Selina Cartmell

Director

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Film, TV & Theatre

Assistant: Phoebe O'Donnell

Film, TV & Theatre

Easily the most visionary director working in Ireland today
Irish Times

Selina Cartmell was Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre, Dublin from 2016 to 2022. 

She took a First in Drama and History of Art from Trinity College, Dublin and Glasgow University and graduated with an MA (Distinction) from Central School of Speech and Drama in Advanced Theatre Directing.  In 2007 Selina was protégé to Julie Taymor as part of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative and n Selina was Artist-In-Residence at the Samuel Beckett Theatre between 2010 and 2011. 

She has won Best Director at the Irish Times Theatre Awards three times, for Punk Rock, Titus Andronicus and Medea.

 

 

Theatre

ProductionCompanyNotes
2021

Gate Theatre

By Phillip McMahon

2019

Gate Theatre

By Jack Thorne

2018

Gate Theatre

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim & Book by John Weidman

2017

Gate Theatre

By Hans Christian Andersen in a new version by Nancy Harris

2016

Lyric Theatre Belfast

By Anton Chekhov, in a new version by Lucy Caldwell

2016

The Lir

By Frank Wedekind, in a new version by Anya Reiss

2015

Siren Productions Dublin/Tiger Dublin Fringe

By George Brant
Irish premiere
Starring Claire Dunne
***** Irish Examiner
**** Irish Times/ Independent
'Grounded soars to stunning heights'

2015

Abbey Theatre Dublin

By Marina Carr
First revival production
Starring Susan Lynch
**** Irish Examiner/Sunday Post
'a mesmering triumph'

2015

Opera Theatre Company

By Verdi, in a new version by Marina Carr
**** Daily Mail/Examiner

2014

Lyric Theatre Belfast

By Simon Stephens
Irish premiere
Best Director, 2014 Irish Times Theatre Awards and nominated for 6 Awards, including Best Production and Best Actor
**** Guardian/Times/Telegraph
'it is impossible to tear your eyes away from Selina Cartmell's cracking production'

2014

LAMDA

By Simon Stephen
Third year graduation showcase production

2014

Siren Productions Dublin/Project Arts Centre

By Ben Power.
Irish premiere
Starring Owen Roe and Olwen Fouéré
***** Sunday Times/Metro
'a production that has the hallmarks of a legendary staging you'll want to have seen'

2013

The Lir

By Rona Munro

2013

Watford Palace Theatre, London

By Stacey Gregg
**** whatsonstage.com

SOME EXPLICIT POLAROIDS

2013

LAMDA

By Mark Ravenhill
Third year graduation showcase production

2013

Abbey Theatre Dublin

The play's first production at the Abbey in over 80 years
Nominated for 3 Irish Times Theatre Awards, including Best Actor and winner of Best Supporting Actor
Starring Owen Roe, Hugh O'Connor, Caolifhionn Dunne and Lorcan Cranitch
***** Daily Mail
**** Sunday Business Post/Metro/Sunday Times

2012

Unicorn Theatre London

New adaptation by Jemma Kennedy
***** Daily Mail
**** Telegraph/The Times
'The success of Selina Cartmell's light and supple production lies in its creation of a complete theatrical world'

THE BROKEN HEART

2012

Theatre For A New Audience New York

Off-Broadway premiere and New York debut.
Nominated for Lucille Lortel Award.
**** New York Post
'Selina Cartmell deserves accolades not just for reviving ... The Broken Heart but also for giving it the kind of revelatory production that proves its an overlooked classic. Cartmell is obviously a classical director to watch.'

THE MAKING OF 'TIS PITY SHE'S A WHORE

2011

Siren Productions Dublin/Project Arts Centre

Starring Louis Lovett, Kate Stanley Brennan and Cathy Belton
**** Guardian/Metro/Tribune/Daily Mail
'The best Jacobean Drama I have ever seen' The View

THE LULU HOUSE

2011

Siren Productions Dublin

International Dublin Theatre Festival.
Nominated for an Irish Times Theatre Award.
Starring Camille O'Sullivan and Lorcan Cranitch.

DEIRDRE

2011

Abbey Theatre Dublin

Musical Theatre workshop.
Starring Rosaleen Linehan, Domnhall Gleeson, Louis Lovett and Cora Venus Lunny.

