Tony is a graduate of the Royal College of Music. He spent the first few years of his career in theatre as a musical director, including working for Cameron Mackintosh as music supervisor on many shows including Godspell, The Rocky Horror Show and Oliver. After that he worked at the National Theatre as arranger/musical director on the legendary Guys and Dolls.
He then moved into film and television as an arranger/musical director on productions such as Country, Lace, Reflections, Gulag, Wetherby and Robocop. He also worked extensively for director Clive Donner, films for Clive include Oliver Twist, The Scarlet Pimpernel, To Catch a King and A Christmas Carol.
These experiences led to him concentrating on composition for film and television in his own right. Work includes The Saint, the Irish RM, Lost Belongings. Closing Ranks, Hancock, Bye Bye Baby, Once upon a time in the North, Grushko, The Wind in the Willows collection and the music for the European Champions League. During this time he was also involved as an arranger/producer in the record industry, working with, among others, Judy Collins, George Zamfir, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Elkie Brooks. He also wrote commercials for products such as Amstrad, Greene King, Hellmans and the Halifax Building Society.
Last year Tony wrote the television and stadium music for the new European Champions Hocley League.
The other facet of his work is his artistic directorship of Music Theatre London. This company was formed to create contemporary accessible versions of mainstream operas, performed in modern translations by actor – singers. He wrote the translations and orchestral arrangements for all of the productions, and latterly took over as director. As well as the company’s work in theatre, productions have been filmed by ORF, NDR - ARTE and BBC2, (The Marriage of Figaro as a three part sit-com!).
In 1999 he wrote and directed his first film for the MTL subsidiary Music Theatre London Films, Bohème, based on the Puccini classic and filmed in and around Deptford in south east London. It was broadcast by Five and subsequently on BSkyB Artsworld and is still selling world wide through distributors Poorhouse International. Boheme was recently released as a DVD on the Signum Vision Label.
In 2004 Tony formed a new company, Capriol Films, to make music and arts based films for the domestic and international market. Capriol, which is based in North Norfolk, where Tony lives made three films in 2005-6; Falstaff , a contemporary re-working of the Verdi opera, Peter Warlock – Some Little Joy, a drama about the English composer and hedonist and A Salaried Wit – Grossmith, Gilbert and Sullivan, a documentary about George Grossmith, Gilbert and Sullivan’s original “patterman.” These titles now sell to broadcasters worldwide and are available on DVD.
In 2007 Tony adapted and directed a new film version of Oliver Goldsmith’s comedy classic She Stoops to Conquer for Sky Arts. She Stoops to Conquer was recently released on DVD in America by Acorn Media. Last year, he produced and directed a five part series about Gilbert & Sullivan for Sky Arts, Gilbert & Sullivan – A Motley Pair, which will be broadcast early in September. Future plans include a low budget feature film, set on and around Cromer Pier, In Love with Alma Cogan along with several music documentaries and drama projects.