Melanie Spencer

Melanie is a director, who also writes.*

 

*(And occasionally casts - most recently the cult comedy one-off Carnage by Simon Amstell for BBC iPlayer.)

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She studied BA English Literature at UEA and MA Text and Performance at RADA, attending the National Theatre Studio’s invite-only director’s course in 2013. She is Artistic Director of theatre company Made By Brick (see website). As a writer, she was on the Young Playwright’s Scheme at Chichester Festival Theatre and, more recently, is graduate of the Channel Four Screenwriter’s Initiative.

 

In 2013, Melanie directed Responsible Other for Hampstead Theatre and Made By Brick, which she wrote in consultation with staff and patients from St Thomas’ Hospital. The production received four star reviews from The Times, The Independent, The Evening Standard, Time Out and What’s On Stage. The play was also longlisted for Manchester Royal Exchange’s Bruntwood Prize. The production was supported by Wellcome Trust, Arts Council and Breathe AHR amongst others.

 

As an assistant director, Melanie has worked at leading British theatre companies including Donmar Warehouse, Tamasha, Soho Theatre, The Nuffield (Southampton) and The Gate. Melanie was Resident Assistant Director at On Theatre and HighTide Festival Theatre.  Melanie also has undertaken several high-end theatre in education and community projects, including one with Freedom From Torture with Ugandan refugees.

 

Melanie worked for director Marianne Elliott (War Horse and Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night Time) on Rules for Living starring Stephen Mangan at the National Theatre. Prior to this, Melanie directed the debut production of Saxon Court by Daniel Andersen for Southwark Playhouse, as well as Tender by Abi Morgan for RWCMD in Cardiff. She directed American playwright Chad Beckim’s The End of Something for the  OVNV festival at the Old Vic.

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In 2018 Melanie wrote and directed Space. Planet. Stars for York Festival of Ideas, a play set in an IVF development clinic in the 1960s. This is part of a wider body of work exploring medical ethics and has been supported by National Theatre Studio and The Wellcome Trust.

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Melanie is currently developing three major new projects with the support of the Headlong, ETT and Royal & Derngate, For more details click here.