Bio:
Coming Omar F. Okai is an award-winning director and / or choreographer of over seventy plays and musicals, produced both in London and Europe. He is the co Founder/Director of The Black British Theatre Awards, which had its inaugural ceremony October 2019, now its third year. He is also the Artistic Director of the award winning Okai Collier Company Limited, which has been nominated for an Empty Space…Peter Brook Award / Equity Ensemble category both in 2011 and 2014 acknowledging its body of work. In 2001 Omar received the Best Director award for ‘Ruthless’, which also won four other awards including Best Musical Production [off West End], and was jointly nominated in 2004 for two What’s on Stage Awards [Best Musical Revival and Best Overall off West End Production] for ‘Purlie’. Omar won the 2016 International Achievement Recognition Award for Choreography and has been nominated for a B.E.F.F.T. Award, again for Choreography.
Directing/Choreography : Currently Resident Director on Bedknobs and Broomsticks for Disney and Michael Harrison 2021. Direction/ Staging Last Five Years The Minack Theatre 2020. Directing/Choreography Annie, Peter Pan Shanghai China 2019 . Perseverance (Directing, staring Victoria Wilson James [Soul to Soul – World premiere at The Apothecary, Egg, London, 2016]; Catford Broadway Studio Theatre: The White Witch of Rose Hall; Been There, Doing It (Director / Staging Co-Producer, Tour); Scandinavian Heart (Director, Above the Gatehouse Theatre), Emoticon (Director, Jack Studio); Honk & How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying(Director, Steiner Theatre); Sweet Charity(Direction / re-staging Bob Fosse’s original choreography, Steiner Theatre); Aspects of Dance(Direction, Lyceum Theatre, West End)
He also directed and produced the premiere ‘Child Of The Jago' by composer Shirley Thompson MBE, performed at The Royal Festival Hall 1997
Movement Direction / Choreography: Betty Blue Eyes Trinity Laban Conservatoire 2018.Direction/choreography Snoopy The Musical Trinity Laban Conservatoire 2020
Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Director) PP Academy
Assassins ( choreography) Mountview Theatre School
Choreographer Honk! National Theatre tour (UK); Moonshadow (Movement Direction, White Bear); Three Sisters (Movement Direction, Birmingham Rep); Stairway to Heaven(Movement Director, Blue Elephant); Gifted(Movement Direction, White Bear)
Theatre Royal Stratford East: Robin Hood(Choreography); Little Red Riding Hood (Director);Come Dancing by Ray Davies of ‘The Kinks’(Choreographer); Aladdin, Hansel & Gretel, Cinderella (Olivier Award Nominated Best Show affiliated to the West End); Pass The Baton, High Heeled Parrot Fish
English Speaking Theatre Frankfurt: Five Guys Named Moe (Direction / Choreography);Cabaret (Choreography); Rent (Choreography)
Birmingham Rep: Three Sisters (Movement Director)
National Theatre: Honk! (Resident Choreographer, Olivier Theatre – winner of Best Musical ‘Olivier Awards’); The Villain’s Opera(Assistant Choreographer)
Okai Collier Company: Purlie (Bridewell, What’s On Stage award nominated for ‘Best Musical Revival’ & ‘Best Off-West End Production’ – Direction); Ruthless (Stratford Circus, London, winner of Best Director and Best Production, Musical Stages Awards); The Masque of the Red Death / Madame X (Direction, Jack Studio);Preacherosity (Direction, Jermyn Street); The Smilin’ State (Direction, Hackney Empire); A… My Name Is Alice (Direction, Bridewell), Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (Direction, Bridewell Theatre); 1888 (Direction, The Union Theatre); Jekyll & Hyde / The Corruption of Dorian Gray / Dracula (Movement Direction / The Lion & Unicorn); Bloodline (Movement Direction, Jack Studio); Collision (Movement Direction, Hackney Empire); The Remains of the Day(Movement Direction, Union Theatre); The Last Ever Musical (Movement Direction / Choreography, White Bear); Much Ado About Nothing (Additional Choreography, Lion & Unicorn); Blavatsky’s Tower (Movement Direction, Jack Studio); Dracula 2008 (Movement Direction, White Bear);
Education: He has also worked with the education departments at both Camden Roundhouse & The Royal Opera House, for Kinetika and The New London Orchestra. He has also worked extensively with the Southern Housing Foundation on various social investment projects including directing the notable 411documentary. Trinity Laban International Summer School 2017, 2018.
West End Performing Credits: Five Guys Named Moe (Original Cast, Lyric Theatre, West End), Sweet Charity (Victoria Palace Theatre), My One & Only and King (Piccadilly Theatre), Honk /Candide / The Villain’s Opera (National Theatre)
Experience within the Industry:
Specialist:
- Artistic Director /
- Choreographer /
- Contemporary /
- Dance /
- Director (musicals) /
- Director (plays) /
- Lyricist /
- Movement Director /
- Producer /
- Scriptwriter /
- Songwriter