Background
David Aukin was born in Harrow, London, on 12 February 1942, to parents Charles and Regina Aukin.
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David Aukin
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Education
Educated, St. Paul's School, London Bachelor, St. Edmund Hall, University of Oxford.
Career
David Aukin served as the literary adviser at the Traverse Theatre (1970-1973). From 1970 to 1974, he served as Chairman of the Oval House Arts Centre. Along with David Hare and Max Stafford-Clark, Aukin co-founded the Joint Stock Theatre Company in 1974.
During this period he presented The Open Theatre and two seasons of Le Grand Magic Circus all at the Roundhouse Theatre and presented numerous fringe companies in the United Kingdom and abroad, including The Freehold, The People Show, Pip Simmons Theatre Group and the premiere of Pam Gems" first stage play at the Cockpit Theatre.
From 1974 through 1975, Aukin was an administrator with Anvil Productions in Oxford. In 1975, Aukin became an administrator at the Hampstead Theatre.
Three years later he was appointed to the position of Artistic Director there, a position he held until 1984. The numerous premiers he produced there include Translations by Brien Friel, Abigail"s Party, Goose-Pimples, and Ecstasy, all by Mike Leigh, The Hothouse written and directed by Harold Pinter and Dusa Fish Stas and Vi by Pam Gems.
In 1986 he was appointed Executive Director of the National Theatre which he ran with Richard Eyre until 1990 when he was head hunted to be Head of Film at Channel 4.
He subsequently has produced intermittently in the West End, including Dance of Death with Ian McKellen, and Onassis by Martin Sherman with Robert Lindsay. In 2002, Aukin produced the 2002 Broadway revival of The Elephant Manitoba From 1990-1998 he was Head of Film at Channel 4, during which time he commissioned over 100 feature films including Trainspotting, The Madness of King George, Secrets & Lies, Shallow Grave, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Brassed Office, and films by Ken Loach, Peter Greenaway, Tony Harrison and many others
In 2005, Aukin was the executive producer of The Government Inspector, a television drama about the death of David Kelly.
The film was described by Rupert Smith in The Guardian as "..television drama in excelsis, hitting all the right buttons - action, comedy, pathos, satire - as well as having shedloads of righteous political anger..", though Mark Lawson criticised its portrayal of Tony Blair strumming a guitar while "sending men to their deaths on the telephone". Aukin responded by insisting that the scene had been misinterpreted.
He also produced or executive produced Endgame, The Promise, The Hamburg Cell, A Very Social Secretary, and Mrs Henderson Presents.
Achievements
Connections
Married Nancy Meckler, 1969. 2 children.
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Born
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Nationality
British -
Political Party
The People