I’m an award-winning theatre director.

In 2024, I directed the world premiere of Foam by Harry McDonald, at the Finborough Theatre and I was recently a finalist for the RTST Sir Peter Hall Award. I am currently working as an Associate to Director Polly Findlay on a large-scale circus spectacle in development for the Roald Dahl Story Company and Assistant Director to John Doyle on the upcoming musical Alfred Hitchcock Presents which premieres at Theatre Royal Bath.

My production of Sophie Swithinbank’s Bacon premiered at the Finborough Theatre in 2022 to critical acclaim, winning three Off-West End Awards, including Best Director. The production has since played at Riverside Studios, Summerhall for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Bristol Old Vic and ran Off-Broadway at SoHo Playhouse, NYC. This Spring I will travel to Seoul, South Korea, to direct Bacon in its first foreign language translation.

‘Elegantly directed by Matthew Iliffe… shimmers with tension’

The Stage on Foam

Work

As director

  • Bacon by Sophie Swithinbank

    Finborough Theatre, Riverside Studios, Edinburgh Fringe and SoHo Playhouse NYC

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  • Foam by Harry McDonald

    Finborough Theatre

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  • Snakes and Ladders by Louis Emmitt Stern

    Oxford School of Drama/Southwark Playhouse

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  • Breeding by Barry McStay

    King’s Head Theatre

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  • The Burnt Part Boys by Chris Miller, Nathan Tysen and Marina Elder

    Park Theatre

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  • Four Play by Jake Brunger

    Above The Stag

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  • Maggie May by Alun Owen and Lionel Bart

    Finborough Theatre

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  • The Niceties by Eleanor Burgess

    Finborough Theatre

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  • Nell Gwynn by Jessica Swale

    Arts Educational Schools

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As assistant director

Work

  • Musik by Jonathan Harvey and The Pet Shop Boys Dir. Josh Seymour

    As Associate
    Leicester Square Theatre

  • Brass by Benjamin Till Dir. Hannah Chissick

    National Youth Music Theatre/Hackney Empire

  • BLACK SUPERHERO BY DANNY LEE WYNTER DIR. DANIEL EVANS

    Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, The Royal Court

  • Assassins by STEPHEN SONDHEIM AND JOHN WEIDMAN DIR. POLLY FINDLAY

    Chichester Festival Theatre

‘His artistry in direction and musical staging is a virtuoso exhibit’

BritishTheatre.com on The Burnt Part Boys

Biography

Theatre as director includes: Snakes & Ladders (Oxford School of Drama/The Large, Southwark Playhouse); Nell Gwynn (Arts Educational Schools/Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Theatre); Foam (Finborough Theatre); Breeding (King’s Head Theatre); Bacon (Finborough Theatre, Riverside Studios, Summerhall Edinburgh, Bristol Old Vic and transfer to SoHo Playhouse NYC); Four Play (Above The Stag); The Niceties (Finborough Theatre); Maggie May (Finborough Theatre) and The Burnt Part Boys (Park Theatre).

As assistant director: Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Theatre Royal Bath, Dir. John Doyle), Assassins (Chichester Festival Theatre, Dir. Polly Findlay); BLACK SUPERHERO (Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, Royal Court, Dir. Daniel Evans), Brass (National Youth Music Theatre/Hackney Empire, Dir. Hannah Chissick).
As associate: Musik (Leicester Square Theatre, Dir. Josh Seymour).

Awards include: Best Director of a Play at the Off West End Awards; Best Production at the Standing Ovation Awards for Bacon at the Finborough; Best Production at the Standing Ovation Awards for Foam at the Finborough.

Training/Education:
National Theatre Directors Course 2023
Theatre & Performance Studies BA (Hons), First Class, University of Bristol 2015 - 2018
StoneCrabs Young Directors Programme 2014

‘The direction by Matthew Iliffe is astounding’

To Do List on Bacon

Contact me

For theatrical enquiries please contact Maddie O’Dwyer at Berlin Associates.

For everything else, please use the form below.