Sara is an award-winning writer/director, who most recently directed Sonya Kelly’s ONCE UPON A BRIDGE at the Druid Theatre, Galway. Sara also acted as Staff Director on Lucy Kirkwood’s The Welkin at the National Theatre. Prior to that Sara directed the Off-Broadway production of Dust by Milly Thomas, following three award-winning and sell-out runs at Edinburgh, Soho and Trafalgar Studios. Prior to that Sara directed Armadillo by Sarah Kosar, which opened at the Yard to rave reviews. Sara also directed Hunch by Kate Kennedy and Best Life by Tamar Broadbent, both of which had sell-out performances at Edinburgh Fringe.
Sara is a graduate of the Old Vic 12, was Resident Director at Almeida Theatre and Resident Assistant Director at Soho Theatre. She has worked as associate and assistant director with Dominic Dromgoole, Claire van Kampen, Gavin Quinn (Pan Pan Theatre co.) Richard Eyre, Rupert Goold, Steve Marmion.Sara was shortlisted for the KSF Emerging Artist’s Award, is a recipient of the Deutsche Bank Award for Creative Enterprises and received an Off West End nomination for Best Director. She studied Drama and Theatre at Trinity College, Dublin and trained at Ecole Jacques Lecoq.
Sara is currently in post-production on two short films, which she directed, and has an original television project in development with The Forge. Her play LOLA, BABY! was recently workshopped at the National Theatre.
Film and Television
THE ENGLISHWOMAN (Keeper Pictures)
Original Television Series
In Development
Writer
ASS BURGERS (Dancing Ledge)
Original Television Series
In Development
Writer
ANGEL (The Forge/BBC)
Original Television Series
In Development
Writer
UNTITLED PROJECT (Calamity Films)
Feature Film
Writer: Additional Material
DUST (Merman TV)
By Milly Thomas
In Development
Script Consultant
Recent Theatre
BOY PARTS (Soho Theatre) 2023
Based on the novel by Eliza Clark. Adapted by Gillian Greer
Director
★★★★What’s On Stage
★★★★The Stage
★★★★Broadway World
★★★★★ Theatre Weekly
THE LAST RETURN (Druid Theatre, The Gate and Ireland Tour) 2022
Written by Sonya Kelly
Director
Winner – Scotsman Fringe First Award
★★★★★ What’s On Stage
★★★★★ The Arts Desk
★★★★★ Feeling Good
★★★★★ The Wee Review
★★★★ The Guardian
★★★★ The Irish Times
★★★★ The Scotsman
‘Hottest ticket in town…hilarious’ – Sunday Independent
‘Director Sara Joyce makes a series of audacious decisions, all of which pay off’ – Irish Independent
LOLA, BABY!
In Development
Writer
National Theatre Workshop 2021
ONCE UPON A BRIDGE (Druid Theatre) 2021
Written by Sonya Kelly
Director
★★★★ The Guardian
★★★★ The Irish Times
THE WELKIN (National Theatre)
Written by Lucy Kirkwood
Staff Director
★★★★ The Stage
★★★★ Financial Times
★★★★ WhatsOnStage
ARMADILLO (The Yard)
Written by Sarah Kosar
Director
★★★★ The Guardian
★★★★ Evening Standard
★★★★ WhatsOnStage
BEST LIFE (Edinburgh Underbelly/ Soho Playhouse, New York)
Written and Performed by Tamar Broadbent
Director and Dramaturg
★★★★★ Edinburgh Festivals Magazine
★★★★★ Forge
★★★★ London Theatre 1
★★★★ Musical Theatre Review
DUST (Trafalgar Studios/ Soho Theatre/ New York Theater Workshop)
Written and Performed by Milly Thomas
Director and Dramaturg
Edinburgh Underbelly Stage Award Winner
Selected as a New York Times Critics’ Pick
★★★★★ British Theatre Guide
★★★★★ Broadway Baby
★★★★★ GQ Magazine
