Derek Anderson is a director for theatre working across the UK and internationally.
After initially studying Film and Television Production at the North East College of Scotland, Derek went to Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts where he graduated with a First Class BA Honours Degree in Theatre Production Arts.
On his directing debut, Derek won the 2015 Whatsonstage Award for Best Off-West End Production with Stephen Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET at the Twickenham Theatre. The critically acclaimed production, starring Olivier Award winner David Bedella in the title role, was also nominated for Best Musical Revival.
In 2016 Derek directed the sell-out productions of Kander and Ebb's musical CABARET and THE PILLOWMAN by Martin McDonagh, both for ACT Aberdeen. These were the first two in-house productions at the newly producing theatre. In early 2018 he returned to the venue to direct Stephen Sondheim’s COMPANY starring Oliver Saville as Bobby.
In the summer of 2017 Derek directed INTO THE WOODS by Stephen Sondheim for Stowe Arts with a cast of 24 students ranging from six to eighteen years old. He followed this with the world premier of EYES CLOSED, EARS COVERED by Alex Gwyther at The Bunker Theatre. The show gained critical success and several Offie nominations, including three shortlisted nominations.
Last year Derek directed and developed TICKER, a new play by Tom Machel, which ran at the Unberbelly, Cowgate during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and then at the Alphabetti theatre in Newcastle.
Derek is the Resident Director for the English Theatre Frankfurt where he directed the German premier of Robert Askin's HAND TO GOD immediately followed by James Goldman's THE LION IN WINTER in 2018. The following year he directed a radical new version of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST and a new production of Stephen Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET which transferred to the Deutsches Theater Munich in February 2020 before the run was sadly cut short due to Covid-19 lockdown measures.
In 2021, Derek directed both THE SECRET LIFE OF HUMANS by David Byrne and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN by Mel Brooks for the English Theatre Frankfurt, with the latter transferring to the Deutsches Theater Munich in April 2022.