I’m an award-winning theatre director.
Next year, I will be directing the world premiere of Louis Emmitt-Stern’s Tony Craze Award winning play Slippery at the Omnibus Theatre.
I was recently Associate Director to Charlie Parham on the hit new musical Starter For Ten, at the Bristol Old Vic and currently playing at Birmingham Rep. I am currently a dramaturg for the Women’s Prize for Playwrighting’s Future Light project, supporting long-listed candidates with the further development of their plays.
This Summer I directed award-winning producer Ellie Keel’s debut play, SKYE: A Thriller, which played to sold-out houses at Summerhall for the Edinburgh Fringe. Starring Dawn Steele, SKYE received many excellent reviews, including ‘director Matthew Iliffe keeps the tension taut’ ★★★★ WhatsOnStage, ‘Matthew Iliffe directs deftly’ ★★★★ The Stage and ‘well-judged direction by Matthew Iliffe... an emotionally raw examination’ ★★★★ BroadwayBaby.
Earlier this year I travelled to Seoul, South Korea, to direct Bacon by Sophie Swithinbank in its first foreign language production, having first directed the play’s world premiere at the Finborough Theatre in 2022. The production has subsequently been seen at at Summerhall for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Bristol Old Vic and SoHo Playhouse NYC.
‘Elegantly directed by Matthew Iliffe… shimmers with tension’
The Stage on Foam
Work
As director
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SKYE: A THRILLER BY ELLIE KEEL
Summerhall, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
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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
As associate or assistant director
Work
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STARTER FOR TEN
Directed by Charlie Parham
Adapted from the novel by David Nicholls, book and lyrics by Emma Hall and Charlie Parham, music and lyrics by Hattie Carman and Tom Rasmussen
Bristol Old Vic/Birmingham Rep -
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Assassins
Directed by Polly Findlay
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by John WeidmanChichester Festival Theatre
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ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS
Directed by John Doyle
Music and Lyrics by Steven Lutvak, book by Jay Dyer
Theatre Royal Bath
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Brass
Directed by Hannah Chissick
Book, music and lyrics by Benjamin Till
National Youth Music Theatre/Hackney Empire
‘His artistry in direction and musical staging is a virtuoso exhibit’
BritishTheatre.com on The Burnt Part Boys
Biography
Credits include: SKYE: A Thriller (Summerhall, Edinburgh Fringe); Foam (Finborough Theatre); Breeding (King’s Head Theatre); Bacon (Finborough Theatre, Riverside Studios, Summerhall Edinburgh, Bristol Old Vic, SoHo Playhouse NYC and Yes24 Seoul); Four Play (Above The Stag); The Niceties (Finborough Theatre); Maggie May (Finborough Theatre) and The Burnt Part Boys (Park Theatre).
As assistant or associate director include: Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Theatre Royal Bath, Dir. John Doyle), Assassins (Chichester Festival Theatre, Dir. Polly Findlay); Starter for Ten (Bristol Old Vic/Birmingham Rep, Dir. Charlie Parham); Brass (National Youth Music Theatre/Hackney Empire, Dir. Hannah Chissick).
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
Theatre & Performance Studies BA (Hons), First Class, University of Bristol
StoneCrabs Young Directors Programme
‘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.