His first professional production of a musical was a oneoff charity performance of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies in 1993 at the Dome in Brighton featuring an incredible cast that included: Mary Millar, Caroline O’Connor, Glyn Kerslake, Chili Bouchier, Rosemary Ashe, Josephine Blake, Joan Savage and Gorden Kaye.

Since 2000, he has directed the premieres of several new musicals by Charles Miller & Kevin Hammonds, including Brenda Bly: Teen Detective, When Midnight Strikes & Hope. (see NEW MUSICALS page for more details)

Fenton has directed a major UK pantomime every year since 1999. Among the highlights have been Mickey Rooney in Cinderella at the Empire Theatre, Sunderland (2007), Simon Callow and Bonnie Langford in Peter Pan at The Richmond Theatre (2008) and Julian Clary in Cinderella, which he directed for three years running at Brighton, Richmond & Woking (2000-2002).

(L) Julian Clary & Postman Pat in Cinderella (2001)
(R) Micker Rooney in Cinderella (2007)

(L) Simon Callow & Bonnie Langford in Peter Pan (2008)
(R) Neverland Animals in Peter Pan (2008)

Fenton started directing opera productions as early as 1983 when, at the age of 18, he directed a large-scale pro/am production of Bizet’s Carmen at the Theatre Royal, Brighton. He regularly directed opera productions over the next fifteen years, including The Mikado for Raymond Gubbay at The Royal Festival Hall (1998), Madam Butterfly for English Festival Opera at the Queen Elizabeth Hall (1998), Iolanthe for the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company (UK Tour 1997), Tosca and La Boheme at Holland Park Theatre (1991/1995), and tours of Turandot and Il Trovatore for Regency Opera (1990).

(Top L) Madam Butterfly (1998) dir Fenton Gray
(Top R) Turandot (1990) dir Fenton Gray

(Bottom L) Tosca (1991) dir Fenton Gray
(Bottom R) Sweeney Todd (1985) dir Fenton Gray