Tony Walton, production and costume designer and director, was born in the London suburb of Walton-on-the-Thames. His father’s uncle was Sir Charles Cochran, theater producer, associated with the plays of Noel Coward. It might be fate that the first professional production Walton did, at the age of 22, Off-Broadway was CONVERSATION PIECE (1957) at the Barbizon Plaza Hotel’s Art Deco  theater. Coward coincidently performing in Nude With A Violinon Broadway, was able to oversee Walton’s production and the two became friends. Walton studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. His designs for  a marionette production of The Magic Flute at Radley College were seen by the legendary British painter and stage designer, John Piper, who encouraged him to think of Scenic Design as a career, and helped him get into ‘The Slade.’  Later, the fabled lighting genius, Abe Feder, guided him into the Scenic Designers Union in New York. Walton has designed many musicals and plays for Broadway and Off-Broadway theater, films, and television. He also directs at the Irish Repertory Company in New York, and other not-for-profit theatres. His Off-Broadway credits include CANDIDA (2010), THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN (1998), HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES (1986), HURLYBURLY (1984), I’M NOT RAPPAPORT (1985), MAJOR BARBARA (1997), NOT WAVING (1997), SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION (1990), STREAMERS (1976), TRANSPORT (2014), VALMOUTH (1960), WAITING FOR GODOT (1988)

Walton was the design consultant and costume designer for the movie Mary Poppins (1964) beginning a long history of film design. He became known in the American theater after designing set and costumes for A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, and the sets for Pippin. He always designed both in England and America collaborating with such notables as Hal Prince, Mike Nichols, Stephen Sondheim, George Abbott, Walt Disney, Frank Loesser, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, and Larry Gelbart. He has won three Tonys: Pippin (1972), House of Blues Leaves (1986), Guys and Dolls (1992); two Drama Desk Awards:  Shelter (1973), Social Security (1986); an Emmy: Death of a Salesman (1985); and an Oscar: All That Jazz (1980). He was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 1991.