We’re delighted to announce the recipient of this year’s Hodgkiss Director Award is Robert Furey.
This opportunity gives Furey a breadth of experience, including a role as Assistant Director on the world premiere of LIBERATION by Ntombizodwa Nyoni alongside Monique Touko and the 20th anniversary ceremony for The Bruntwood Prize for Playwrighting, as well as mentorship from the Royal Exchange team and additional opportunities to develop his craft.
Robert Furey (he/him) is an Irish-Jamaican writer and director of theatre and film. Whether creating bold original work or reinterpreting classics, Furey makes theatre that imaginatively tackles contemporary issues of gender and race from an intersectional perspective informed by his cultural background. He has performed new work in London, Los Angeles and Athens and holds a Master’s Degree in directing from LAMDA. Most recently he staged a performance of debbie tucker green’s dirty butterfly at the Orange Tree Theatre and is currently a participating writer on Smock Alley’s Baptiste Programme for Black-Irish playwrights. He draws stylistic influence from across different mediums, with a special affinity for pulp cinema and comic books and is interested in the translation of style across different art forms.
Robert Furey said,
“It’s an honour to have been chosen for the Hodgkiss Director Award this year. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to develop as an artist under the guidance of such an incredible theatre and to assist an extremely thrilling production with them. I’m similarly looking forward to meeting and working with the talented future Bruntwood Prize winners. Building a career as an emerging theatremaker is daunting, but the Hodgkiss Director Award has given me a great opportunity and I’m excited by the potential for growth and my future making work for Manchester’s wide and diverse audiences.”
Selina Cartmell, Creative Director and Co Chief Executive of the Royal Exchange Theatre, said,
“We are delighted to be welcoming Robert to the Company as the Hodgkiss director. When we met Robert, we were all excited by his promise as a director, his commitment to new writing, and his experience of supporting actors through the creative process. Robert also spoke eloquently about exploring the themes of African socio-political history and Blackness that are central to our production of LIBERATION on which he will assist. Robert is clearly hungry to make a mark in the industry and we’re delighted that our partnership with the Hodgkiss Family enables us to offer a Greater Manchester based artist this unique opportunity to develop their creative practice, learn more about making theatre at scale, and to enhance their industry networks.”
This opportunity is generously supported by The Hodgkiss Family and William Hare, who has supported emerging artists in a range of disciplines over the years to develop their careers and build a connection to the Royal Exchange and Greater Manchester.