Theatre Directing,MFA

Birkbeck, University of London

United Kingdom, London

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Birkbeck, University of London

United Kingdom , London

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

Central London

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 2 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 20,850 / year

Next Intake September-2026

Theatre Directing,MFA

About

Course Overview

This MFA Theatre Directing offers you professionally recognised training. The result of a collaboration between Birkbeck and the Arts Council England, Equity and UK Theatre, it gives you a unique opportunity to work with theatre directors, actors, writers and designers, while also preparing you for the realities of working as a director in the industry. To pursue this MFA, you will have directed one or two university or professional-level productions and be focused on becoming a professional theatre director.

Why choose this course?

This MFA Theatre Directing benefits from unique partnerships with industry bodies and leading practitioners.
It offers you a three-month secondment to a drama school learning how actors are trained for today’s theatre.
It also offers you a six-to-nine-month secondment with a theatre company where you will have the opportunity to assist on at least three productions. Collaborators include the Royal Exchange Manchester, Leicester Curve, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Mercury Theatre Colchester, The Orange Tree Theatre Richmond, The Queen's Theatre Hornchurch, Theatre by the Lake Keswick and the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith.
You will engage in workshops run by expert professionals, including noted practitioners such as Mike Leigh, Mike Alfreds, David Eldridge, Natalie Abrahami and Lyndsey Turner. These concentrate on the director’s relationship with the designer and the writer, to equip you with a practical understanding of how theatre companies and pieces of work are funded and managed.

What you will learn

On this course you will examine the director’s relationship with key collaborators: the actor, the writer, the designer, the industry and the production.

You will be introduced to a wide range of methodologies and the approaches of leading practitioners to encourage you to develop your own toolkit and unique artistic vision for the work you wish to create. The emphasis throughout is on your creative and intellectual development as an independent artist.

How you will learn

This is a full-time two-year course with classes and sessions that mostly take place during the day, but with the expectation that you will regularly attend theatre productions.

As well as the secondments at a drama school and a producing theatre, you will attend practical workshops and seminars with leading directors, writers, designers, and casting, movement, intimacy and fight directors, who will share their work with you. You will also undertake two design projects with designers in training at Wimbledon College of Arts.

Discover the career opportunities available by taking Theatre Directing (MFA).

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Either a second-class honours degree (2:2) or above from a UK university (or a directly comparable qualification from a non-UK university), together with some significant experience of professional or professional-level theatre; or an undergraduate- or postgraduate-level diploma from a recognised UK drama school (or a directly comparable qualification from a non-UK drama school), together with some significant experience of professional or professional-level theatre (normally three years); or extensive professional experience.

Considerable importance will be attached to your ability to demonstrate commitment to professional theatre directing. If you are considered to be initially qualified, you will then be interviewed.

Applications are reviewed on their individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

There are two application deadlines: Friday 24 January for interviews in February and Friday 2 May for interviews in late May and early June. There is no advantage in either deadline but overseas students may wish to apply earlier in order to have more time to secure visas. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

English Program Requirements

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.

If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses and foundation programmes to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.

Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

Career

On graduating from this MFA Theatre Directing, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:

the skills, knowledge and ability to work as a professional-level theatre director
the ability to critically reflect on your practice and to evolve your practice as an independent creative artist
communication and presentation skills
an ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Possible career paths for graduates include professions such as:

theatre director
artistic director
associate director
opera director
theatre producer
literary manager
dramaturg.

Recent graduates have directed productions at prestigious West End and regional theatres including:

The National Theatre
The RSC
The Globe
The Royal Court
English National Opera
The Almeida
The Young Vic
The Old Vic
The Lyric Hammersmith
The Gate
Sheffield Theatres
The Royal Exchange Manchester
Leeds Playhouse
Nottingham Playhouse.

Many of our graduates have won awards such as: the 2014 Olivier Award for Best Director; the James Menzies-Kitchin Award (the JMK) in 2021, 2015 and 2012; the Regional Theatre Young Directors Scheme (RTYDS) Award; the Stage Debut Award in 2019; and the Stage Award for Best Fringe Theatre.

Our graduates include: Lyndsey Turner, Associate Director, National Theatre; Justin Audibert, Artistic Director, Chichester Festival Theatre; Liz Stevenson, Artistic Director, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick; Alex Thorpe, Co-creative Director of the Queen's Theatre Hornchurch; Sam Brown, award-winning opera director and Artistic Director of Nederlandse Riesopera.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.