Jim Sharman

Australian director of stage and screen

JIM SHARMAN
Director / Writer

A director and writer whose work traverses stage and screen, including opera and musicals, JIM has created over 80 productions, many of which had a transformative effect in Australia and internationally. These include three era-defining musicals HAIR (Sydney, Tokyo, Boston), JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Australia, UK) and THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (UK, USA, Australia), countless premieres and radical interpretations of classics, including works by Shakespeare, Mozart, Strindberg and Brecht. 

A NIDA graduate, Jim was Artistic Director of the influential Lighthouse Theatre Company and the 1982 Adelaide Festival, bringing PINA BAUSCH to Australia. Jim revived and premiered the plays of PATRICK WHITE and RICHARD MEALE’s opera VOSS, based on White’s novel. Among his film work, the cult classic, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW has become the longest running film in the history of cinema. 

Jim’s memoir BLOOD & TINSEL was published by MUP in 2008. He is the recipient of a HELPMANN AWARD for Best Director and the JC WILLIAMSON CENTENARY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. 

My life is fuelled by curiosity about the world, its people, places and rituals, which I’ve often expressed on stage, screen and in writing.

Enjoy scrolling through this website to discover a small glimpse into that world. A short Q&A is available in Explore.

Enjoy! JS