Subject to validation by University of East Anglia

One year (full-time)

Applications will reopen in October for 2025/26 entry. 

An intensive, practical course which is committed to developing the next wave of innovative theatre directors.

The core principle of the MA is to develop the distinctive voice of each student director, and build the skills required to stage unique and challenging productions.

Alongside teaching by top industry practitioners, students will be given the opportunity to create their own work and gain experience of working with professional directors.

Graduate Destinations

Mountview’s Theatre Directing students have gone on to work for the UK’s leading theatre companies, in the West End and on Broadway. Graduates have a reputation for clarity, imaginative engagement and leadership and include:

• MICHAEL LONGHURST– Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse. Constellations (Royal Court, West End and Broadway. Winner of the Olivier Award for Best Revival)
• EMILY ABOUD – Winner of the Evening Standard Future Theatre Award. Associate Artist at the Bush Theatre. Artistic Director of Lagahoo Productions.
• MICHAEL FENTIMAN – Amelie The Musical (Watermill Theatre, West End and Tour. Nominated for three Olivier Awards including Best New Musical)
• EDWARD HALL – Blithe Spirit (StudioCanal), Gentleman Jack (BBC), The Durrells (ITV). Previously Artistic Director of Hampstead Theatre.

Read an interview with MA Theatre Directing graduate Liam Maddin.

Course Leader and Guest Practitioners

The course is led by Hamish Pirie. Hamish was Associate Director at The Royal Court Theatre and programme leader for the Royal Court’s emerging directors programme. He was previously Associate Director at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh.

Guest practitioners and companies have included:

• Mark Ravenhill
• Tinuke Craig
• Ned Bennett

Course Content and Delivery

The MA takes place over five days per week, in 41 weeks split into three terms. This course consists of:

• Seminars
• Workshops
• Play readings
• Practical directing experience – both assisting professional directors and leading on theatre projects
• Directing your own public showcase production working with a producer and cast

All modules are compulsory and you will have continuous assessment. You will have regular tutorials with the course leader, in addition to creating and developing your own directing projects. This is backed up with a written dissertation (or a practical equivalent).

Showcase

The MA Theatre Directors produce a festival in the summer term to showcase their work. Several productions staged in these festivals have had a restaging at other fringe venues in London and beyond.

This course will run subject to re-approval by the University of East Anglia (UEA). This means the course is currently going through UEA’s process to confirm the course will lead to a UEA award.  Course revalidation will take place in the Summer term 2025. All courses validated by UEA are revalidated every five years through this re-approval process.