Omar Okai

Location

London, UK

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 Spaceā€¦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 ā€˜Ruthlessā€™, which also won four other awards including Best Musical Production [off West End], and was jointly nominated in 2004 for two Whatā€™s on Stage Awards [Best Musical Revival and Best Overall off West End Production] for ā€˜Purlieā€™. 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 ā€“ 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 Fosseā€™s original choreography, Steiner Theatre); Aspects of Dance(Direction, Lyceum Theatre, West End)
He also directed and produced the premiere ā€˜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 ā€˜The Kinksā€™(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 ā€“ winner of Best Musical ā€˜Olivier Awardsā€™); The Villainā€™s Opera(Assistant Choreographer)
Okai Collier Company: Purlie (Bridewell, Whatā€™s On Stage award nominated for ā€˜Best Musical Revivalā€™ & ā€˜Best Off-West End Productionā€™ ā€“ 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 Smilinā€™ State (Direction, Hackney Empire); Aā€¦ 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); Blavatskyā€™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 Villainā€™s Opera (National Theatre)

Experience within the Industry:

6 plus years

Specialist:

  • Artistic Director  /
  • Choreographer  /
  • Contemporary  /
  • Dance  /
  • Director (musicals)  /
  • Director (plays)  /
  • Lyricist  /
  • Movement Director  /
  • Producer  /
  • Scriptwriter  /
  • Songwriter

