Douglas Hodge is a five times Olivier-nominated actor/director, who has worked extensively in film and on television. He is an acclaimed classical actor working at the National Theatre, the RSC, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Royal Court Theatre and in the West End and on Broadway where he has won the Tony, the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards. He originated the role of Willy Wonka in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane directed by Sam Mendes and Bartholomew Rusk in John Logan’s Showtime series, Penny Dreadful. Awards include 2014 Best Actor in a Musical for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (nomination), 2012 Best Actor for Inadmissible Evidence (nomination), 2009 Best Actor In A Musical for La Cage Aux Folles (winner) and 2006 Best Actor In A Musical for Guys And Dolls (nomination). He was also nominated for Best Actor in the 2005 Evening Standard Awards for his role in Dumbshow at The Royal Court. Douglas starred as Albin in the Broadway production of La Cage Aux Folles for which his performance won him a Tony Award (Best Actor), a Drama Desk Award (Best Actor) and an Outer Critics Award (Best Actor). He originally played the role in London in 2008 at The Menier Chocolate Factory and then at The Playhouse Theatre in the West End. For ten years he worked almost exclusively with Harold Pinter as both actor and director. He directed The Dumb Waiter and all of Harold Pinter’s sketches for Oxford Playhouse and a short film of Victoria Station. As an actor he appeared in the world premiere of Moonlight, Betrayal, No Mans Land, The Lover, The Collection and The Trial, including numerous radio performances. He has parallel careers as a writer, director and composer, most recently directing Torch Song Trilogy at the Menier Chocolate Factory. He was Associate Director at the Donmar Theatre directing Dimetos , Absurdia and running numerous readings and workshops for new and classic work. He has released two albums of his own compositions ‘Cowley Road Songs’ and ‘Nightbus’, and he won the Stiles and Drewe 2012 Best New Song Award for his song Powercut from the musical he co-wrote with Aschlin Ditta called Meantime.