Emily Oulton | Director
Emily Oulton is a UK-based director of theatre & audio.
Currently, I am Resident Director on Witness for the Prosecution at County Hall, directed by Lucy Bailey and produced by Eleanor Lloyd Productions. Recently I directed devised second year project song cycle Maple Hall at Arts Ed and I co-run theatre and audio company Obscura Theatre with sound designer/writer Patch Middleton. In 2022, we were runners-up for the Charlie Hartill Award and shortlisted for the Untapped Award for our new musical A Shanty for an Atomic Town. We will continue to develop the show in 2024 with the support of ACE, Theatre by the Lake and arts organisations across Cumbria.
Previously, I have worked as Associate Director to Adam Penford on Nottingham Playhouse/Eleanor Lloyd Productions' A Christmas Carol, adapted by Mark Gatiss, which transferred to Alexandra Palace for the Christmas season in 2023. I have also been Associate Director to Jeremy Sams on Roman Holiday at Theatre Royal Bath and Resident Director on Nikolai Foster's West Side Story and My Beautiful Laundrette tour. I have also worked extensively as a creative facilitator, having worked with NSDF and Curve & Royal Exchange's Young Companies, and having spent 2020/21 lockdowns working in care homes.
I trained as a Young Director at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester before embarking on the MFA Theatre Directing at Birkbeck. I have since been working as a director, dramaturg, facilitator and producer developing and working on musicals, new writing and audio theatre across the UK and Ireland.
Represented by HOST Talent Group.
Credits.
As Director: Maple Hall (second year project, Arts Ed), soundlandscape: All the Boggles of Derwentwater (Obscura Theatre, Theatre by the Lake), The Luck of Edenhall (Audio, Theatre by the Lake), Not Something that Other People Do (Curve, short film), 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), Psychosis (John Thaw Theatre), Table for Six (Royal Exchange Theatre), 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: Witness for the Prosecution - Lucy Bailey (Eleanor Lloyd Productions at County Hall), A Christmas Carol - Adam Penford (Nottingham Playhouse, Eleanor Lloyd Productions at Alexandra Palace) Roman Holiday - Jeremy Sams (Theatre Royal, Bath), West Side Story - Nikolai Foster (Curve), My Beautiful Laundrette - Nikolai Foster (Curve, Tour), The Entertainer - Sean O'Connor (Curve), Mixtape - Matt Hassall (Royal Exchange Theatre).
As Producer: Painting the Town (workshop, New Wimbledon Theatre), The Coffee Shop Musical (Foundation MCR, Leo&Hyde), But What If You Die? (Camden People's Theatre), I Know I Know I Know (DONOTALIGHT, Southwark Playhouse).
Ellie Kurttz, 2023
2024.
Associate Director, A Christmas Carol, Nottingham Playhouse & Alexandra Palace (Eleanor Lloyd Productions)
Director, A Shanty for an Atomic Town, Obscura Theatre, workshop
Resident Director, Witness for the Prosecution, County Hall (Eleanor Lloyd Productions)
