Job Description
The Royal Court Theatre has an exciting opportunity for two people join the Artistic Team as Trainee Directors.
We are looking to work with early-career directors with a background in directing and/or facilitating, with particular interest in directing new writing and developing their wider skills and abilities towards future freelance careers and artistic leadership roles. The Royal Court Trainee Director scheme has had an impressive history supporting the next generation of brilliant directors and artistic leaders, with alumni including Rufus Norris, Roy Alexander Weise, Lyndsey Turner and Milli Bhatia. We can’t wait to see who’s next.
We are currently hiring two Trainee Directors with a six month shared overlap. One position will start in January 2027; the second in June 2027; each for one year.
The successful candidate will have:
- A minimum of two credits as director, associate director or assistant director all within a professional context.
- Experience of working on a show with a run of over one week, including noting a show during the course of a performance run.
- Experience of working with writers and/or in new writing, and an understanding of the challenges and opportunities around presenting and developing new plays.
Further details of the role can be found in the Job Description below. If you are interested in this role, please complete an application form. Please address how you meet the criteria set out above within your application.
As part of the Directors' Programme, you can apply for both the Assistant Director Pool and Trainee Director roles via the same application form. You will be asked whether you would like to apply for one of or both of the the roles at the start of the form.
To note, your personal statement can also be sent through in the form of a voice note, or PowerPoint presentation (no more than five slides). Should there be a more accessible form for your application to be received, please contact the recruitment inbox.
If you have any questions about the role, please contact the recruitment inbox at recruitment@royalcourttheatre.com ahead of the closing date.
We know that AI can be a useful tool when you're putting together an application, whether that's drafting a CV or polishing your answers. You're welcome to use it when applying for a Royal Court Theatre role, but please make sure your application still represents you - your ideas, your experiences and your voice. We're looking for authenticity, imagination and integrity and we want to hear what makes you unique.
