MICHAEL LUNNEY
Producer/Director

After beginning his career as a civil/structural draughtsman, Michael changed direction slightly and went to drama school in Birmingham. He co-founded Middle Ground a few years later, after working in rep, pantomime, small-scale touring and Theatre in Education, taking roles ranging from Richard III (complete with Larry wig) to Frank in Shaffer’s White Liars.

Michael made his directing debut in 1995 with his interpretation of the Priestley classic An Inspector Calls, which played in Scotland/the Highlands and Islands for ten weeks to much acclaim. Other Middle Ground directory work includes number one touring productions of: Bill Naughton’s Spring and Port Wine, J B Priestley’s Dangerous Corner, Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband, Noël Coward’s Present Laughter, Terrence Rattigan’s Flare Path, Noël Coward’s Brief Encounter, Frederick Knott’s Dial M for Murder, Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and numerous tours of Wynyard Browne’s The Holly and the Ivy, with Barry Foster, Dermot Walsh, Tony Britton and Philip Madoc.

In 2001 he directed and adapted for stage William Rose’s Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? and in 2006 he adapted, designed and directed Middle Ground’s most ambitious production to date, James Kennaway’s classic drama Tunes of Glory, which starred Patrick Ryecart and Stuart McGugan, in which he also played the role of Major Charles Scott.

In 2010 he designed and directed a new production of Terrence McNally's classic love story Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune, starring Kelly McGills. He also directed a No.1 tour of Columbo, starring Dirk Benedict in the title role.

Previous acting roles for Middle Ground Theatre Company include: Tony Wendice in Dial M for Murder, Jack Manningham in Gaslight, Harold Crompton in Spring and Port Wine, Inspector Martin in The Late Edwina Black, Arthur Fitton in The Family Way, Gerald Croft and Inspector Goole in An Inspector Calls, Walter Ormund in I Have Been Here Before, Dr Shlessinger in The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Robert Caplan in Dangerous Corner, Fred in Present Laughter, John Ruskin in Pre-Raphaelite Seeds, Robert Dudley in Soe Well I Love Thee and Inspector Hubbard in Dial M for Murder. In 2007 he produced the new punk comedy Meeting Joe Strummer, written by Paul Hodson.

Television acting work includes: Blackpool, Dream Team, Doctors, Vote for Them and Sweet Seventeen for the BBC; Coronation Street for Granada; The One Game for Central; and The Widow Maker for Central Films. He also played the semi-regular DS Jim Garland in Crossroads.

Other designs for Middle Ground Theatre include: Billy Liar, The Holly & the Ivy, I Have Been Here Before, The Importance of Being Earnest and Dial M for Murder.

In another life he was a drummer and singer with the Birmingham-based band The Long Rifles, with whom he toured Belgium.