thinking makes it so.

Peter Marcus is a writer, director, and designer from Portsmouth - the UK's only island city. His work centres on creating theatre and events that are exciting, accessible, and sustainable.

Peter's involvement with theatre began as a young child, and visits to Mary Poppins and Starlight Express at the Bristol Hippodrome during a spell living in the city cemented the theatre as a driving force in his life. On returning to his birthplace on the UK's only island city, Portsmouth, he quickly stepped onto the stage with over 100 amateur and professional credits before his 18th birthday - including in a national open air tour of Macbeth and the world premiere of a musical based on the classic novel The Darling Buds of May.

Peter has written a number of sketches, short plays, and pantomimes, many of which have been performed in Portsmouth. He received good reviews for his ‘spellbinding and emotional’ short bringing the people of Portsmouth’s memories of 9/11 to life, while his pantomime scripts have been described by NODA as 'fast paced and full of bad jokes, with lots of opportunities for audience participation'.

As a director Peter is known for pantomime and variety, including compiling and directing 'Summertime Music Hall: A Journey Through the Ages' which charted 100 years of history through music and culture and futured four original pieces, including one looking at a British city's response to 9/11 and one looking at Portsmouth's unique place in football history, and his arrangement of a complication of hit music from the past century. He has directed his own pantomimes and those from other writers with a focus on merging traditional pantomime elements with modern techniques and values.

For each show he's directed Peter has also been involved in set and costume design, and now manages Confetti Cannon Wardrobe, a Hampshire-based costume and prop hire company which specialises in the recovery of costumes and props being disposed of by other companies.

In 2019, Peter received the NODA South East Award for Poster Design for 'Summertime Music Hall: A Journey Through the Ages' and has consistently received positive feedback for his theatre programme designs. He is an accomplished graphic designer designing for theatre, local government, and national charities.

He has judged for the prestigious UK Pantomime Awards over multiple seasons and was previously a judge of the Children and Young People Now Awards. He's also an experienced theatre reviewer, having spent four years as editor of Hampshire-based New Review while also reviewing for Johnston Press (now part of Iconic Media Group). He now reviews for Programme Notes, The Reviews Hub, and other publications.

Peter is artistic director of Thinking Makes It So and a member of NODA (the National Operatic and Dramatic Association).