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John King

Director Writer Theatre-maker

I'm a director and theatre-maker, working between Dublin, London and Washington, D.C.

I am currently a Resident Director at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland's National Theatre.

I have been an Associate Artist at Solas Nua in Washington, D.C. since 2020.

I am director of Murmuration, a collective of sound and theatre artists based in Dublin. We've made four headphone shows to date for public and semi-public spaces. We're a resident company at Project Arts Centre, 2024 - 2027. For more on our work, see our website, below.

www.johnking.ie
www.murmuration.ie

Credits

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, La Traviata, Irish National Opera (National Opera House, Wexford; Gaiety Theatre Dublin; Cork Opera House), 3 weeks, 2024
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, Audrey or Sorrow, Abbey Theatre, 5 weeks, 2024
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, The Quare Fellow, Abbey Theatre, 8 weeks, 2023-2024
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, Faust, Irish National Opera (Gaiety Theatre, Dublin Theatre Festival), 1 week, 2023
DIRECTOR/WRITER, One Moment Now, Murmuration, US Tour, presented by Solas Nua and funded by Culture Ireland. Baker's Daughter (Washington, D.C.), 6 weeks; Woolly Mammoth Theatre (Washington, D.C.), 2 weeks; Tiny Dynamite (Philadelphia), 4 weeks, 2023
DIRECTOR/WRITER, One Moment Now, Murmuration, commissioned by Bewley's Dublin, 6 performances, 2022
DIRECTOR, Emergency, Bewley's, 6 performances, 2022
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, Maria Stuarda, Irish National Opera (Gaiety Theatre Dublin, Cork Opera House, National Opera House, Limerick University Concert Hall), 8 performances
DIRECTOR/WRITER, You're Still Here, Murmuration, co-presented by Dublin Fringe Festival and the Abbey Theatre, 10 performances, 2021
WRITER, side-walks, Solas Nua, streaming on-demand, 2021
DIRECTOR, The Cyclone Kid, Bewley's Café Theatre/Merrion Square, 18 performances, 2021
DIRECTOR, so close I noticed my breath on the glass (work-in-progress), Murmuration/Corcadorca's SHOW 2020
DIRECTOR, Will I See You There, Murmuration/Gallery of Photography for Dublin Fringe Festival, 12 performances, 2020
PLAYWRIGHT, Being Here (workshop), Solas Nua, 2020
DIRECTOR, with bare feet touching the sky i yearn (postponed), Camden People's Theatre, 2020
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, It All, Vault Festival, 2020
DIRECTOR, Summertime, Abbey Theatre (Young Curators' Festival), 8 performances, 2019
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, It All, Soho Theatre, 2019
DIRECTOR, Summertime, Drogheda Arts Festival, 4 performances, 2019
PLAYWRIGHT, Somewhere in the future dark (short play), Solas Nua and Rorschach commission, Source Arts Centre, 2 performances 2019
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, The Children, Studio Theatre, 5 weeks, 2019
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, Queen of Basel, Studio Theatre, 4 weeks, 2019
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, Kings, Studio Theatre, 5 weeks, 2018-19
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, If I Forget, Studio Theatre, 5 weeks, 2018
DIRECTOR, Summertime, Dublin Fringe Festival, 12 performances, 2018
PLAYWRIGHT, ERIS, Bunker Theatre, 3 weeks, 2018
DIRECTOR, The Overcoat, Omnibus Theatre, 3 weeks, 2018
DRAMATURG, Here Comes the Sun, Fierce Festival and various, 2017
PLAYWRIGHT/CO-DIRECTOR, Eris at the Wedding, RADA Festival, 2017
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, The Beggar's Opera, Brockley Jack Studio, 4 weeks, 2016
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, Polly (rehearsed reading), Brockley Jack Studio, 2016
DRAMATURG, Expectations, Theatre N16, 2 weeks, 2016
DIRECTOR/PLAYWRIGHT, Fodder (work in progress), RADA, 2016
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, The Bacchae, Blue Elephant Theatre, Brockley Jack Studio, 3 weeks, 2016
DIRECTOR, Pippin, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2 weeks, 2015

Training

Resident Director, Abbey Theatre, 2024
Associate Artist, THISISPOPBABY, 2024
Judges' Panel, Dublin Fringe Festival, 2023
Next Stage, Dublin Theatre Festival, 2022
Axis Assemble Programme and Bursary, 2022
Bewleys Café Artist-in-Residence Pilot Scheme, 2022
SPACE Programme and Residency, The Performance Corporation, Annaghmakerrig, 2022
Dublin Fringe Resident Artist, 2020-21
Future Forms, Donmar Warehouse, 2021
Pan Pan Platform, Dublin Fringe, 2020
Rapid Residency, Science Gallery Dublin, Summer 2020
MAKE Artist Development Initiative and Residency, Annaghmakerrig, 2019
Artistic Apprenticeship, Studio Theatre, Washington D.C., 2018-19
Royal Court Introductory Writers' Group, 2018
Queering Brecht Workshop, Milk Presents/Young Vic, 2017
MA Text and Performance, RADA and Birkbeck, 2015-16
BA English, Pembroke College, University of Cambridge, 2012-15

Location

London

Experience

5-10 years

What I do

  • Devising
  • Dramaturgy
  • Music - Can learn by ear
  • Music - Plays Instruments
  • Music - Singing
  • Outdoor performance
  • Performance Art
  • Physical Theatre / Mime
  • Producing
  • Site Responsive/Immersive
  • Theatre making
  • Working with young people
  • Workshopping & Development
  • Writing

Additional Languages

Irish

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