Jerwood Assistant Director opportunity: The Homecoming

The Young Vic is committed to providing opportunities for directors and theatre makers to develop their craft and to expand their knowledge and practice. Learning from experienced directors by assisting is a vital chance to develop skills and understanding. Equally, having the chance to spend time in a theatre and to understand how the departments work together to produce work is also an important aspect of a director and theatre maker’s knowledge.

Each year the Assistant Director Program, supported by Jerwood Arts, will aim to provide up to five assistant directorships, which include a placement at the Young Vic in addition to an attachment to a production. 

The opportunity

At present, we are looking for an assistant director to work on a Young Vic production of The Homecoming by Harold Pinter, directed by Matthew Dunster.

Three-time Olivier Award-nominated director Matthew Dunster (2.22 A Ghost Story, Shirley Valentine, Hangmen) will return to the Young Vic where he was Associate Director, with a bold, spare refocusing of Harold Pinter’s powerful masterpiece, The Homecoming.

Max. Sam. Lennie. Joey. Teddy.

And Ruth.

In a small house in East London lives a family of butchers, boxers and brutes. When academic son Teddy returns home from America, with a wife his family have never met, a strange and carnal power struggle between man, wife and in-laws ensues.

Harold Pinter’s unnerving modern classic and Tony Award-winning play, The Homecoming, is thrillingly re-explored in a new production by Matthew Dunster.

The Homecoming is designed by Moi Tran.

The program

The program provides the assistant director with:

• An assistantship on The Homecoming by Harold Pinter, directed by Matthew Dunster
• A two-week placement observing day to day running of the theatre, attending planning and management meetings and spending time in departments such as marketing, production and development
• The opportunity to devise and lead two peer-led projects for the Genesis Network
• A chance to work with the Taking Part department on delivering a programme of work for schools and colleges inspired by the production
• A small pot of money to see shows

Fees

There is a fee of £4,500 to cover the period from Monday 16 October 2023 to Saturday 27 January 2024.

The fee covers seven weeks of rehearsals, including a two-week tech and preview period, and seven performance weeks, with a break from 24 December 2023 to 1 January 2024 inclusive.

There is a two-week placement payment of £500 per week. The timings of the placement is to be mutually agreed between the Young Vic and Assistant Director, but this should take place within four months of the production.

There is a £200 budget to cover the cost of seeing productions either in London or beyond, to be agreed with the Associate Artistic Director of the Young Vic.

How to apply

If you would like to apply, please download one of our recruitment packs at the bottom of this page. There is detailed information on key dates, eligibility criteria, and the link to the application form.

Applications will open at 10:00 AM on Monday 31 July, and close on 10:00 AM on Monday 21 August.

You don't have to be a member of the Genesis Network to apply for the opportunity, but we would encourage to join so you can continue to find out about events, workshops and opportunities. Please review the eligibility criteria here before you sign up.

If you have any questions or concerns related to the recruiment process, please email Khánh Hạ Nguyễn (first name pronounced kahn-ha) on opportunitiescreatorsprogram@youngvic.org.

The Jerwood Assistant Director Program is part of the Young Vic’s Jerwood Artist Development Pathway. This Pathway is generously supported by the Jerwood Developing Artists Fund.