Alan Strachan is a noted theatre director (Noel Coward, Simon Gray as well as work at the National). He is also a writer on acting and contributes most of the theatrical obits to The Independent. Alan Strachan was born in Dundee and educated at Morgan Academy, St Andrews University and Merton College, Oxford. Although Secret Dreams is his first book he has
written extensively on theatre and acting for newspapers and magazines. In the theatre he was associate director and literary editor at the Mermaid Theatre during Bernard Miles's tenure, where he directed Michael Redgrave's last appearance in a play, The Old Boys by William Trevor. The musical compilations he devised include Cowardy Custard and Cole. His theatrical productions include Julian Mitchell's adaptation of Ivy Compton-Burnett's novel, A Family and a Fortune, with Alec Guinness, and a revival of Noel Coward's Present Laughter with Donald Sinden. He is married to the actress Jennifer Piercey.
