Actor and producer Lowden, who grew up in the Scottish Borders and graduated from RCS’s BA Acting degree programme in 2011, is being recognised for his contribution to theatre, film and television at the autumn graduation ceremony in Glasgow on Thursday, October 30.
It follows a critically acclaimed run in London’s West End this summer in The Fifth Step, a two-hander play with Martin Freeman, which was written by David Ireland and directed by Finn den Hertog, who also are both graduates of the BA Acting programme at RCS.
Reflecting on his time at RCS, Lowden said: “It’s a place that I’m incredibly proud of having gone to and the fact that three graduates of the Acting programme have made The Fifth Step is just fantastic and hugely satisfying.
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“The training completely formed me. The tutors on that course are phenomenally good at what they do, and you felt like you were in great hands. And they continue to be supporters of us all as we go out there.”
Lowden is currently filming a new Netflix adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, where he’ll take on the role of Mr Darcy, one of the literary world’s most-loved characters, which also stars Emma Corrin, Olivia Colman and Rufus Sewell.
He’ll next be seen in Ella McCay, from filmmaker James L. Brooks, alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson and Rebecca Hall, and Berlin Noir, a new Apple TV+ detective series from Tom Hanks’ Playtone production banner and Oscar-winning writer Peter Straughan (Conclave).
Joining Lowden and graduating students at the autumn ceremony will be theatre director and dramaturg Philip Howard, who will also receive an honorary doctorate in drama.
Howard trained at London’s Royal Court Theatre and was artistic director of Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre from 1996–2008, the longest tenure in its history, following three years as associate director. He is currently a director of Pearlfisher theatre company.
Theatre director Philip Howard(Image: Viktoria Begg)
Howard said: “The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland has been a significant part of my working life and its graduates continue to inspire me to keep on making theatre. I could not be more delighted to receive such an honour.”
At the Traverse, he directed over 20 world premieres, including acclaimed new plays by David Greig, David Harrower and Linda McLean. His productions won multiple Fringe First awards and he also staged Brian Friel’s Faith Healer, John Byrne’s Cuttin’ a Rug, Naomi Wallace’s The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek, Raja Shehadeh’s When the Bulbul Stopped Singing (also Off-Broadway, Amman and Tehran), and co-directed Michel Tremblay’s Solemn Mass for a Full Moon in Summer (Traverse/Barbican).
From 2012 to 2015, Howard was Joint Artistic Director of Dundee Rep, where highlights included Victoria by David Greig and In My Father’s Words by Justin Young, later transferring Off-Broadway.
As a dramaturg, Howard’s adaptations include Fuenteovejuna and King John (Òran Mór, Glasgow), Titus Andronicus for director Stewart Laing (Dundee Rep) and Ghost Light (NTS). Current commissions include Richard (Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part Three and Richard III) for Stellar Quines and Elysium Street for New Sparta Films.
Howard has directed several productions for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, including Sunday in the Park with George, Merrily We Roll Along, Brigadoon and London Road. He also regularly works on the Classical and Contemporary Text postgraduate programme and is a founder of the Pauline Knowles Scholarship at RCS. Pauline was an alumna of RCS and one of the pre-eminent Scottish stage actors of her generation.
“Honorary doctorates are presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the arts,” said Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
“Jack Lowden is regarded as one of the most gifted actors of his generation and it has been wonderful to watch his career flourish since graduating from RCS. He has earned widespread critical acclaim for his versatile and compelling performances across stage and screen, while his move into producing demonstrates an impressive creative vision behind the camera. He is an inspiration to students preparing to take their own next steps in the industry.
“Philip Howard has had a profound impact on Scottish theatre – from championing new writing at the Traverse and Dundee Rep to bringing Scottish work to international stages. He has also been a generous teacher and mentor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where, as co-founder of the Pauline Knowles Scholarship, he has ensured that the legacy of this remarkable actor and alumna continues to inspire and support future generations of performers.”
