Theatre
There are substantial differences between directing for film, and directing for theatre. But there’s also substantial overlap.
My time spent putting together stage shows has been instrumental in advancing my skillset as a director and writer. Communicating with actors, blocking, narratology, dialogue, structure… All of these things are transferrable.
One of my plays was performed at our national theatre; The Abbey. I participated in the first Young Playwrights festival after the Covid-19 lockdowns, so there was a much longer backlog of applicants. I’m incredibly grateful for this experience, and I hope that having done it reflects my capacity as a writer and as a director.
Performance
I have been acting since I was 9, at 22 years of age; that’s more than half my life. With 9 years of training under DADA, I have performed in 16 plays, 13 of which were major roles, 9 of which were commercial productions, across both Smock Alley stages and the Civic Theatre.
I say with certainty that this has benefited my directorial ability. I understand acting in an intimate and comprehensive way. Such prolonged exposure to characters, their narratives, and the techniques needed to convey them, has thoroughly prepared me for the world of filmmaking.