Paul Thompson

Paul Thompson is an Associate Professor of Film and Television at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. From 1993 - 97 he was Head of Film and Television at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. He was born in England where he worked extensively as a writer, director, actor and teacher. He was a featured actor in over 30 television productions in England. As a writer, his work has been performed by the National Youth Theatre, the Half Moon Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, as well as in Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Canada, the USA and Australia. His published plays include The Children's Crusade, The Motor Show, By Common Consent and The Lorenzaccio Story. He was resident dramatist with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and with The National Theatre. He has also written for BBC Television, BBC Radio and feature films. He worked as a screenwriter on location for Lion of the Desert (feature film starring Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed, John Gielgud). He has directed at numerous theatres in England, Australia and the United States. Paul Thompson's previous academic positions include, Lecturer in Playwriting at the City Literary Institute, London (1978-84), Director of the Theatre School, Morley College (1978-84), Acting teacher and director at R.A.D.A. (1981-84), Head of Directing and Director of the Playwrights' Studio, National Institute of Dramatic Art, Sydney (1984-86), Head of Scriptwriting at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (1987-93) and Head of Film and Television at the AFTRS (1993-97). He has presented guest lectures at several leading academic institutes including USC, NYU, Yale, Temple University, UCLA , the London Institute, CEEA Paris, and the International Institute of the Performing Arts. Since joining NYU in September 1997 Paul Thompson has enabled the Tisch School of the Arts to establish a semester abroad program in London including specially designed courses in acting with RADA, television production with BBC Television and dramatic writing with the Writers' Guild of Great Britain. He also initiated the relationship between Tisch and the CEEA which provides a base for the Summer Program in Paris. In 2007 he served as the Director of the Arts Committee for NYU Abu Dhabi. From 2005-2011 he was the Faculty Senator for Tisch School of the Arts, and serves on the Sydney Working Group for NYU Global.