Susie McKenna: The Director

Susie began directing alongside her acting career in 1994 directing Muffin production’s Jack and the Beanstalk starring Barry Cryer and Michelle Colins at Hackney Empire. Susie went on to write and direct over 20 pantomimes at the famous East London theatre. 

Main house productions at Hackney Empire include: Blues in the Night, Beau Jest, Sit and Shiver starring Steven Berkoff, A Midsummer Night’s Madness (NYC and Edinburgh) a musical adaptation of Macbeth, Judd Batchelor’s A Mother Speaks (Touring) and Once on this Island; a co-production with Birmingham Rep and Nottingham Playhouse. In 2012 she was the festival director for Ha Ha Ha Hackney – a 7-show celebration of 60 years of British comedy for the London 2012 Olympic Cultural Festival.

For Kiln theatre she directed the Olivier Award nominated Blues In the Night, NW Trilogy (with Taio Lawson) by Moira Buffini, Suhayla El Bushra and Roy Williams and the award-winning play Es & Flo (opening at and produced by Wales Millenium Centre) by Jennifer Lunn.

Susie's other directing credits include Jungle Rumble at the Fortune theatre West End, World Premier of Sophie Tucker’s One Night Stand (London and touring), World Premier of A Mother Speaks by Judd Batchelor (touring), the world premiere of Oranges and Elephants by Lil Warren and Jo Collins at Hoxton Hall, East London which was nominated for two OFFIES.