The JMK Trust

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

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Winner 2001

Orla O’Loughlin

Production: The Fire Raisers by Max Frisch

orlaweb_565Orla is now the Vice-Principal and Director of Drama at Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Prior to Guildhall, Orla was the Artistic Director of the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh (2012-18), the Artistic Director of the award winning Pentabus Theatre and International Associate at the Royal Court Theatre.

Her previous directing work for the Traverse includes acclaimed productions such as Mouthpiece, Locker Room Talk, Grain in the Blood, Milk, Girl in the Machine, Swallow (Scotsman Fringe First and Scottish Arts Club award-winner), Ciara (Scotsman Fringe First, Herald Angel and CATS award-winner); Spoiling (Scotsman Fringe First award-winner); Meet Me at Dawn (Herald Angel award-winner); Milk (Tom Erhardt award-winner); The Artist Man and the Mother Woman, and the Herald Angel award-winning, Dream Plays (Scenes from a Play I’ll Never Write).

Directing work also includes: For Once (Hampstead Theatre Studio); Kebab (Dublin International Festival/ Royal Court Theatre); How Much is your Iron? (Young Vic); The Hound of the Baskervilles (West Yorkshire Playhouse/ National Tour/ West End); Tales of the Country, Origins (Pleasance/ Theatre Severn); Relatively Speaking, Blithe Spirit, Black Comedy (Watermill Theatre); Small Talk: Big Picture (BBC World Service/ ICA/ Royal Court Theatre); A Dulditch Angel (National Tour); The Fire Raisers, sob stories, Refrain (BAC).

She has also directed two ground-breaking large-scale site-specific productions: Shuffle with the National Youth Theatre at Merry Hill, one of Europe’s largest shopping centres and Underland, performed 200 feet below ground at Clearwell Caves in the Forest of Dean. Orla was also the recipient of the Carlton Bursary at the Donmar Warehouse.

The JMK Award gave me a unique opportunity to develop as an emerging director. I had ambition and a sense of theatrical vision but no obvious way of testing my ideas in a professional context. The Trust gave me the time, space and support to put on my first proper show. It put my work in the spotlight and gave me the confidence to believe I might have a future in the industry. I have no doubt that it is as a direct result of the Award that my career has progressed as it has. It gave me the start I needed and a direct route into the profession – Orla O’Loughlin

Orla O’Loughlin offers a strikingly fresh take on The Fire Raisers, the 1956 Max Frisch classic about willed bourgeois complacency and the dangers of trying to propitiate evil-doers. O’Loughlin’s biting production proves that its concerns are still a burning issue. It would be a great shame if this fine production did not play to full houses – Paul Taylor in The Independent on Sunday

With O’Loughlin’s update to contemporary Britain, one notes the topicality of Biedermann fraternising with the Semtex-juggling Bill and dithering in the face of anti-capitalist terrorism. O’Loughlin’s cast admirably combine naturalism, satire and near-Pinteresque menace – Kate Bassett in The Independent

In 2001 our final eight applicants attended a two day session at BAC. These workshops were run by Erica Whyman, then Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre, Tom Morris, then Artistic Director of BAC and Phil Wilmott of the Finborough Theatre.

Shortlisted directors in 2001 were Roland Smith, James Phillips, William Galinsky, David Salter, Annecy Lax, Rosanna Lowe, Nancy Hirst.

Latest News

  • JMK Trust announces new recipients of 2023 Victoria Wood Bursaries March 14, 2023
  • The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2022 November 29, 2022
  • JMK announce Victoria Wood Assistant Director Bursaries with Leeds Playhouse and Royal Exchange Manchester November 16, 2022

Alumni

Diane Page Tristian Fynn-Aiduenu Winner 2017 - Josh Roche Winner 2016 - Roy Alexander Weise Winner 2015 - Liz Stevenson Kate Hewitt - winner 2014 Winner 2013 - Alex Brown Winner 2012 - Sam Pritchard Winner 2011 - Cathal Cleary Winner 2010 - Matthew Evans Winner 2009 - Caroline Steinbeis Winner 2008 - Michael Oakley Winner 2007 - Polly Findlay Winner 2006 - Jamie Harper Winner 2005 - Natalie Abrahami Winner 2004 - Anne Tipton Winner 2003 - Bijan Sheibani Winner 2002 - Joe Hill Gibbins Winner 2001 - Orla O'Loughlin Winner 2000 - Thea Sharrock Winner 1999 - Mark Rosenblatt Winner 1998 - Tassos Stevens

Click here to view all JMK alumni »

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.

Registered address: Talton Farm Cottage, Newbold on Stour, Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 8UB.

Registered Charity: No. 295080

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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
    • 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
  • Exploring the relationship between Director and Movement Director with Vicki Manderson
  • JMK Workshop – GROUPWORK – OUR DEVISING AND REHEARSAL PROCESS