JMK Trust Reveals Shortlist For 2024 JMK Award

The JMK Trust today announces the eight shortlisted theatre directors, and the designers they partnered with, in the running for the 2024 JMK Award – Dipo Baruwa-Etti, Adam Karim, Zoe Murtagh, Josh Parr, Joanna Pidcock, Zoë Templeman-Young, Amelia Thornber and Sam Woof.

The recipient will be announced on Friday 19th April at an industry event and the production will take place this Autumn in partnership with the Orange Tree Theatre (OT).

This year, the JMK Trust received over a hundred and fifty applications for this unique and rare opportunity for an emerging director to stage their first full-scale professional production at an acclaimed London theatre. Winner of the Peter Brook Empty Space Award, the OT produced the JMK Award-winning production for the first time in 2019 with Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu directing a critically acclaimed production of Little Baby Jesus by Arinzé Kene. Last year saw Kalungi Ssebandeke directing Mustapha Matura's Meetings to equal acclaim. He, alongside JMK Award directors Diane Page and Indiana Lown-Collins, was recently announced as an Associate Artist at the Orange Tree Theatre.

The shortlisted directors/designers and their chosen productions are:

• Dipo Baruwa-Etti (he/him) with his production of Guards at the Taj by Rajiv Joseph. Designer: Alys Whitehead

• Adam Karim (he/him) with his production of Guards at the Taj by Rajiv Joseph. Designer: Roisin Jenner

• Zoe Murtagh (she/they) with their production of Colder than Here by Laura Wade. Designer: Lu Herbert

• Josh Parr (he/him) with his production of Crave by Sarah Kane. Designer: Tallulah Caskey

• Joanna Pidcock (she/her) with her production of Crave by Sarah Kane. Designer: Hazel Low

• Zoë Templeman-Young (she/her) with her production of Colder than Here by Laura Wade. Designer: Miriam Houghton

• Amelia Thornber (she/her) with her production of The Gift by Roy Williams. Designer: Jida Akil

• Sam Woof (they/them) with their production of Colder than Here by Laura Wade. Designer: Natalie Johnson

Stephen Fewell, Chair of the JMK Trust, said today, "Thanks to ongoing, loyal support from our funders, we're delighted to be announcing a shortlist of eight exciting directors from around the country, and the dedicated designers they've collaborated with. Opportunities are few for early career artists, so the calibre of this year's shortlist was notable- there's a daunting challenge in choosing only one team because they are all so deserving of career success. We hope that, by sharing the JMK Award shortlist, they'll attract interest and work opportunities over the coming months. Of course, the winner also receives the invaluable support of our host venue The Orange Tree Theatre, who have already supported previous winners towards great success."

Tom Littler, Artistic Director of the Orange Tree Theatre, said, ““This is the Orange Tree's fifth year hosting the JMK Award, following four outstanding productions: Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu directing Little Baby Jesus by Arinzé Kene; Diane Page directing Statements after an Arrest under the Immorality Act by Athol Fugard; Indiana Lown-Collins directing The Solid Life of Sugar Water by Jack Thorne and Kalungi Ssebandeke directing last year's Meetings by Mustapha Matura. This builds on the OT's rich 50-year history of working with emerging directors through a succession of innovative programmes. We're looking forward to discovering the winner of this year's JMK Award and supporting them to create an equally wonderful production.”

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