Sam Donovan graduated in English from the University of Liverpool before training as an actor at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA) in London.

As an actor, Sam’s professional credits include: Room On The Broom (West End, UK, US and International Tours), Salome (UK No. 1 Tour), Erics (Liverpool Everyman), Billy The Kid (Unicorn Theatre) and Walking on Water (Theatre Centre) for which he won the Dorothy L Sayers award for acting. Sam’s credits as a director include Our Boys, David Copperfield, Angel and Christmas Re-loaded.

Sam is a director of Papatango, an Olivier Award winning theatre company, who champion the next generation of brilliant playwrights. Papatango discoveries have won BAFTAs, Critics’ Circle, OffWestEnd, Alfred Fagon and Royal National Theatre Foundation awards, premiering in over twenty countries.

Together with Nick Rogers, Sam established Performers Theatre School in 2001 and the Merseyside Academy of Drama in 2008. Sam and Nick opened The Hope Street Theatre in 2018. Sam is an experienced tutor and coach with over 20 years experience and combines his teaching practice with a career as an actor.

Quotes from students:….
Sam was excellent! Right from audition through to interactions between actors, warm ups, pep talks – brilliant. A superb professional.

Sam is a wonderful human and such a professional and top class director. I never felt uncomfortable around him. He makes you reach your capability without it being horribly intense. It’s honestly the best way to direct.