Elayce Ismail
Director
Film, TV & Theatre
Film, TV & Theatre
Elayce Ismail is a director and dramaturg, working in the UK and internationally across theatre, opera and film. She is the Artistic Associate at Music Theatre Wales and has previously been the Head of New Work at the Donmar Warehouse; the inaugural RTYDS Associate Director at Northern Stage; and a Resident Director at the National Theatre as the recipient of the JP Morgan Award for Emerging Directors.
Theatre direction includes: Love and Other Acts of Violence (Donmar Warehouse), Shedding a Skin (Soho Theatre) Nanjing (Shakespeare’s Globe); If Not Now, When? (National Theatre); Under Milk Wood, The War of the Worlds (Northern Stage); Girls (Soho Theatre/HighTide Festival/British Council Edinburgh Showcase); The Rise and Shine of Comrade Fiasco, Chorus, Spooky Action at a Distance (Gate); The Lost Ring (Deutsches Theater Berlin); Stay Another Song (Young Vic).
Opera includes: Our Dark Side and The Moon (creator/librettist; Royal Opera House); They Whisper Don’t Gaze at the Stars… (director; ENO); 4:48 Psychosis (revival director; Opéra national du Rhin/Royal Opera House); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (associate director; Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier); The Virtues of Things (assistant director; Royal Opera House).
Film includes: Nanjing (director; Theatertreffen Stückemarkt); AMAZON (creator/writer; MTW/London Sinfonietta); Simone (director; Young Vic).
In Development
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
MOTHER | Goldie | New Opera with Goldie |
Short Films
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
2018 | Young Vic | Written by Lynette Linton |
Theatre
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT 2023 | Hightide UK tour | Dir: Elayce Ismail |
CALVINO NIGHTS 2023 | Minack Theatre | Co-directed by Mike Shepherd and Elayce Ismail |
2021 - 2022 | Soho Theatre | By Amanda Wilkin |
LOVE AND OTHER ACTS OF VIOLENCE 2021 | Donmar Warehouse | By Cordelia Lynn |
2019 | LAMDA | Writer: Nina Raine |
2018 | Northern Stage | A Play for Voices written by Dylan Thomas; |
2018 | Shakespeare's Globe | Written and Performed by Jude Christian; |
2018 | Northern Stage | By H.G. Wells; |
2017 | Edinburgh Fringe Festival / UK Tour / High Tide | Written by Theresa Ikoko; Part of the British Council Edinburgh Showcase 2017 |
SPOOKY ACTION AT A DISTANCE 2017 | Royal Court / Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama / Gate Theatre | Written by Eve Leigh |
WHEN I AM A QUEEN 2017 | Almeida Theatre | |
GIRLS 2016 | HighTide / Talawa / Soho Theatre | Writer: Theresa Ikoko |
2016 | Young Vic / St Martin-in-the-Fields High School for Girls / London Nautical School for Boys | Musical Direction: Matthew Floyd Jones |
2016 | Gate Theatre | Writer: Chris Thorpe |
NANJING 2016 | Yard Theatre / NOW '16 Festival | Writer: Jude Christian |
THE TRIAL OF HAMLET 2016 | Wyndham’s Theatre (Shakespeare Schools Festival Gala) | |
2015 | National Theatre / Deutsches Theater Berlin / Mitos21 | Devised production Elayce created with actors George Siena and Janna Horstmann in response to Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's 1779 play, NATHAN THE WISE |
2015 | Gate Theatre | Writer: Andrew Whaley |
SIMPATICO | Young Vic | Part of the 5 Directors, 5 Plays, 5 Days project |
BED & BREAKFAST 2011 | Hot Ice Theatre / Brighton Festival Fringe / UK Tour | |
As Associate/Assistant Director | ||
2014 | Young Vic | As Associate Director |
2013 | Young Vic | Jerwood Assistant Directors Programme; |
COMING HOME 2010 | Arcola Theatre | As Assistant Director; Director - Cordelia Monsey; Author - Athol Fugard |
As Dramaturg | ||
2018 | Lyric Hammersmith / HOME | Directed by Jude Christian |
Opera
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
THE GLASS EYE 2023 | Oxford International Song Festival | As Librettist. |
AMAZON 2020 | Music Theatre Wales & London Sinfonietta | Commission from Music Theatre Wales & London Sinfonietta, for HOME Manchester’s HOMEMAKERS project |
2021 | Royal Opera House | Creator and Librettist |
2019 | Opera Montpellier | (As assistant director) |
2018 | Royal Opera House | (As assistant director) |
2015 | Royal Opera House / Opera North / Aldeburgh Music | (As Assistant Director) |