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Born. 19 September 1941. Died August 7, 2016.

The theatre and television director Alan Dossor, who has died aged 74, had a huge influence on theatre throughout the UK when he pioneered new writing at the Liverpool Everyman Theatre in the 1970s. It, the Theatre Royal Stratford East and Giles Havergal’s Glasgow Citizens marked a fundamental reappraisal of contemporary drama. Mr Dossor introduced plays by budding authors such as John McGrath, Alan Bleasdale and Willy Russell. He also had the knack of casting young actors who went on to make a big name for themselves - Julie Walters, Alison Steadman, Antony Sher, Trevor Eve, Jonathan Pryce, Matthew Kelly, Bill Nighy and Pete Postlethwaite.

Mr Dossor produced some hugely successful commercial musicals which helped the Everyman’s finances. Most significant was the musical about the Beatles – John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert – (with Eve as Paul McCartney) which transferred to London’s West End and ran for two years in the 1970s.

Mr Dossor reflected real life in the region and drew the city into the theatre. He commissioned plays about local issues and scandals and achieved fame far beyond Liverpool.

The Dunfermline born actress, Barbara Dickson, recalled fondly working with Mr Dossor – she was in the original cast of the Beatles show and in The Wills’s Girls at Bristol’s Tobacco Factory in 2005. On hearing of his death she simply commented, “Goodbye to the marvellous Alan Dossor.”

Alan John Dossor was born in Kingston upon Hull and won a scholarship to Hymers College and then read English at Bristol University. He did a postgraduate acting course at the Bristol Old Vic school and his first job was with the Nottingham Rep then managed by John Neville who recognised a potential for Mr Dossor as a director. He was put in charge of some try-out Sunday evening performances (including Brecht’s Mother Courage) and justified Neville’s confidence.

Before being appointed to the Liverpool Everyman in 1970 Mr Dossor directed at many of the leading repertory theatres (including the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh and Perth). His first production at the Everyman was a huge box office hit – and much unexpected - a musical about the well-rounded local MP Bessie Bradocks (The Braddocks’ Time). It was set in a boxing ring and clearly demonstrated Mr Dossor’s original view of contemporary theatre and his desire to involve the entire community.

At the 1972 Edinburgh Fringe Mr Dossor saw a one act play by Willy Russell (then a lady’s hairdresser) When the Reds… Their relationship was to burgeon into a most fruitful theatrical partnership.

Many hits followed at the Evaryman - Tarzan’s Last Stand with Sher in a leopard skin as Enoch Powell, Pryce as a captivating Richard III and satirical comedies given a witty Scouse interpretation by Russell and Bleasdale. Mr Dossor encouraged a feeling of irreverence and a desire to remove the formalities of the theatre. He upset many traditionalists but the Everyman became a byword for originality and innovative writing. He confessed in his last months in Liverpool that, “I am more interested in community conversations than metropolitan fashion and niche market approval."

The theatre closed for refurbishment in 1974 and before he left in 1975 Mr Dossor took a television director’s course and although he was to direct very successfully on the stage Mr Dossor became recognised as a major TV director – especially after directing The Muscle Market a 1981 BBC Play for Today starring Postlethwaite and Steadman by Bleasdale. Other TV work included Michael Frayn’s First and Last (1989) with Joss Ackland walking from Land’s End to John O’Groats and The Missing Postman (1997) starring James Bolam as a postie who took action against new working arrangements.

Mr Dossor did return to the stage on a few occasions and notably directed Andrew Davies' play Rose about a strained mother/daughter relationship in the west end starring Glenda Jackson and Jessica Tandy in 2005 and Stephen Lowe’s Old Big ‘Ead in the Spirit of the Man which traced the career of Brian Clough the charismatic manager of Nottingham Forest FC. That production toured in Scotland.

As a mark of respect on the night of his death the lights of the theatre’s red Everyman sign were turned off — except for the “A”.

Mr Dossor, who died of cancer, was twice married. His first to Dinah was dissolved. He is survived by his second wife the actress Elaine Donnelly and a daughter from his first