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About
Emily Oulton | Theatre Director
About
Photo by Ellie Kurttz
2025
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by Jethro Compton & Darren Clark
Associate Director, West End
Make it Happen by James Graham
Associate Director, Edinburgh International Festival, Dundee Rep & National Theatre of Scotland
A Christmas Carol adapted by Mark Gatiss
Associate Director, Alexandra Palace
RUM by Joe Mallalieu
Associate Director, UK Tour
2024
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by Jethro Compton & Darren Clark
Associate Director, West End
Songs and Stories From the Atomic Town by Obscura Theatre
Director, Theatre by the Lake
A Christmas Carol adapted by Mark Gatiss
Associate Director, Birmingham Rep
The History Boys by Alan Bennett
Assistant Director, UK Tour
Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie
Resident Director, County Hall Southbank
I am a UK-based director of theatre and audio. I create music and sound-led ensemble-based work, often with a political lens, humour and a folk core.
I work as an associate director on large scale productions across the UK, and I co-run theatre and audio company Obscura with sound designer Patch Middleton. We are currently developing new actor-musician musical A Shanty for an Atomic Town about nuclear power and maritime mythology on the west coast of Cumbria.
I am currently associate director on the 3x Olivier Award-winning The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in the West End, directed by Jethro Compton. In summer 2025 I was associate director on James Graham's newest play Make It Happen at Edinburgh International Festival, Dundee Rep & National Theatre of Scotland, directed by Andrew Panton and starring Brian Cox.
Make It Happen, Photos by Marc Brenner
I have previously worked as an associate, assistant and resident director on the West End, at Curve, Theatre Royal Bath, Nottingham Playhouse, The Royal Exchange, Birmingham Rep and UK Tours.
I work frequently in drama schools as a guest director, having worked on projects on the Musical Theatre course at Arts Ed, Actor-Musicianship course at Rose Bruford and the Musical Theatre course at ICMT Belfast. Projects at drama schools include an actor-musician reimagining of The Fix by John Dempsey and Dana P Rowe, a devised musical and a workshop of a new play. I work as a creative facilitator, having delivered workshops and led projects with Young Companies such as Curve & the Royal Exchange, NSDF and in care homes.
I trained as a Young Director at the Royal Exchange Theatre and on the Theatre Directing MFA at Birkbeck, with a year at Curve in the artistic team as Trainee Director. My undergrad was Drama BA(Hons) at the University of Manchester. Represented by Host Talent Group.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Photo by Marc Brenner
Audiences listening to The Wild Hauntings on the Moor, Photo on Film by Emily Oulton
Credits
As Director: The Fix (Rose Bruford Actor-Musicianship MTLab Project), Songs and Stories From the Atomic Town (Obscura Theatre & Theatre by the Lake), Green & Pleasant (Arts Ed Development Week Project), Maple Hall (ArtsEd Musical Theatre Devised Singing Project) Soundlandscape: All the Boggles of Derwentwater (Immersive Audio Experience, Obscura Theatre & Theatre by the Lake), The Luck of Edenhall (Audio, Obscura Theatre & Theatre by the Lake), Not Something That Other People Do (Short Film, Curve: The Show Must Go OnLINE), Leicester Writers Showcase (Upstairs at the Western), The Best Play Ever (Delicious Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe), Little Shop of Horrors (Delicious Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe), Private Lives (John Thaw Theatre), Table for Six (Royal Exchange Theatre Young Company), Into the Woods (Footlights Theatre).
Emily has directed workshops and R&Ds at Pleasance Islington, the Royal Exchange Theatre, International College of Musical Theatre and Accidental Theatre Belfast.
As Associate/Resident/Assistant director: Make It Happen (dir. Andrew Panton, Edinburgh International Festival, Dundee Rep & National Theatre of Scotland), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (dir. Jethro Compton, West End), RUM (dir. Tess Seddon, Max Emmerson Productions UK Tour), A Christmas Carol (dir. Adam Penford, Birmingham Rep), The History Boys (dir. Seán Linnen, Theatre Royal Bath & UK Tour), Witness for the Prosecution (dir. Lucy Bailey, County Hall on Southbank), A Christmas Carol (dir. Adam Penford, Nottingham Playhouse & Alexandra Palace), Roman Holiday (dir. Jeremy Sams, Theatre Royal Bath), West Side Story (dir. Nikolai Foster, Curve), My Beautiful Laundrette (dir. Nikolai Foster, Curve & UK Tour), The Entertainer (dir. Sean O'Connor, Curve), Mixtape (dir. Matt Hassall, Royal Exchange Theatre Young Company).
As Producer: Painting the Town (workshop - New Wimbledon Theatre), Soundlandscape: The Wild Hauntings on the Moor (Brontë Parsonage Museum, Ilkley Literature Festival), The Coffee Shop Musical (Leo&Hyde, Foundation MCR), But What If You Die? (Camden People's Theatre), I Know, I Know, I Know (DONOTALIGHT, Southwark Playhouse). Company Producer for Leo&Hyde in 2021, Choir Coordinator for Lips Choir 2023-24).
Education & Training:
Birkbeck Trainee Director at Curve
MFA Theatre Directing at Birkbeck, University of London
Young Director, Young Creatives @ Royal Exchange Theatre
Drama BA (Hons) 1st, University of Manchester
Nominations & Accolades:
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Associate Director on 3x Olivier Award-winning The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
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One of 20 directors longlisted for the 2024 JMK Award
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A Shanty for an Atomic Town runner-up for 2022 Charlie Hartill Award & shortlisted for NDT/Underbelly Untapped
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Evening Standard Future Theatre Fund Director/Theatre Maker Nominee for Curve
A Shanty for an Atomic Town, Photo by Forshaw Media
A Christmas Carol, Photo by Manuel Harlan
Roman Holiday, Photo by Ellie Kurttz
Credits
Productions
Soundlandscape: The Wild Hauntings on the Moor, Photo on Film by Emily Oulton
Selected Productions
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Associate Director
Ambassadors Theatre, West End
Make It Happen
Associate Director
Edinburgh International Festival, Dundee Rep & National Theatre of Scotland
RUM
Associate Director
Max Emmerson Productions UK Tour
A Christmas Carol
Associate Director
Birmingham Rep
Songs & Stories From the Atomic Town
Director
Theatre by the Lake
The History Boys
Assistant Director
Theatre Royal Bath & UK Tour
Witness for the Prosecution
Resident Director
County Hall, Southbank
A Christmas Carol
Associate Director
Nottingham Playhouse & Alexandra Palace
Roman Holiday
Associate Director
Theatre Royal Bath
Soundlandscape: All the Boggles of Derwentwater
Director
Theatre by the Lake
My Beautiful Laundrette
Resident Director
Curve & Co-Production Tour
West Side Story
Resident Director
Curve
The Entertainer
Trainee Assistant Director
Curve
The Best Play Ever
Director
Edinburgh Fringe
Mixtape
Assistant Director
Royal Exchange Theatre
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at the 2025 Olivier Awards, Photo on Film by Emily Oulton
Contact
Find me on Instagram: @emilyoulton
Website by Emily Oulton, updated August 2025
Contact
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