an OBE for services to drama.
His autobiography The Worst It Can Be Is a Disaster is published by Methuen Drama and How To Direct A Play is published by Oberon books.
