Winner 2007
Winner:
Polly Findlay
Production:
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Polly trained at LAMDA and at the National Theatre Studio, where she was the recipient of the Bulldog Prinseps Bursary for Young Directors in 2006. Previous directing credits include Blasting (rehearsed reading, Cottesloe), Bite Me (Edinburgh), Crumbed Ham (Old Red Lion), These Planes and Proxy (theatre503), Good (Sound Theatre) and As You Like It (Oxford Playhouse). Her production of Amanda Walker’s play, Splitting Anna, won her the Best Director Award at the 2003 Oxford New Writing Festival. Staff directing/assisting credits include Warhorse, The Man of Mode and The Seafarer (National Theatre), Period of Adjustment (Almeida), Promises, Promises (Sheffield Crucible) and The 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic).
The JMK Award provides the most incredible opportunity for a young director at the beginning of their career. I am very grateful indeed for all the support, advice and encouragement of the Trust, which made directing my production an invaluably useful learning experience - Polly Findlay
Findlay directs with astonishing nimbleness and fluency to produce a gripping, desolate, blood-freezing tragedy – Claire Allfree in METRO
A significant feature of Findlay’s skills is her ability to select a cast, some of them just out of drama school, and make them a cohesive group suggesting long involvement in the murderous feuds of Verona – Jeremy Kingston in The Times
Production photos by Emma Hodson
In 2007 the shortlisted directors were Alastair Evans, Harun Morrison, Sophie Fletcher, Michael Oakley, Daniel Goldman, Fiona Morrell and Dan Ayling. All seven received a week of intensive workshops supported by The Ian Ritchie Foundation and using the resources and facilities of BAC. They chose a selection of directors and theatre practitioners who inspired them to run a week of bespoke activities and training to develop their potential. Guest practitioners included Greg Hicks, Sasha Wares, David Farr, James MacDonald, Tom Morris and Edward Hall.
