Colin Chambers served as Literary Manager of the Royal Shakespeare Company for nearly two decades where he worked with more than eighty playwrights. As well as writing theatre histories and biographies, he has written, translated, and adapted plays, including the three FIGARO plays by Beaumarchais; Robert Tressell’s THE RAGGED TROUSERED PHILANTHROPISTS; DAVID PINSKI’S TREASURE; and THE MAD WORLD OF JOHN MADDISON MORTON, three farces that were produced at the Orange Tree, Richmond in 2011. With Richard Nelson, he co-wrote KENNETH’S FIRST PLAY (RSC, Swan, Newcastle & Young Vic) and TYNAN, an adaptation of Ken Tynan’s Diaries (RSC, Swan & the Arts, London) starring Corin Redgrave. He was Associate Director of the world première of MADAME MELVILLE by Richard Nelson, at the Vaudeville Theatre, London (2000) and directed Corin Redgrave in Nelson’s adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s DE PROFUNDIS (Rose Theatre, Kingston and Irish Centre, Paris). He was a member of the board of the Hackney Empire for 20 years and was chair of the Hackney Empire Preservation Trust.