Phil Clark was born and educated in Brecon, South Wales before training at Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama where he studied for a Diploma in Theatre Arts and a teaching qualification. He followed this by undertaking professional training at Durham University with an Advanced Diploma in Drama and Language Development. He has completed a Phd at the University of Glamorgan, Wales
His professional career began as a founder member of Theatr Powys before becoming a founder member of Bruvvers Theatre Company based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Whilst there he directed and devised over 30 new plays, originated and toured a one man show and took traditional, experimental and new plays on nine European tours.
In 1983 he joined Tyne Wear Theatre Company as a Director and established and directed Britain’s largest annual Youth Theatre Festival. Whilst there he also set up Eyes of Men Theatre Company for the unemployed; PIT Theatre Company – a community theatre group for South Tyneside; and taught Performing Arts and Media Studies to secondary school students.He ran South Tyneside Youth Theatre for ten years.
The position of Artistic Director at the Crucible Theatre In Education and Community Theatre followed where he commissioned and directed 11 new plays on the mainstage and in the studio and on tour; won the 1988 British Theatre Association Drama Review Award; established Sheffield’s first International Children’s Theatre Festival; set up and organised an International Exchange with actors from the Crucible and Moscow’s Central Young People’s Theatre; wrote the play Home Movies for the Crucible Theatre which was filmed and networked by Yorkshire Television Play for Today; initiated the 4th year B.Ed TIE course for Sheffield City Polytechnic; directed the award-winning Plague of Innocence and wrote Serfdom Right?, both of which were chosen for the Vancover, Calgary and Edmonton Canadian Children’s Festival of Young People’s Theatre 1990.
While in Sheffield, Phil Clark was also on the advisory panel for Tertiary Education for Sheffield Education Authority, a touring production assessor for Yorkshire Arts Association, a panel member for Sheffield Education Authority Arts Exchange and established a programme of training for school governors on ‘Theatre for Young People’.
Phil was appointed Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the Sherman Theatre Cardiff in 1990. The Sherman is the premier producing theatre in Cardiff. The resident professional theatre company, the Sherman Theatre Company, was directed by Phil and toured throughout Wales, Britain and Internationally to large, middle and studio theatres. He prioritised new writing and commissioned some 104 new plays for the company. Alongside the professional performance work, the Sherman had an active youth community education and participatory policy prioritising work with emerging artists. Phil directed over 45 productions for the Sherman Theatre Company on stage, television and radio. In 1993 he was nominated BBC Artist of the Year
Phil has directed productions for, Newcastle upon Tyne Playhouse. Theatre Centre London.Crucible Theatre Sheffield, Brewhouse Theatre Taunton. Grand Theatre Swansea. Off The Kerb Productions. Palace Theatre Reddich. Theatr Powys. Pomegranate Theatre Chesterfield. Mappa Mundi Theatre Co. Colin MacIntre Productions. Watershed Productions. The Anvil Sheffield. Birmingham Stage Company. Swan Theatre Worcester, Hampstead Theatre London, Taliesin Arts Centre Swansea, Grass Roots Theatre Company Wales , Everyman Theatre Cheltenham,Royal &Derngate Theatres Northampton,The Jill Freud Theatre Company,UK Productions,Pavilion Theatre Rhyl and Theatre Royal Nottingham.
Alongside his work in theatre Phil has served on numerous committees for the Arts Council of England and the Arts Council of Wales. For five years he was a member of the BBC Broadcasting Council of Wales. He has sat on numerous boards of theatre companies and Arts centres. He was the first Welsh Trustee on the DCMS Theatres Trust.
He received the Arts for Young Audiences Award from the Commonwealth Conference for Young People in Canada. He has edited two new books of Welsh plays published by Seren Books and Parthian Press. A collection of his plays has been published by Oberon Books, London. He has taught at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Actors Centre London, Tishe School of Performing Arts New York,Academy of Live and Recorded Arts London(ALRA) the Drama Association of Wales, the National Association of Youth Theatres and is a regular broadcaster on BBC Wales
In London his work has been seen at The Riverside Studios Hammersmith, The Bloomsbury Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Oval House Theatre, The Shaw Theatre, Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, Polka Childrens Theatre Wimbledon and The Young Vic
Since 2006 he has been working as a freelace Director and Writer.
He continues to work regularly with The Birmingham Stage Company, Southwold Summer Theatres, Everyman Theatre Cheltenham and numerous Theatre Schools and Training initiatives including, National Association of Youth Theatres, Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, Rose Bruford College and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
His work tours regularly throughout Britain, Northern Ireland and Internationally. In the last few years his work has been seen at The New Victory Theatre, 42nd Street, New York (Skellig), The Sydney Opera House, Australia (Horrible Histories) and in Hong Kong, Dubai, Australia and Singapore.