Raymond Hawthorne

In 2011 he directed the inaugural production at Auckland's Q Theatre, Raise the Titanics. His other directing credits include Angels in America, Three Tall Women, The Herbal Bed, Julius Caesar, Cabaret, Into the Woods, Travesties, High Society, Oliver! and Guys and Dolls. He has acted in film and television projects including Children of the Dog Star, Mortimer's Patch, Bread and Roses, Shortland Street and As Dreams Are Made On.

In the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours, Hawthorne was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the theatre.

In 1997 he became the Head of Major in ‘Directing and Writing for Theatre and Screen’ at Unitec Institute of Technology. He was appointed Head of the School of Performing and Screen Arts in 2003.

In 1985 he was appointed Director of the Mercury Theatre, a position he retained for seven years. During his tenure he directed numerous operas, musicals and plays. Hawthorne established an acting studio in 1992, The Actor's Space. In 1992 he also directed the first Auckland Theatre Company production, Lovelock's Dream Run by David Geary out of the ashes of the Mercury Theatre.

Some of the plays he directed with Theatre Corporate include, The Fantastiks by Tom Jones, music by Harvey L Schmidt (1977), The Two Tigers by Brian McNeill (1977), Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (1978), A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen (1979), Cabaret by John Kander and Fred Ebb (1984). In 1982 Hawthorne became Director of the National Opera of New Zealand. He directed Brecht/ Weills’ Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny and Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw but the company financially failed and finished soon after.

In 1955 Hawthorne became a member of the New Zealand Players, the nation's first major professional theatre company. It was directed by Richard Campion, father of filmmaker Jane Campion. Granted a government bursary in 1957, Hawthorne studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Following graduation he pursued a career as a performer but his interest moved towards directing and teaching. Returning to New Zealand in 1971, he joined the Mercury Theatre under the directorship of Anthony Richardson. Within two years Hawthorne founded Theatre Corporate. The company helped bring to prominence such notable artists as Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Michael Hurst. Hawthorne remained director of the company until 1981.

Raymond Benjamin Thomas Hawthorne ONZM (born 3 May 1936) is a New Zealand theatre director, and is regarded as one of the country's most senior performing arts practitioners.