Sam Buntrock is a Tony, Olivier and Drama Desk nominated director, artist and writer.
Directing credits include; Sunday in the Park With George (Broadway, West End, Menier and 5th Avenue Seattle - 5 Olivier Awards including Outstanding Musical Production, Olivier Nomination for Best Director, 9 Tony Nominations including Best Director and Drama Desk Nomination for Best Director), Turn of the Screw at BAM (New York City Opera), the current European tour of The Rocky Horror Show (now in its 13th year), the World Premiere of John Guare's Are You There, McPhee? and Travesties (both McCarter, as Director in Residence), The Wildness (Ars Nova, Lortel Nomination for Best New Musical), The Who's Tommy, the World Premier of Ed, Downloaded by Michael Mitnick and the US Premier of Nick Dear's Frankenstein (all at Denver Center), Taking Steps (Barrington Stage), The A to Z of Mrs P (Southwark Playhouse), Much Ado About Nothing (Two River), A Maze (New York Stage & Film), Cradle and All (MTC), McReele (Juilliard), Cradle to Rave (UK & Australian National Tours), God Collar (Edinburgh, UK National Tour and West End), the World and American Premieres of Take Flight (Menier and McCarter), the first London revival of Assassins (New End), Get a Life and Help Yourself (both Edinburgh and UK tour).
in 2018 Sam joined the creative team of The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, directing and conceiving the new finale, Christmas Lights, a synthesis of traditional stage craft, animation and cutting edge technology. He also served as their Creative Director of New Digital Content, collaborating with the projection pioneers Obscura Digital on new enveloping sequences and scenes.
He has also worked as an Animation Director on numerous projects, including the feature film Stuart, A Life Backwards (starring Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch) for Neal Street Productions, HBO and the BBC. His multi-award winning live action short Recursion (Director, Editor & Producer) screened at 24 international film festivals throughout 2014 (including 2 Oscar qualifiers). His second live action short, Fetch, is currently in post-production.
In addition to directing Sam also works as a writer, an artist and a games master. Plays include Playing Down (or In Case Of Emergency Don’t Break Glass) and Her Life as a Story. In 2016 he designed/illustrated New York City's tribute to Muhammad Ali.
Sam trained at Bristol University and as Resident Assistant Director at the Donmar Warehouse.