British born, he studied in New Zealand.
His opera productions include Eugene Onegin, The Queen of Spades, Lulu, Pelléas et Mélisande (GFO); Don Carlos, Julietta, Peter Grimes, L’Enfant et les sortilèges (Opéra National de Paris); Les Troyens, Pelléas et Mélisande (Bayerische Staatsoper); Simon Boccanegra (Turin); Tamerlano (Florence, Amsterdam); Mefistofele, Jenufa (Amsterdam); Otello, Macbeth (La Scala); Fidelio, From the House of the Dead (ENO); Chérubin, Falstaff (ROH); War and Peace (Kirov); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Moses und Aron (the Met).
His work as a director includes Macbeth (Malmö, CBTO); Rigoletto, Boris Godunov (New Zealand); Turandot, The Cunning Little Vixen (Norrlands Opera, Sweden); Jenufa (Scottish Opera-go-round); Le nozze di Figaro (BBC 2, Savoy Theatre Opera Company); Dove’s L’altra Euridice, Lange’s Ariadne (Almeida Opera).