Thomas Vallely

I'm a Mancunian theatre and film director who did a year's training with Katie Mitchell finishing this summer. My academic background is in History. My theatrical background is Shakespeare and musical parodies at university. I'm interested in how history and drama intersect, and the presentation of history and historical figures in dramas and documentaries. I love breathing life back into reimagined classics (especially Shakespeare and his contemporaries) as well as modern additions to the canon like the RSC's Wars of the Roses quartet, and Rona Munro's James Plays.

I love wacky comedies like Bagbeard, One Man Two Guvnors, and the Goes Wrong shows. I love inspired tech creativity like Curious Incident. I love tragicomedy like Changing the Sheets, Deuteronomy, and Hills of California that balances humour with poignancy. I love contemporary fairytales, whether mythologically large like Jerusalem and The Ferryman, or claustrophobically small like Pomona.

I’m interested in exploring how theatre and film can intersect with roleplaying and board games to create a new storytelling experience. My favourite roleplaying universes are Dungeons & Dragons, Fallout, and Warhammer 40,000.

I'm also beginning to work on my own script ideas for stage and screen.

Recently I have started making short films. Here is a link to my first short film screened in January 2023:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jzwSzJO_c6cFj86kWZcEJMvmqQFvrfl6/view?usp=sharing

Credits

BACKSTAGE ROLES:

DIRECTOR, Open Stage (new writing workshop), Pleasance Theatre, 1 day, 2024
DIRECTOR, Art From The Heart (showcase), Southwark Playhouse, 1 night
DIRECTOR, Write to Right (staged reading), Park Theatre, 1 night
DIRECTOR, Oil Paint (short film), Oxford Film Festival, 1 night, 2022-2023
DIRECTOR, The Misanthrope (workshop session), Somerville College, 1 night, 2023
DIRECTOR, Men Who Sleep in Cars, MGS Fringe Festival, 1 night, 2018
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, Henry VI Part 2, Jesus College Hall, 2 nights, 2023
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, Addams Family: The Musical, Bernard Sunley Auditorium, 4 nights, 2023
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, Henry VI Part 1, Jesus College Hall, 2 nights, 2022
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, A Midsummer Night's Fever Dream, Lady Margaret Hall Gardens, 3 nights, 2022
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, A Christmas Carole, Al-Jaber Auditorium, 3 nights, 2021
MUSICAL DIRECTOR, A Christmas Carole, Al-Jaber Auditorium, 3 nights, 2021
MUSICAL DIRECTOR, Cinderella: The Musical, online zoom play [1.9k views], 2020
CASTING DIRECTOR, Fetid, Michael Pilch Studio, 5 nights, 2022
CASTING DIRECTOR, Henry VI Part 1, Jesus College Hall, 2 nights, 2022
FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER, A Christmas Carole, Al-Jaber Auditorium, 3 nights, 2021
CHOREOGRAPHER, A Midsummer Night's Fever Dream, Lady Margaret Hall Gardens, 3 nights, 2022
SCRIPT EDITOR, Dead Man's Suitcase, Burton-Taylor Studio, 5 nights, 2022
SCRIPT EDITOR, A Christmas Carole, Al-Jaber Auditorium, 3 nights, 2021
SET DESIGNER, The Real Thing, Michael Pilch Studio, 5 nights, 2022
LIGHTING TECHNICIAN & OPERATOR, Narcissus, Burton-Taylor Studio, 5 nights, 2022
CAMERA OPERATOR, Velvet Classical Music Concert (for Czech and Slovak Society), Magdalen College Auditorium, 1 night, 2022
CAMERA OPERATOR, Sandbox AQ livestream event, Al-Jaber Auditorium, 1 night, 2022
CAMERA OPERATOR, Henry VI Part 1, Jesus College Hall, 2 nights, 2022
CAMERA OPERATOR, Maurice, Michael Pilch Studio, 5 nights, 2022
CAMERA OPERATOR, A Midsummer Night's Fever Dream, Lady Margaret Hall Gardens, 3 nights, 2022
CAMERA OPERATOR, Rumpelstiltskin: The Musical, Keble College Pusey Room, 3 nights, 2022
MARKETING MANAGER, Cinderella: The Musical, online zoom play [1.9k views], 2020


ACTING ROLES:

JAMIE MACLOY, Carte Blanche, Bedlam Theatre @ Edinburgh Fringe, 5 nights, 2023
JAMIE MACLOY, Burton-Taylor Studio, 5 nights, 2023
BOTTOM, Midsummer Night's Dream, Magdalen College Garden, 4 nights, 2023
HECTOR, The History Boys, Keble O'Reilly Theatre, 4 nights, 2023
SUFFOLK, Henry VI Part 1, Jesus College Hall, 2 nights, 2022
GEROME, Midsummer Night's Fever Dream, Lady Margaret Hall Gardens, 3 nights, 2022
NIGEL/DENNIS, Rumpelstiltskin, Keble College Pusey Room, 3 nights, 2022
GHOST OF CHRISTMAS FUTURE, A Christmas Carole, Al-Jaber Auditorium, 3 nights, 2021
WILLIAM, Meeting Rooms and Managers, online zoom play [299 views], 2021
BIG KYLE/MR GAINS, Waiting for George-O, online zoom play [655 views], 2021
BARON "BILL" BOGOFF, Cinderella: The Musical, online zoom play [1.9k views], 2020
DVORSHAK, The Radio Show at the End of the World, online zoom play [1.6k views], 2020
TINY HYE/SEAN BEAN, Channel Hoppers, Simpkins Lee Theatre, 3 nights, 2020
KIM, The Haunting House of Haunting Horrors, Al-Jaber Auditorium, 3 nights, 2019
ROBERT SIDEWAY, Our Country's Good, MGS Theatre, 3 nights, 2015
AGATHA/GANSTER/CHORUS GIRL, Guys and Dolls, MGS Theatre, 3 nights, 2014
FALSTAFF, Merry Wives of Windsor, MGS Drama Studio, 1 night, 2013
PETER QUINCE, Midsummer Night's Dream, MGS Theatre, 3 nights, 2013

Training

Directing:

-Saturday Film School with Eliot Grove & Patrick Tucker @ Raindance (2024)

-MA Theatre Directing with Katie Mitchell @ Royal Holloway (2023-2024)

-Simon Hunter's Film Directing Masterclass @ Raindance (2024)

-Simon Hook's Directing Drama for Film & TV @ FilmOxford (2023)

-Script Reading work experience @ Traverse Theatre, Scotland (2016)

-RSC Lifelong Learners Summer School @ Stratford (2015, 2016, 2017)


Acting:

-RSC 18-25 Summer School @ Stratford(2023)

-David Johnson camera acting training (2017)

-NYT Acting for Camera workshop (2016)

-Actors Lab acting and vocal training (2011-2016)