George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), who preferred to be known as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. He wrote more than sixty plays, including major works such as Man and Superman (1902), Pygmalion (1913) and Saint Joan (1923). He was the leading dramatist of his generation, and in 1925 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Dominic Cooke is an acclaimed theatre director and the incoming Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre, London, from 2026. He was Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre, 2007-13.

Cooke is the author of plays including Arabian Nights (Young Vic, London, 1998; revised version for the Royal Shakespeare Company, 2009), an adaptation of Malorie Blackman's Noughts & Crosses (RSC, 2007) and a version of Bernard Shaw's Mrs Warren's Profession (West End, 2025).

On screen, he has directed two features films, On Chesil Beach (2017) and The Courier (2020), as well as three episodes of The Hollow Crown for television.

He was awarded a CBE in 2014 for services to drama.

Author photo by Alamy