Royal Exchange Hodgkiss director award
- Alan Hulme
- 3 minutes ago
- 1 min read
Emerging Greater Manchester directors have until April 1 to apply for the Manchester Royal Exchange's 2026 Hodgkiss Director Award - which enables an early-career theatre director based in the area a three-month residency at the unique theatre.
The award is a chance to gain an insight into the working of a large-scale producing theatre, as well as experience that will assist in the forging of a directing career.
The residency includes working as assistant director on the regional premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home, working alongside director Sarah Frankcom and the Royal Exchange Theatre’s associate director, Emma Baggot.
Royal Exchange artistic director Selina Cartmell said: “We are delighted our longstanding partnership with the Hodgkiss family continues to enable our support of trailblazing directorial talent. We look forward to embedding this year's awardee into the heart of our season to learn more about making theatre at scale in our unique auditorium.”
Oli Hurst, the Hodgkiss awardee in 2024, has since directed several small-scale productions in the city Manchester as well as assisting Thomas Ostermeier on The Seagull at the Barbican. This year he will assist at the National Theatre in London.
::Sue Hodgkiss CBE co-founded the award in 2010, to recognise an outstanding emerging director. Sue and her daughter - actor, writer and comedian Sally Hodgkiss - are longstanding supporters of the theatre and champion the award.