The JMK Trust

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

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Winner 2011

Cathal Cleary, Theatre Director

Photo by Alastair Muir

Cathal Cleary‘s winning production of Disco Pigs, by Enda Walsh, had a sell-out run at the Young Vic from 2nd – 28th September 2011.

Cathal graduated from National University of Ireland, Galway with an MA in Drama & Theatre Studies in 2005. He assisted JMK Award alumni Joe Hill-Gibbins on The Beauty Queen of Leenane at The Young Vic (under the Jerwood Assistant Directors’ Program) and Polly Findlay on Roald Dahl’s Twisted Tales at the Lyric Hammersmith.

He was the founder of touring company Zelig, based in Galway, overseeing five productions between 2006 – 2009 and was the Trainee Artistic Director for the Donmar Warehouse from 2014 to 2016. He won the house theatre Re-Comission Award in 2015.

Cathal has directed for The Abbey (Ireland’s National Theatre), Young Vic, Druid Theatre, Print Room and Papatango amongst others. Productions he has directed have toured to theatres across Ireland and the UK including Sheffield Crucible, Birmingham Rep, Glasgow Tron, Lyric Belfast and Cork Everyman.

He is also the Artistic Director of MOMMO Theatre which creates work in both Dublin and London. MOMMO’s first production, Karen Cogan’s The Half of It, won the First Fortnight Award at the Dublin Fringe Festival.

@MOMMOtheatre 

Winning the JMK Award has allowed me to work on a play that I feel very passionately about, with an incredibly talented group of people and in one of the most exciting and  progessive theatres in London. This simply wouldn’t be possible without the support of the trust. For this rare and unique opportunity I feel hugely privileged and thankful.” – Cathal Cleary

“There is no doubt that Cathal Cleary is a very talented and imaginative young director. Repeatedly, he shows flashes of brilliance that herald a bright future.” – British Theatre Guide

“Funny and terrifying at the same time, Disco Pigs is superb.” – The Independent

“Cathal Cleary, the director, won this year’s JMK Award. You can see — from his mastery of stagecraft, from the way he siphons the energy from his talented cast of Charlie Murphy and Rory Fleck-Byrne — that he has every chance of following such JMK winners as Thea Sharrock and Bijan Sheibani  to the top table.” – The Times


Charlie Murphy and Rory Fleck-Byrne Charlie Murphy in Disco Pigs. Production image: Elliott Franks.

The runners up this year are Prasanna Puwanarajah, Abigail Graham and Tom Attenborough, who each receive a £1,000 award, funded by the Ian Ritchie Foundation.

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