Michael Hasted

Michael Hasted was expelled from school at the age of 16 for spending more time backstage at his local theatre than on his studies. Unable to accept the place he had been offered at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School because he was too young to receive a grant, he spent the next few years working in rep all over Great Britain, notably Cheltenham, Lincoln, Hornchurch and Dundee. He appeared in various productions with Steven Berkoff, Penelope Keith, James Bolam and John Savident. He was in the controversial YOU'LL COME TO LOVE YOUR SPERM TEST by (and with) John Antrobus at the original Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh.

In 1984 he left England and from 1996 until his return in 2003, he was the proprietor of The English Bookshop in Montolieu, the book village in the south of France.

In 2011 he wrote, produced and directed the revue FINAL DAZE at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham. His book on the history of the Everyman, A THEATRE FOR ALL SEASONS, with a foreword by Steven Berkoff, was published in 2011. THESPIANS, reminiscences of 40 actors with a foreword by Penelope Keith, was published in December 2014.

In October 2014 he produced and directed the sell-out and highly acclaimed THE DOCK BRIEF by John Mortimer at the Everyman Theatre.

He now works as a writer and theatre director, journalist and photographer and runs the on-line theatre magazine StageTalkMagazine.com which he created in 2013.