We are always looking for new ways to work with early career artists from different corners of the globe who can bring their own experiences and thoughts to a rehearsal or workshop room. One of the key ways we do this, is through our Assistant Director Placement Programme which brings early-career directors into our rehearsal and production processes. Our rehearsal rooms are collaborative spaces and Assistant Directors form an important part of the team. Placements allow early career Directors a practical and intensive insight into our work and offer us fresh perspectives on how we make theatre. 

We work closely with our Assistant Directors throughout the placement and beyond. 

The responsibilities of a Told by an Idiot Assistant Director includes:

• Supporting the director during rehearsals, collaborating with creatives and members of the company
• Providing ongoing support for the production on tour including visits to remount and/or note the show at each UK tour venue
• Assisting and offering a creative input for the post show Q&As
• Representing Told by an Idiot at relevant events on tour and developing relations with co-producers, touring venues and industry professionals
• Taking photographs and offering an insight into the process for press articles and marketing purposes, including entries for the rehearsal diary. 

We are only able to offer paid placements for Assistant Directors thanks to the generous support of Trusts & Foundations. We have a track record of success in securing such funding for our productions of  The Ghost Train  (2015),  I Am Thomas  (2016), Napoleon Disrobed  (2018) and The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel  (2019-20). 

Previous Assistant Directors Charlie Toko (Napoleon Disrobed) and Andrea Cabrera Luna (The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel) have written about their experiences. You can read about their time with Told by an Idiot by clicking on the links below. 

Andrea Cabrera Luna - Assistant Director on The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel

Charlie Toko - Assistant Director on Napoleon Disrobed

 

Told by an Idiot Assistant Director Bursary recipients. Andrea Cabrera Luna (2019) Charlie Toko (2018)

 

Previous Assistant Director feedback:

“This was my first tour as a director, it went really well and was a great opportunity to see venues outside of London that I don’t always get to see. I enjoyed the challenges that came with the process, especially in Birmingham going with the cast as the only director. It was a great experience to lead and challenge the actors to still tell the same story we worked on in rehearsals whatever the venue.”  

“The placement with Told by an Idiot was both joyous and fruitful. It was an emboldening delight and pleasure to be in the room with a great company, making great work in a great way…There was a real courage to Paul's convictions that I have been inspired by: the confidence and bravado to trust his instincts and impulse and the broader vision and intelligence to be able to back it up with brutal editing when necessary. A rare and necessary balance in devising work that I feel lucky to have gleaned wisdom from.”  

 

Whenever Assistant Director opportunities are available, they will appear on our Opportunities Page. If you would like to find out more, or if you would like to donate to this programme, please get in touch.