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The JMK Trust provides talented young directors with awards, guidance and development opportunities

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JMK Assistant Director Blog – Evan Lordan

April 8, 2019 by Katherine Rigg

In our latest JMK blog, Evan Lordan describes his experiences as the JMK Assistant Director on Touching the Void, adapted by David Greig from the memoir by Joe Simpson, and directed by Tom Morris. Touching the Void was a co-production between Bristol Old Vic, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Royal & Derngate Northampton and Fuel. The production also toured to Hong Kong Arts Festival, Perth Theatre and Eden Court Theatre, Inverness.

Why did you apply for the JMK Trust Assistant Director bursary?

I had just finished studying at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and, having moved from Ireland, I had no professional theatre experience within the UK. This was an opportunity to introduce myself to theatre professionals working in the city I hoped to make my home and to the UK industry as a whole.

What are the main things you learnt from the rehearsal process for this production?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Touching the Void was adapted by David Greig and I was amazed at how much director, Tom Morris, and the company were willing to ask questions of the initial drafts. I was like, “This is David Greig, I think he knows what he’s doing.” But he was only too happy to hear everyone’s thoughts as he continued to develop his own understanding of the script.

What did you learn from touring the show?

Keep digging. We were developing the show as we went and so the script was constantly evolving, even throughout previews we were making changes to the show and so we didn’t actually have a huge amount of time to finesse. This meant that as we toured we were still able to make discoveries about characters and moments as we went. This was great for keeping everyone interested, active and alive, even after 100 performances.

What are you working on next, and how will this experience help?

I am working on a new play with my company, Conflicted Theatre (www.conflictedtheatre.com) and so watch this space. I am very interested in creating new work and so this experience was a fantastic lesson on how to approach questioning and structuring work that hasn’t been seen by audiences before.

How did you get into theatre directing, and what advice would you pass on to those starting out?

I fell into theatre in my late twenties when I wrote a play with a friend of mine as a way to spend time together. I then studied Drama & Theatre Studies in University, which is where I actually learned what theatre was for the first time. My advice would be to always remember why you love theatre; it’s very easy to get distracted by the other trappings that you encounter along the way or while filling out endless funding application forms. It’s so important to remember why you do it, then it’s easier to transmit that love and enthusiasm to the audience.

Why is it important to have Assistant Director roles, such as the JMK bursary?

It’s incredibly helpful for budding theatre makers to see the process of more established practitioners and the process of producing a show in a large theatre. You learn what it is that you are striving towards. You also learn that highly regarded theatre makers don’t always have all the answers and often have the same struggles as you when making a show, which makes me feel an awful lot better!

What excites you most about directing?

I love being part of the creative process. Having and sharing ideas and then having them challenged and improved upon by the collaborators that you surround yourself with. One of my favourite things about being a director is the opportunity to inspire and be inspired every day.

To find out more about our JMK National Programme, including our Assistant Director bursaries, please click here. 

This JMK Assistant Director bursary was kindly supported by the Leverhulme Trust.

Filed Under: Assistant Director Blog, Blog

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Patrons: Dame Judi Dench, Baroness Howe, Sir Ian McKellen, Clare Menzies-Kitchin MBE and Tom Morris OBE (Founding Chair).  

The JMK Trust is kindly supported by The Martin Bowley Charitable Trust, Arts Council England, The Katie Bradford Arts Trust, The Leche Trust, Scops Arts Trust, The Garrick Charitable Trust, The Victoria Wood Foundation, The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust, The Maria Björnson Memorial Fund, The Patricia Routledge Foundation, The Hollick Family Foundation and all our individual donors.

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The JMK Trust
  • Home
  • About
  • The JMK Award
    • About the JMK Award
    • Application process 2023
    • Information for Designers
  • National Programme
    • About the JMK National Programme
      • JMK Birmingham
      • JMK Bristol
      • JMK Edinburgh
      • JMK Manchester
      • JMK Newcastle
      • JMK Northampton
      • JMK Nottingham
      • JMK Reading
      • JMK Salisbury
      • JMK Stoke-on-Trent
      • JMK Yorkshire
    • #JMKSpace
    • JMK Director Practitioners
  • Assistant Director Bursaries
    • Apply: Birmingham Rep Bob Carlton Assistant Director Bursary
    • Victoria Wood Assistant Director Bursary – Leeds Playhouse
      • Apply: Leeds Playhouse Victoria Wood Assistant Director Bursary
    • Victoria Wood Assistant Director Bursary – Royal Exchange Manchester
      • Apply: Royal Exchange Victoria Wood Assistant Director Bursary
    • JMK Assistant Director Bursary Recipients
    • JMK Bob Carlton Bursary
  • Support us
    • How you can help
    • Support for Free with Online Shopping
    • Legacies
    • JMK Gift Membership & Awards Circle
    • ShareGift
    • Thanks to our supporters
  • Blog
  • More information
    • Learn about directing
    • Archive Playlists
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact