The Stage

Hull University names drama studio after Minghella

Published Tuesday 4 November 2008 at 13:05 by Alistair Smith

The University of Hull is to pay tribute to Anthony Minghella by naming a drama studio after the late playwright and film director.

The studio, which has been newly refurbished, will be officially opened by playwright and screenwriter Alan Plater on November 7, in remembrance of Minghella, who both studied and taught at Hull.

As well as attending Hull as a drama student, Minghella went on to become a lecturer in the drama department and also received an honorary degree from the university.

Former head of the drama department, Tony Meech, who worked alongside Minghella, said: “Anthony was a person of extremely high intellect and he had incredible creative flair. In his third year [as a student at Hull] he wrote and staged his own philosophical musical. He was one of the best friends that Hull had and he would mention the university wherever he went.”

Minghella died in March this year, aged 54. He was the author of numerous stage plays including Whale Music, A Little Like Drowning and Made in Bangkok and also directed an opera for the English National Opera in 2005.