The New Vic Theatre today announces that Zoë Waterman will join the theatre-in-the-round as Associate Director as part of their dedication to nurturing industry talent.
Over the next year, the New Vic will work with Zoë sharing expertise of working in-the-round and offering development opportunities and knowledge of leading a theatre venue, senior management experience, and insight into how a theatre has impact within its community.
During her time at the New Vic, Zoë will direct three plays, the first of which is April De Angelis’ vivacious drama Playhouse Creatures, which takes centre-stage in spring 2018.
Zoë joins the theatre-in-the-round’s artistic team having previously directed The Kitchen Sink for the theatre in 2016. A past winner of New Wimbledon Theatre’s Emerging Director Award, Zoë’s directing credits include Sleeping Beauty (Theatr Clywd); The Rubenstein Kiss, Amy’s View and After Miss Julie (Nottingham Playhouse); Remarkable Invisible, The Vertical Hour, Enlightenment and Shining City (Theatre by the Lake, Keswick); The Bogus Woman (Theatre by the Lake, Keswick and UK tour) and Swan Song: An Evening of Music and Song (The Swan, Royal Shakespeare Company). Zoë was Associate Director to Lucy Pitman-Wallace on Much Ado About Nothing (Malmö Stadsteater) and Joking Apart (Nottingham Playhouse, Salisbury Playhouse) and to Giles Croft on All Quiet on the Western Front (UK tour). As an Assistant Director, she worked with Gregory Doran on the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Orphan of Zhao.
Theresa Heskins, New Vic Artistic Director, said: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Zoë Waterman as the New Vic’s Associate Director. Zoë has an excellent reputation and having worked with her on The Kitchen Sink in our 2016 autumn season, I know she has a great talent for creating work in-the-round. I am looking forward to welcoming her to our artistic team, and to working with her on many projects across the next period as we prepare for a very busy year.”
Zoë Waterman said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the team at the New Vic, I greatly enjoyed directing The Kitchen Sink last year and can’t wait to build a stronger relationship with the building and audiences, and to continue to make work in-the-round. I trained on the Theatre Directing MFA at Birkbeck College, which was set up by Peter Cheeseman; he interviewed me for the course and then did some teaching on it – including speaking with great passion about the New Vic and theatre-in-the-round – so it has always been a theatre I aspired to work at, and it feels particularly special to be taking up the post of Associate Director. Theresa has been incredibly generous and supportive and I look forward to us working together closely in the year ahead, starting with a fantastic season inspired by strong, independent and amazing women through our history.”
Talent development is a key part of the New Vic’s mission and Zoë Waterman joins a growing alumni of New Vic Associate Directors, which includes James Dacre (Bus Stop, New Vic Theatre) who is now Artistic Director of Royal & Derngate, Northampton; Gemma Fairlie (The Hoard Festival, Beryl, New Vic Theatre), Associate Director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre; and Abbey Wright (The Mountaintop, New Vic Theatre), who went on to be Associate Director of Nuffield Theatre, Southampton and is Artistic Director of new writing hub, tackroom Theatre.
Playhouse Creatures, directed by Zoë Waterman, runs at the New Vic from Friday 2 until Saturday 24 February. The play will be the first in the theatre’s season about empowerment, which also includes Votes for Women by Elizabeth Robins, which will be adapted and directed by Artistic Director Theresa Heskins, and a co-production with The Dukes, Lancaster of Educating Rita, directed by Sarah Punshon.