Rachael Nanyonjo

Rachael Nanyonjo is a choreographer, director, movement director and lecturer working in the U.K. and internationally. Rachael graduated from Roehampton University with a BA Honors in Dance Studies and gained a Masters in choreography from Middlesex University 2012. After graduating from Roehampton University, Rachael formed Kansaze Dance Theatre in 2011 to create innovative physical theatre that responds to socio-cultural and political themes through collaborating with different art forms. Rachael was the movement director on attachment at the Old Vic on Old Vic 12 2017 during this year her mentor was Kate Prince artistic director of Zoo Nation and associate artist at Old Vic.
2018 alone was a trailblazing year for Rachael being the second black choreographer since Alvin Ailey to choreograph Opera MASS by Leonard Bernstein at the Southbank Centre Royal Festival Hall. This revival of MASS was conducted by Bernstein’s protégé’s Marin Alsop and directed by Jude Kelly. She also movement directed this years westend hit and second play to be written by a black British writer on in the London’s Westend MISTY by Arinze Kene at Trafalgar studios; in addition to receiving a Black British Theatre Award nomination in 2019 for Best Choreographer on Sleeping Beauty at Stratford East. Other notable choreographic credits 2018 include Twilight written by Anna Deavere Smith (Gate Theatre) Sleeping Beauty (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Shebeen (Nottingham Playhouse & Theatre Royal Stratford East).

Directing 2018 includes Rachael debut at the Old Vic directing her first monologue as a part of the Old Vic bicentenary celebrations and working as an Associate director on the Pinter at Pinter season at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Rachael was also a commission artists by the British Council Germany 2019 and her role consisted of making a short film also with travelling the country promoting the importance of cross collaboration in theatre between the UK and Germany.

Rachael has worked with the Young Vic, National Theatre, Southbank Centre, Wayne McGregor | Random Dance, British Council Berlin, Big Dance, BBC (working titles films), Roehampton University, Sky Arts, Batalo East (Uganda) and has worked as a visiting lecturer teaching choreography at Middlesex University. Rachael is a 2015 British Council and Arts Council England international development fund recipient in addition to being a One Dance UK (ADAD) Trailblazer Fellow 2015-2016.

Credits

Choreography & Movement Direction credits include: In A Word (Young Vic),

Great Expectations (National Youth Theatre at Southwark Playhouse), Either (Hampstead)
Two Trains Running (ETT - Royal and Derngate) American Dream (Young Vic) Does My Bomb Look Big In This (Soho Theatre, Tara Arts), Babylon Beyond Boarders (The Bush Theatre), Macbeth (Orange Tree) The Jumper Factory (The Young Vic, Bristol Old Vic)
Misty (Trafalgar Studios) Olivier Award Nominated , Sleeping Beauty (Theatre Royal Stratford East) Black British Theatre Award Best Choreographer Nominated, After It Rains (National Youth Theatre), Shebeen (Nottingham Playhouse & Theatre Royal Stratford East) Bernstein’s Mass (Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre); Twilight (Gate Theatre); The Divide (Old Vic); Cover My Tracks (Old Vic).
Directing credits include: Bobsleigh (Old Vic Monologues); Amazina (Film); An Alternative Musical (National Theatre, for NT Learning as co-director); Assata – She Who Struggles (Young Vic, for Young Vic fresh direction); 2:1 (Kanzaze Dance Theatre at Rich Mix).
As an Associate Director: Moonlight / Night School (Pinter Theatre as associate to Lyndsey Turner & Ed Stambollouian); Pericles Public Acts first stage (National Theatre)
As Assistant Director: The Step Mother (Chichester Festival Theatre, dir. Richard Eyre); Caroline Or Change (Chichester, dir. Michael Longhurst); Underwater Love (Arcola/Clapham Omnibus, dir. Caroline Bryant); Kayla (Young Vic, dir. Justin Audibert)

Training

Movement & Choreography Theatre includes: Trouble In Mind (National Theatre); Purple Snowflakes & Titty Wanks (Royal Court & The Abbey Dublin); Love Reign (Young Vic ); Changing Destiny (Young Vic);Death of a Black Man (Hampstead Theatre): Cinderella (Nottingham Playhouse); Spine (UK Tour); Great Expectations (National Youth Theatre at Southwark Playhouse); Either (Hampstead); Two Trains Running (ETT – Royal & Derngate):Does My Bomb Look Big In This (Soho Theatre, Tara Arts); Babylon Beyond Borders (The Bush Theatre); Macbeth (Orange Tree); Misty (Trafalgar Studios) Olivier Award Nominated; In a Word (Young Vic), American Dream (Young Vic); The Jumper Factory (Young Vic, Bristol Old Vic); Sleeping Beauty (Theatre Royal Stratford East) Nominated For The Black British Theatre Best Choreographer Award; Shebeen (Nottingham Playhouse & Theatre Royal Stratford East); Bernstein’s Mass (Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre); Twilight (Gate Theatre); The Divide (Old Vic); Cover My Tracks (Old Vic).

Television includes: Cbeebies: Christmas In Storyland (BBC, 2020)
Film includes: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (Ace Entertainment, 2021); Pirates (Hillbilly Films/ BBC/BFI, 2020).

Directing credits include: recognition – Audio Play (45 North & Ellie Keel Productions); Freedom Project (Young Vic); Bobsleigh (Old Vic Monologues); Amazina (Film); An Alternative Musical (National Theatre, for NT Learning as co-director); Assata – She Who Struggles (Young Vic, for Young Vic fresh direction); 2:1 (Kansaze Dance Theatre at Rich Mix).
As an Associate Director: Moonlight / Night School (Pinter Theatre as associate to Lyndsey Turner & Ed Stambollouian); Pericles Public Acts first stage (National Theatre)
As Assistant Director: The Step Mother (Chichester Festival Theatre, dir. Richard Eyre); Caroline Or Change (Chichester, dir. Michael Longhurst); Kayla (Young Vic, dir. Justin Audibert)