Orla O'Loughlin

Orla is the recently appointed Artistic Director of the Traverse Theatre.

Prior to taking up post at Traverse, Orla was Artistic Director of the award-winning Pentabus Theatre and International Associate at the Royal Court Theatre.

Directing work includes: For Once (Hampstead Theatre Studio); Kebab (Dublin International Festival/ Royal Court Theatre); How Much is your Iron?   (Young Vic); The Hound of the Baskervilles   (West Yorkshire Playhouse/ National Tour/ West End); Tales of the Country, Origins (Pleasance/ Theatre Severn); Relatively Speaking, Blithe Spirit, Black Comedy (Watermill Theatre); Small Talk: Big Picture  (BBC World Service/ ICA/ Royal Court Theatre); A Dulditch Angel (National Tour) and The Fire Raisers, sob stories, Refrain  (BAC).

Orla has also directed two large-scale, site-specific productions: Shuffle with the National Youth Theatre at Merry Hill, one of Europe's largest shopping centres and Underland, performed 200 feet below ground at Clearwell Caves in the Forest of Dean. 

Orla was winner of the James Menzies Kitchin Directors Award and recipient of the Carlton Bursary at the Donmar Warehouse.

Get to know Orla

In a special interview, our Literary Officer, Jennifer Williams, gets to know about Orla's diverse and varied experience in her work as a director of new writing - from working as International Associate at the Royal Court, to staging a production in a cave 200 feet below ground.  Listen here.

You can also sample some of Orla's work as a director first-hand, with the Scottish Premiere of For Once, and with the Write Here New Writing Festival, both in April 2012.