Biography
Ian Dunn is a lecturer in the Acting Department at Edinburgh Napier and lectures in screen technique, acting theory encompassing many styles and influences, and directs across all media. Recent projects as director have included productions of 'Mammals' and 'Brighton Beach Memoirs' and his own new play 'Prestwick Elvis' (shortlisted for The Scottish Arts Club Award for Best Scottish Play).
Ian studied acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama and has been a professional actor for over twenty years.
Having started his professional career at Scarborough with a season for Alan Ayckbourn, he went on to work at the Royal Court Theatre in London in many plays over the years: Six Degrees of Separation, Babies, I am Yours, Toast, Fucking Games and Terrorism.
He hugely enjoyed working with new writers and developing new projects and has taken his commitment and interest for new writing into his teaching and his own work.
Ian also worked at the RSC, the Royal National Theatre and Hampstead Theatre on a regular basis in plays such as Chips With Everything, Our Boys, Loveplay, Osama the Hero, A Doll’s House and Somewhere, to name only a few.
Whilst working in London he was also involved in many workshop productions at the Young Vic, the Royal Court and the Royal National Theatre Studio – all developing young talent, as he continues to do.
Amongst the many writers he has worked with are Richard Bean, Jonathan Harvey, Moira Buffini, Dennis Kelly and David Edgar, and directors Phylida Lloyd, Howard Davies, Dominic Cooke, Tony Clarke, Matthew Dunster, Thea Sharrock and Richard Wilson.
More recently he has worked on the Royal Court production of Richard Bean’s Harvest with Wilson Milam, and National Theatre of Scotland’s production of The Archivist at the Oran Mor and Traverse Theatre, directed by Graham McLaren.
Ian has appeared in many television productions over the years in both guest roles and as a series regular. Programmes include Waking the Dead, Holby City, Silent Witness, Murphy’s Law, Sea of Souls, Eastenders, The Bill, Gulliver’s Travels, French and Saunders, Heartbeat, Red Cap, Trust, Doctors, London’s Burning, Peak Practice, Bad Girls, Pulling, Shine On Harvey Moon, Soldier Soldier, Casualty, A Touch Of Frost, Bliss, Reach for the Moon, Girls in Love, and most recently in Outlander, The Secret Agent, River City, and in Coronation Street as Vinnie Powers.
His film credits include Screen Two: Stone Scissors Paper, Screen Two: The Merrihill Millionaires, American Friends and Bye Bye Baby.
Ian also has numerous BBC Radio productions to his credit.
He has been a Lecturer in Acting at Edinburgh Napier University for five years now, having taught at various drama schools on a part time basis and also as a guest lecturer.