Case studies: Theatre director: Kate McCarthy

Kate has a BA in English and Theatre Studies from the University of Leeds. After working in theatres in different capacities, she started directing projects.

My degree was in English literature and theatre studies, which gave me the opportunity to study a wide range of literature and disciplines, as well as learning about many aspects of theatre, including acting, directing and producing. Several fellow students have gone on to careers such as acting professionally or jobs within television and the arts. Immediately after university I worked at the National Theatre in the box office and then as a theatre manager for various venues but had never lost the desire to make theatre myself.

At the most recent venue I managed, I was given the opportunity to work as assistant director for a production and then worked with the youth theatre in the same capacity for several shows. I took some unpaid leave to produce and direct a show for the Edinburgh Festival and, following this, made the decision to leave my job and pursue a full-time career in directing. I considered undertaking formal training but felt that I could not afford this, although I believe it is an easier starting point. I have often found it hard to get work and most of my jobs have come from meeting people. I dislike formal networking but it is useful to be able to say confidently what you do and take an interest in people's ideas and projects.

I love working with texts, particularly with new writing, and I enjoy working with people to get the best out of them. It is always a job I feel I can’t do until I am in the rehearsal room and it is an exhilarating feeling to be there with actors seeing something come alive. It is useful to have a particular interest and a particular way of working as these help you sell yourself and define what is different about you when speaking to potential employers.

However, it is also useful to be pragmatic and understand that if you are not chosen for a job, it is just that you don’t match the particular project and are better off not working on it. It is also important to apply for as much as possible (I use the ArtsJobs  and Stage Jobs Pro  websites) but then really look at what you are being asked to do and turn down anything that you are really not happy with, for example the level of autonomy you may have, a poor script, etc. I have actually only rarely had the opportunity of casting a show myself as many projects come with people attached, which can work out well sometimes but at others be a liability. Quite often it is a question of going with your instinct; within seconds you can tell if these are people you want to work with, and within hours you can tell a good script and a good production team.

Ultimately, I would love to have my own venue. I have often found the most exciting things are to be seen on the fringe and I would love to own or run a pub theatre, with poetry and music nights as well as theatre. But I wouldn’t turn down being the artistic director of the National either.