MOLLY SWEENEY

2010

Curve Theatre Leicester

UK Friel Festival
**** Telegraph/Guardian

MEDEA

2010

Siren Productions Dublin/Absolut Dublin Fringe Festival

New translation by Robin Robertson. World premiere.
Best Director 2010 Irish Times Theatre Awards and nominated for 5 further awards.
Starring Eileen Walsh, Olwen Fouéré and Eleanor Methven
***** Irish Theatre Magazine
**** Irish Times
'one of the most distinguished pieces we've seen in Dublin for some considerable time'

ONLY AN APPLE

2009

Abbey Theatre Dublin

By Tom McIntyre
World Premiere
Starring Michael McElhatton, Marty Rea, Don Wycherley, Fiona Bell and Cathy Belton

THE GIANT BLUE HAND

2009

Ark Theatre Dublin

By Marina Carr.
World premiere.
Nominated for Best Production, Irish Times Theatre Awards.
Starring Don Wycherley and Catherine Walker
***** Sunday Business Post
**** Irish Times

THE CORDELIA DREAM

2009

Royal Shakespeare Company at Wilton's Music Hall

By Marina Carr.
World premiere.
Starring Michelle Gomez and David Hargreaves.

BIG LOVE

2009

Abbey Theatre Dublin

By Chuck Mee.
Irish premiere.
Starring Marion O'Dwyer, Judith Roddy, Kelly Gough, Ciara O'Callaghan, Barbara Brenan and Rory Nolan.

MACBETH

2009

Siren Productions Dublin

Site-specific
Starring Domnhall Gleeson, Rory Keenan and Olwen Fouéré.
**** Irish Times

WOMAN AND SCARECROW

2008

Abbey Theatre Dublin

By Marina Carr.
Irish Premiere at Dublin Theatre Festival.
Starring Olwen Fouéré, Barbara Brennan, Bríd Ní Neachtain and Simon O'Gorman
**** The Guardian

SWEENEY TODD

2007

Gate Theatre Dublin

Best Opera Production, Irish Times Theatre Awards 2007.
Starring David Shannon, Anita Reeves, Camille O'Sullivan and Mark O'Regan.
**** Sunday Times/Irish Times
'The earth moved. My spine tingled for Ireland .... Flawless'

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JUDAS

2007

National Theatre Studio London

By Frank McGuinness
Starring Olwen Fouéré

FESTEN

2007

Gate Theatre Dublin

Irish premiere. Nominated for Best Director, Best Actor and Best Production at the Irish Times Theatre Awards.
Starring Owen Roe, Rory Keenan, Cathy Belton, Simone Kirby and Rona Leahy.
**** Irish Times/Independent
'overwhelming excellence'

MY ROMANTIC HISTORY

2006

Royal Court Theatre London

By D.C. Jackson. Rehearsed Reading.

CATASTROPHE

2006

Gate Theatre Dublin/Barbican Theatre London

Nominated for Best Director, Irish Times Theatre Awards 2006 and winner of Best Actor
Starring Owen Roe and Olwen Fouéré.
**** Telegraph

TITUS ANDRONICUS

2005

Siren Productions Dublin

Best Director, 2006 Irish Times Theatre Awards and winner of 3 further awards.
Starring Ruth Negga, Aidan Turner, Sarah Greene, Owen Roe and Olwen Fouéré.
**** Sunday Times/Irish Times

HERE LIES

2005

Operating Theatre Dublin & Paris

Devised. Filmed by cinematographer Christopher Doyle.
Starring Olwen Fouéré.

SHUTTER

2004

Siren Productions Dublin

Devised and choreographed
Starring Ella Clarke.
**** Irish Times
'subtlety of touch [that] makes Shutter rattle round in the mind long after viewing'

PASSADES

2004

Operating Theatre Dublin

Devised/Site Specific
Starring Olwen Fouéré.
***** Irish Theatre Magazine
'it is a rarity for a theatrical performance to shake one to one's core .... it pushes the boundaries of theatre, making one wonder why it was not done before, but having to acknowledge that it takes rare talent indeed to envisage and carry through such seemingly simple theatrical daring'.

LA MUSICA

2003

Siren Productions Dublin

By Marguerite Duras.
Best Production and Actress at Dublin Fringe Festival.
Starring Olwen Fouéré and Ronan Leahy.

FANDO & LIS

2003

Siren Productions Dublin

By Fernando Arrabal
Starring Fiona O'Shaughnessy and Tadhg Murphy.

Short Films

ProductionCompanyNotes

THE DATE

2017

Filmbase/RTÉ

Winner of Best First Short Film (Drama) at Galway Film Fleadh