Directors' Biogs

Here are the biographies of our directors: 

ABIGAIL GRAHAM

As Director: The Censor (JMK Award Runner Up, Young Vic, Workshop Performance), Blue Heaven – Three Short Plays by Tennessee Williams (Finborough); Jack’s Quest (Company of Angels Theatre Maker Award, The Junction, Cambridge, Pleasance, London), The Boy and The Dog Who Walked to the Moon (Pleasance, Edinburgh), Lucy’s Brief Guide on How to be Human (Old Vic 24 Hour Plays) The Crucible (Newcastle University Best Director Award, St. Luke’s, Newcastle).

As Associate Director: Death and The Maiden (Harold Pinter Theatre, West End).

As Assistant Director: Glass Menagerie (Young Vic), Ruined (Almeida), Separate Tables (Chichester Festival Theatre), Enron (Minerva Chichester and Royal Court), Wallenstein (Minerva Chichester)

As Director in Community and Education settings: The Ward Project (Young Vic at Maudsley Hospital), Remember How to Fly (Young Vic Special Schools Festival), Soft Scoop (Clean Break), The Bridge Project (Almeida).

KATE NELSON

Kate is artistic director of Nutshell & programme leader for drama & theatre arts at Queen Margaret University.

Premieres for Nutshell: Allotment by Jules Horne ( Fringe First Winner 2011, CSPA award winner 2011), The Devil on Wheels by Jules Horne, (Scotland tour commissioned by the Scottish Forestry Commission), Stars by Anja Hilling, Crestfall by Mark O’Rowe (UK premiere  - “ The production is a masterpiece” Scotsman *****), Meat by Sarah Colvin & Play O’ The Wather  by Eddie Stiven. Other work includes: Through the Night & In The Shade written & performed by David Leddy  at the Arches & Tron Theatres Glasgow and A Small Family Business at Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

Kate has co-ordinated and directed on numerous script development, new writing and education projects for the Traverse, Edinburgh;  Citizens’ Theatre Glasgow and The Playwrights’ Studio Scotland. She is also on the judging panel for the Robert McLellan Award for plays in Scots.

Kate is currently developing the next part of the triliogy of plays she is making with Jules Horne which will premiere at  the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe at Assembly.

CATHERINE PASKELL

Catherine is a freelance theatre director from Cardiff. Between 2009 - 2011, she was a founding member and creative associate of National Theatre Wales, where she directed the 5th production in the company's inaugural year, The Beach. She also directed The Assembly, a participatory programme for artists and communities to debate and respond to local issues and ran the New Critics scheme to train arts journalists in Wales.  Recently, Catherine returned to National Theatre Wales as Community Promoter for the national tour of The Village Social where she also directed 16 community choruses. Catherine has directed new work for theatres and companies including Radio Wales, Unity Theatre Liverpool, Oldham Coliseum, Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, Trafalgar Studios, Contact Manchester, People Show, Dende Collective, Theatre 503, The Finborough, Tara Arts, Haddo House Opera, Baron's Court Theatre and the Octagon Theatre Bolton, where she was also Resident Assistant Director. Catherine is currently a WalesLab supported artist. She trained on the MFA Theatre Directing at Birkbeck and has a degree in American Studies from Nottingham University. 

MARED SWAIN

Mared Swain is currently Welsh language associate director at Sherman Cymru.

She is also co-producer of Cardiff-based new writing company Dirty Protest Theatre, and directs their regular shorts nights. She has also became a mother last summer and is very glad to be involved in this exciting project with Agent 160.