You may also be interested in

Claire Templeton

Adolfodek AdolfodekVN

Holly Alanna Williams

Waynedit WayneditZW

Jahleel Johnson

Jada Hampton

Andrew Burke

Ralphomida RalphomidaCS

Yinka Sobande

Jamal Franklin

Jennifer Owusu

Anansi Theatre Company

Lauren Nicole Whitter

Cherelle Gayle

Lukus Alexander

GĆ©ovanna Lewin-Rowe

EC

Teagan-Imani

Loisha Nyakupfuka

Rosalind Dore

Darnell Shakespeare

Montana Jacobowitz

Lamesha Ruddock

Hannah Akhalu

Chantelle Dusette

Sia Kiwa

linda Gathu

Maria Thomas

DALE SHIELDS

Elizabeth Peace

Bianca Wardally

Max Kolaru

Mya Onwugbonu

Vincent Osborne

Ama Ofori-Darko

Alex Barrett

Mervyn Weir

Denise Green

Tom Fowles

Sarah Castle

Lisa Lintott

Emmeline Taylor

Aissata Diallo

Atest Test

Jane Dodson

Emmanuel Simon

marilyn ortiz

Pat Obilor

Rebecca Chapman

Mireia Mambo

Sophia Lockhart

SĆØverine Howell-Meri

test tesd

Lola Aluko

Tamara Igbinokpogie

Shani Gray

Lateesha Johnson

Omar Ragab

Trina Dingle

Andrae Akeh

Angela Ekaette Michaels

Cashain David

Nathanael Campbell

Alexander Kerlin

Pippa Campbell

Naomi Taylor

Ruben Whitter

Sheena Patel

Nardia Ruth

Kamari Romeo

Gail Thacker

Erick Kwashie

David Moorhead

malakaĆÆ sargeant

Erica Jeffrey

Samantha Shuma

Chanelle Riley

Phil Noel

Charles Simmons

Valentina Vettore

Ana Gic

Carmen Wright

DAVID KING-YOMBO

Matt Woodhead

Lauren Yvonne Townsend

Joshua Black

Jasmine M Eccles

Pierre Hanson-Johnson

Miss Hazel Jade

Zuna Newman

D McQue

Appointed Oyediran

Francesca Henry

Mbulelo Austin Ndabeni

HR The Old Vic

Tiffany King

Malik Dapaah

Joyce Fraser

IKECHUKWU OHIOMU

Ysanne Tidd

Joy E Fraser

Brigid Larmour

Kyle Flaherty

Mykal Rand

Makeda Ansah

Alan Watty-Miller

Kai Jolley

Travis Austin Wright

Amede Unuabona

Ryan Francois

Ricardo P Lloyd

Nina Kristofferson

Loz Tait

Simone Ibbett-Brown

Tanisha Spring

Evadne Bygrave

Coco Mbassi

Corey Campbell

Ama Owusu-Afriyie

Carli Deā€™La Hughes

Shak Gabbidon-Williams

Steve-Jamal AzƩmar

Marie-Jude Salomon

Emile Ruddock

Lekhani Chirwa

Christina Ngoyi

Nicola Rossiter

Lucy Steward

Denzel Westley-Sanderson

Stacy Abalogun

George Sesay

Fiona Cousineau

Marikah Pierre

Adam Koren

Obioma Ugoala

Nadine Lee

Simon Lee

Ivano Turco

Patrick Mckenzie

Israel Soares

Lucy Banfield

Vivienne Ekwulugo

Henry Marquez

George Daniel Long

Waylon Jacobs

Chanelle Anthony

Chuchu Nwagu

Alishia Blake

David Norwood

Maya Elliott

Sharla Smith

Grace Anyiam

Cleve September

Raquel Jones

Melanie Oghene

Nick Charters

Jemma Geanaus

Benjamin kawenya

Rochelle Sherona

Ameena Hamid

Tesia Childs

Max McMillan Ngwenya

Colleen Morris -Glennon

Destiny Sullivan

Aaron Moore

Jerrell L Henderson

Gloria Onitiri

Titilola Dawudu

Niah Davies

Heather Agyepong

Pete Foster

Jamayla Wedderburn

Darren J. Benjamin

Ian Oakley

Sadie-Jean Shirley

Mark Holden

Joycelyn Manu

Nicole Castillo-Mavromatis

Yana Penrose

Tamara Camacho

Shenice Osisioma

Sarah Dodd

Cavin Cornwall

Michael Joseph

Debra Michaels

Dollie Henry

Talawa Theatre Company Limited

Lolade Ajala

Omar Shozi

Bohemian Beaumont Films

Michael Knight Theatre Company

David Andre

Cedric Neal

Jonathan Andrew Hume

Angeline Bell

Paulette Randall MBE

Lory Mpiana

Modupe Salu

Scenesaver by Caroline Friedman

Juliet Garricks

Alasdair Hankinson

Trish Wadley

Paul Willcocks

Ian Carlyle

Daryl Richardson

Tobi Kyeremateng

Carol Harvey-Barnes

Candice Edmunds

Jasmine Rachelle

Juliet Gough

Billy Nevers

Linda Wachaga

Rosie Jane

Tamara Gough

Juel Vas

Farida Pashi

ShadƩ Reynolds

Jayne Aguire

Annabel Mutale Reed

Corinna Brown

Gleanne Purcell-Brown

Toyan Thomas-Browne

Sandra Marvin

Lydia Fraser

Lebogang Fisher

Izabelle Lee

Maisey Bawden

Germma Orleans-Thompson

Paul Hazel

Hannah Abdool

Sean Green

Duane Gooden

Natalie Dickmann

Amanda Huxtable

June Stephenson

Kwame Owusu

Camilla Case

Mary Moore

Natalie Pryce

Nari Blair-Mangat

Emmanuelle N’zuzi

Elliott Bornemann

merryn owen

Kai-Daniel Augustin

Hannah Last

Hannah Last

ruth oyediran

Cecile Mulombe Mbombo

Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong

Phillippe Cato

Elaine Smithers

James Scotland

Carly Woodbridge

Emmanuela Adebisi

silvia carrideo

Khadifa Wong

Ayesha Antoine

Sabira Stanisavljevic

Dammi Aregbeshola

Sule Rimi

Christopher Freeman

Abena Louisa D B St Bartholomew-Brown Morgan

Constance Oak

David Gilbert

Debra Tidd

Onuri Smith

Nicola Blackman

Mandy Smith

Tiata Fahodzi

Micallar Walker

Trevor A Toussaint

David Blake

Stephen Jameson

Jason Brock

Stephanie Abadom Stevens

Dominic Powell

Chantelle Kingā€™Ori

Ingrid Mackinnon

Terique Jarrett

Martina Laird

Pam Fraser Solomon

Andreia Chipa

Angela Hurst

Richard Mulholland

Xinha Morais

Jessica Mensah

lyds

Denver Isaac

Ewa Dina

Julene Robinson

Tomas Wright

Simeon Miller

Samuel Sarpong-Broni

Jordi Carter

Jessica Enemokwu

Jeanefer Jean-Charles

Vivienne Rochester

Shakira Newton

Selina Scott-Bennin

Yvonne Newman

Stephanie Lindo

JANET GRAY

Natisha Williams- Samuels šŸ’œ

Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu

Adrian Grant

leee John

Doreene Blackstock

David Clarke

Nicole Raquel Dennis

Indra OvƩ

Joshua Robinson

Nahum McLean

Robert Hylton

Meesha Turner

Sam Oladeinde

David Mali

Zyna Goldy

Kayla Carter

Jacqui Dubois

Jay Perry

Aisha Jawando

Warren Graham

Darya Papko

Valentine Olukoga

Paul Isaiah Isles

Omar Okai

Dujonna Gift

Abiola Efunshile

Samuel Nicholas

Amelia Walker

Rhiane Drummond

Casey Al-Shaqsy

Nicholas McLean

Jason Pennycooke

Ahmed Hamad

Gloria Obianyo

Jac Oā€™Kody

ANDRƉ FABIEN FRANCIS

Xanthus Peters

Jordan Shaw

Kit Esuruoso

Vanessa Ela Young

SiĆ¢n Nathaniel-James

Kelly Agbowu

Jocasta Almgill

DeeArna McLean

Jayme-Lee Zanoncelli

TrƩzel Sergeant

Michael James Stewart

Matthew Xia

Vanessa Fisher

Annemarie Anang

Arun Blair-Mangat

Cameron Bernard Jones

Claudia Kariuki

Ryan Carter

Log in