Sheader started his theatrical career as a trainee director at the
Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond before becoming an assistant director with the
Royal Shakespeare Company for two years. After directing at
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in 2005, he was appointed artistic director for the venue in November 2007, responsible for productions from the 2008 season. Under Sheader’s tenure Open Air Theatre productions won seven
Olivier Awards, three
Evening Standard Awards and six
WhatsOnStage Awards. In 2008,
A Midsummer Night’s Dream re-imagined for everyone aged six and over was the first of many
Shakespeare plays specially adapted for younger audiences.
Hello, Dolly! (2009) won three Olivier Awards, including Best Musical Revival;
Into the Woods (2010) transferred to New York;
Crazy For You (2011) was a double Olivier Award-winner and transferred to the West End; and
To Kill a Mockingbird (2013/14) went on tour in the UK, ending at the
Barbican in mid-2015.
Jesus Christ Superstar (2016) won the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, and returned to the Open Air Theatre for an extended engagement in 2017 ahead of a run at the
Lyric Opera of Chicago in spring 2018. It then played a season at the
Barbican Theatre in 2019, ahead of a North American tour. In the summer of 2020 it was reconceived as
Jesus Christ Superstar: The Concert, the first West End production to re-open during the
coronavirus pandemic. In March 2024, Sheader took over as artistic director of the
Donmar Warehouse. ==As Director for Regent's Park Open Air Theatre==