George Dillon in Edinburgh

1982-1985

Dillon's first Fringe was in 1982, as a student with Manchester Umbrella Theatre Company, performing in two shows a day including the lead in Pirandello's Enrico Quatro and sleeping in the venue, Zetland Hall in Pilrig Street.

In 1984, with Denise Evans, his No Alternative Theatre Company was the first to perform Decadence after Steven Berkoff himself. The following year his company Fusion also performed Berkoff's Greek and a new work Arrested Laughter (part-written by Jeff Noon) in which he appeared as Mr AntiChrist, dressed only in the contents of a tube of tomato puree.

1990-1993

Stunning the Punters in 1990 marked the formation of Vital Theatre and the beginning of an astonishing solo career. His staging of three short stories by Berkoff, Robert Sproat and Dostoevsky (directed by Popcorn director Laurence Boswell) won wide acclaim including an Independent Theatre Award nomination.

In 1991 he appeared at short notice, but despite not being in the programme managed to sell out a three hour unbroken monologue telling a true story of cannibalism, Barry Collins's Judgement.

The next year he decided at just ten days notice to bring a Berkoff double bill, Say a Prayer for Me & Hell which again sold out in 4 different venues. This time he appeared wearing only a bum-bag.

1993 saw Dillon giving 45 performances; reviving Decadence and running three solo shows in rep including The Remembrance of Edgar Allan Poe, which he also brought to Edinburgh in 1996.

1995-1999

After a year off (when a solo Under Milk Wood Dillon conceived and directed proved a Festival smash), he went way out on a limb in 1995, producing, directing and playing the lead in a love-it-or-loathe-it Hamlet ("Go and make up your own mind" Mark Fisher, The Herald).

In 1999 his performance in the title role of The Secret Life of Charlie Chaplin marked his tenth year on the Edinburgh Fringe.

2000-2003

In 2000 George returned with his adaptation of Berkoff's Graft - Tales of an Actor, for which he was named Best Actor on About.com and won the Herald Angel Award and a nomination for The Stage's Best Actor Award.

The next year he revived Graft running it in repertoire with Berkoff's Hell & Dostoevsky's Dream of a Ridiculous Man as well as performing in Beckett's Catastrophe for Komedia Productions.

After a year off, 2003 will be the year of his solo The Gospel of Matthew.

Productions