Orla O'Loughlin

Orla O'Loughlin
Born
London, UK[1]
EducationNational Theatre
National Theatre Studio
Warwick University
Central School of Speech and Drama
University of Reading
OccupationTheatre director

Orla O'Loughlin is a British theatre director. In 2018, she became the vice principal and director of drama at Guildhall School of Music & Drama.[2]

Education

O'Loughlin trained at the National Theatre and National Theatre Studio. She has a B.A (Hons) in theatre and performance from Warwick University, an M.A (Dist) in advanced theatre practice from Central School of Speech and Drama and a PGCE in drama from the University of Reading.

Career

O'Loughlin was artistic director of Pentabus Theatre from 2006 to 2012[3] and the international associate at The Royal Court.[4]

From 2012 to 2018, O'Loughlin was the artistic director of the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.[2][5] In her final year as theatre director, she won ten nominations in the Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland across six categories.[6]

O'Loughlin is has been the vice principal and director of drama at Guildhall School of Music & Drama since 2019. Alongside this role, she also works as a freelance theatre director.[7]

The Observer listed O'Loughlin as one of the top 50 cultural leaders in the U.K and she was included in The List Hot 100 of Women in the Arts. She is a regular subject for print and digital media and has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, The Today Programme and was the subject of the BBC Radio Documentary Stark Talk covering her life and work.[8] O'Loughlin continues to deliver masterclasses and workshops across the world and has sat on a range of award panels including: James Tait Black Award for Drama,[9] Windham Campbell and the Linbury Prize.

Directing credits

Year Production Company/venue
2007 Kebab[10] Dublin International Festival, Royal Court Theatre
The Hound of the Baskerville[11] West Yorkshire Playhouse, national tour, West End
2011 Relatively Speaking, Blithe Spirit, Black Comedy[12] Watermill Theatre
For Once[13] Hampstead Theatre, national tour
2012 How Much is your Iron?[14] Young Vic
2014 Clean and A Respectable Widow takes to Vulgarity[15] Traverse Theatre, Oran Mor, Theatre 59E59, NYC
Spoiling[16] Traverse Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East
2015 Swallow[17] Traverse Theatre
2016 Milk[18] Traverse Theatre
Grain in the Blood[19] Traverse Theatre
2017 Meet Me at Dawn[20] Traverse Theatre
Locker Room Talk[21] Traverse Theatre, Latitude Festival, Abbey Theatre, Scottish Parliament, tour
2018 What Girls Are Made Of[3] Traverse Theatre, Tramway, international tour
Mouthpiece[3] Traverse Theatre, Soho Theatre
The Artist Man and the Mother Woman[3] Traverse Theatre
2023 The Time Machine[22] National tour
2024 Enough of Him[23] Not presented
2025 A Play, a Pint and a Pie[24] Traverse Theatre
Wallace[25] Traverse
2026 Ciara[3] Traverse Theatre, Citizens Theatre
Origins Pleasance, Theatre Severn, national tour
Small Talk: Big Picture Royal Court Theatre, ICA, BBC World Service
Shuffle Merry Hill Shopping Centre
Underland Clearwell Caves
A Dulditch Angel National tour
The Fire Raisers BAC

Awards

Her work has received Fringe Firsts, including Swallow in 2015,[26] Herald Angels[3] and Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland and she is previous winner of the James Menzies Kitchin Directors Award and recipient of the Carlton Bursary at the Donmar Warehouse.

References

  1. ↑ Vincent Dowd (17 August 2014). "Scottish theatres lukewarm over referendum". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 McMillan, Joyce (17 November 2018). "Thanks for the memories: THEATRE | As Orla O'Loughlin prepares to leave the Traverse, the artistic director reflects on the challenges and triumphs of her tenure". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. ProQuest 2134158056. Retrieved 31 August 2025 – via ProQuest.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Neil Cooper (18 December 2018). "New generation of Scots writing talent at top of their game, says The Traverse's Orla O'Loughlin". heraldscotland.com. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Lyn Gardner (12 August 2012). "Orla O'Loughlin, artistic director of the Traverse theatre, Edinburgh". theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  5. ↑ Lyn Gardner (9 August 2012). "Orla O'Loughlin, artistic director: Edinburgh festival Q&A". theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  6. ↑ McMillan, Joyce (11 May 2019). "Casting a spell: The big winners at this year's Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland look likely to be Orla O'Loughlin and the Traverse Theatre - and in particular the Fringe hit Ulster American". The Scotsman. ProQuest 2222866603. Retrieved 31 August 2025 – via ProQuest.
  7. ↑ DAVID POLLOCK (4 December 2018). "Outgoing Traverse head Orla O'Loughlin: 'At Guildhall, I'll re-imagine theatre training for the 21st century'". thestage.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "Stark Talk". bbc.co.uk. 19 November 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  9. ↑ Phyllis Stephen (25 August 2017). "Cyprus Avenue wins the James Tait Prize for Drama". theedinburghreporter.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  10. ↑ Michael Billington (25 August 2007). "Kebab". theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  11. ↑ Alfred Hickling (27 January 2007). "The Hound of the Baskervilles". theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  12. ↑ Giles Woodforde (22 February 2011). "Relatively Speaking: The Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, near Newbury". oxfordmail.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  13. ↑ Lyn Gardner (15 July 2011). "For Once – review". theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Pacifism with a punch". standard.co.uk. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "CLEAN AND A RESPECTABLE WIDOW TAKES TO VULGARITY". maxamoo.com. 15 April 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  16. ↑ Lyn Gardner (3 August 2014). "Edinburgh festival 2014 review: Spoiling – bantering introduction to an independent Scotland". theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  17. ↑ Lyn Gardner (10 August 2015). "Swallow at Edinburgh festival review – a potent study of surviving the everyday". theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  18. ↑ "Theatre review: Milk". scotsman.com. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  19. ↑ Hugh Simpson (3 November 2016). "Grain In The Blood". alledinburghtheatre.com. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  20. ↑ Susannah Clapp (20 August 2017). "Edinburgh theatre review: The Divide; Flight; Adam; Meet Me at Dawn". theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "Locker room banter: I know we shouldn't, it's just what guys do". bbc.co.uk. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "Review: The Time Machine, A Comedy (Touring)". alwaystimefortheatre.com. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  23. ↑ Brian Ferguson (30 August 2024). "Exclusive:Award-winning Scottish theatre play on slavery cancelled after serious allegations". scotsman.com. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  24. ↑ Orly Benn (10 December 2025). "REVIEW: PLAY, PIE, AND A PINT: WALLACE – TRAVERSE THEATRE". corrblimey.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  25. ↑ Mark Fisher (6 August 2025). "Straight outta Stirling: the musical giving William Wallace the Hamilton treatment". theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  26. ↑ "Swallow". tgjonesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 17 August 2026.


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