★★★★ Time Out
★★★★ The Times
★★★★ The List
HUNCH (Edinburgh Assembly)
Written and Performed by Kate Kennedy
Director and Dramaturg
★★★★ ‘fun, intensely physical superhero thriller’ The Stage
★★★★ Broadway Baby
★★★★ The List
Included in ‘Best Shows at the Edinburgh Festival 2018’ Guardian
NOW AND AT THE HOUR (Bush Theatre)
Written by John O’Donovan
Director Staged Reading
OUR NAME IS NOT JOHN (Old Vic Theatre)
Written by Sarah Kosar
Director Staged Reading
Previous Theatre
TREASURE ISLAND (Arts Ed 3rd Year Show)
Written by Bryony Lavery
SHED (Bush Theatre)
Written by Phoebe Éclair Powell
R&D
THE GLOVE THIEF (Drama Studio London)
Written by Beth Flintoff
ONE HAND TIED BEHIND US (Old Vic)
Curated by Maxine Peake
ELSA (Edinburgh Assembly/Brighton Fringe/ Soho Theatre/ Edinburgh Pleasance, 2018)
Written by Isobel Rogers
SPLIT (Vaults Festival 2018)
Written by Emma Pritchard and Tamar Broadbent
ELSA (Vaults Festival 2018)
Written by Isobel Rogers
ON RAFTERY’S HILL (Bunker Theatre)
Written by Marina Carr
Reading, as part of Damsel Develops for Damsel Prod.
THE SCAR TEST (Soho Theatre & UK Tour)
Written by Hannah Khalil
Shortlisted for KSF Artists of Choice Awards.
SERVICE (Battersea Arts Centre)
Written by Lauren Mooney
BUSH THEATRE EMERGING WRITERS SHOWCASE (Bush Theatre)
SPINSTER SISTER (Theatre 503)
Written by Brian Martin
Rehearsed reading
SOHO YOUNG WRITERS AWARD SHOWCASE (Soho Theatre)
DEAD DOG (Soho Theatre)
Written by Tom Hardy
Workshop and Reading
AFTER ORLAND (Vibrant Festival, Finborough Theatre)
FIXED ACTION PATTERN
Written by Francis Grin, Peckham Pelican, as part of Etch
SERVICE
Written by Lauren Mooney as part of Freshly Scratched at BAC
CRESTFALL (Rada Festival, Gielgud Theatre)
Written by Mark O’Rowe
THE QUALITY OF MERCY (Hackney Showrooms)
Written by Stuart Slade
NIGHT TELLA (Jermyn St. Theatre/ Waterloo East Theatre)
Written by Sarah Elzabeth Milton
DRAFT
Anight of new writing at Theatre N16, Balham
THE WIN BIN (Old Red Lion Theatre)
Written by Kate Kennedy
Shortlisted for Papa Tango Award and nominated for 3 Offies
ACT WITHOUT WORDS, CATASTROPHE, ROUGH FOR THEATRE II (Old Red Lion Theatre)
Three Short Plays by Samuel Beckett
Offie Nominated for Best Director
As Associate Director
A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (Vaudeville Theatre)
Written by Oscar Wilde
Directed by Dominic Dromgoole
DON GIOVANNI (Gaiety Theatre and Cork Opera House)
Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in a new version by Roddy Doyle
Directed by Gavin Quinn for Pan Pan Theatre Co. / Opera Ireland
KING CHARLES III (UK Tour and Sydney Theatre Company)
Written by Mike Bartlett
Directed by Rupert Goold
I KISS YOUR HEART (Soho Theatre)
Written by Dylan Thomas
Directed by Steve Marmion
As Assistant Director
NICE FISH (Harold Pinter Theatre)
Written by Louis Jenkins and Mark Rylance
Directed by Claire Van Kampen
LITTLE EYOLF (Almeida Theatre)
Written by Henrick Ibsen,
Adapted and directed by Sir Richard Eyre
MEDEA (Almeida Theatre)
Written by Rachel Cusk
Directed by Rupert Goold
DEATH OF A COMEDIAN (Soho Theatre/ Abbey Theatre Dublin/ Lyric Theatre/ Belfast)
Written by Owen McCafferty
Directed by Steve Marmion
THE ONE
Written by Vicky Jones
Directed by Steve Marmion
THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Written by Anthony Neilson
Directed by Steve Marmion