“You will find a way and you will find your people”; alumna Alice Wordsworth on her fascinating journey in theatre directing

The School caught up with former pupil Alice Wordsworth, the Resident Assistant Director on ‘A Little Life,’ directed by Ivo van Hove and starring James Norton and Luke Thompson. This opened at the Harold Pinter Theatre in March 2023 and then transferred to the Savoy Theatre for July 2023. During her interview, Alice covered her career since leaving Westonbirt in 2014.

What does the role of Resident Assistant Director involve?
You are the right-hand person to the director and help them create their vision. You research the story, the script, the context in which it was written and you are the queen of the schedule! You keep fastidious notes during rehearsals in regard to blocking and objectives and are in charge of any script updates. Pre-rehearsal you are part of the casting process, especially the understudy cast, as you then lead on rehearsing them. Once the production opens, you then maintain the director’s vision, keep morale high and the team playful over the whole run.

With ‘A Little Life’ I was also in charge of filming for the streamed version (out in cinemas from September 28th). I worked on set with the film director and helped with the editing; it was complex as there were eight or nine cameras in use across the stage.

What elements do you most enjoy?
I really enjoy being the cast’s confidante and cheerleader; dealing with their nerves, and joys and helping them to create the best art they can. Working with the writer (Hanya Yanagihara) was incredible; her attention to detail is fierce and it was an honor to be the safeguarder of her script.

Over the course of the six-month run and watching the show twice, I have seen it at its best and worst. It’s been a roller-coaster, but watching the show develop and performances grow over this time is fascinating. I think this is why I love the experience of previews (the first few performances in front of an audiences), where the story meets its next dimension, and it takes on a new life in the imaginations of new people.

How did your time at Westonbirt prepare you for your career?
I had the most inspiring drama teacher, Miss Hemming and we still stay in touch. She guided, nurtured and supported me. She had studied drama at the University of Exeter so I decided to do that too. I auditioned for some drama schools but didn’t get in, so I studied drama and fell in love with the idea of directing during my three years at Exeter.

How did you get to where you are today?
Originally, I wanted to be an actor and that was where I put my energies. I took all my LAMDA and singing exams and was in every production possible. I did Stagecoach for years, I was in the National Youth Theatre and was also part of the Youth Music Theatre. I tried to make myself the most well-rounded actor I could be. My family is not from a theatre background so I didn’t have any contacts; the only thing I knew about was performing. It was only when I went to university that my eyes were opened to the magnitude of creative roles that exist in the industry.

At Exeter, I joined the University’s Theatre Company and they took me to the Edinburgh Fringe. I went on to be the societies President, programming shows and working with local theatres. When I left university, I was offered an assistant job at Exeter’s Northcott Theatre and following this received the JMK Assistant Director Bursary to work on a show at the Salisbury Playhouse. But I wanted to learn more about the craft of Directing. I found it strange that actors were expected to train, and directors weren’t. So, I undertook a two-year MFA in Direction at Birkbeck, University of London. This involved a placement year at the Unicorn Theatre, where I met loads of wonderful creatives and felt like I had a theatre home in London.

When I graduated in the middle of Covid, I felt like it was a ridiculous time to get a theatre degree. However, I have always loved making stories in the spaces where there were none; from fields to farms, I’d made shows in them all! Post-pandemic felt like the right moment to capitalize on my passion for site-specific work and I set up a theatre company in Amsterdam (where the city does the set design for you!) and made shows out there.

When Ivo van Hove was recruiting for his assistant director, I, along with 200 other people, applied for the role. Ivo was the Director of Internationaal Theater Amsterdam and it has been a real dream come true to work with the infamous Ivo and learn his ways.

What is your fondest memory of Westonbirt?
I still live with Georgie Fenn, my best and oldest friend with whom I was at prep school and then Westonbirt, where we shared a dorm. I remember eating copious amounts of toast with marmite every tea time!

I also have a very fond memory of Joanna Lumley coming to Westonbirt’s Speech Day and presenting me with the most promising actress award. It was a wonderful moment when she came to the show a few weeks ago and I saw her in the dressing rooms afterwards and reminded her of this!

What are your future career plans?
In the Autumn I move on to work on a production of Macbeth, with Ralph Fiennes. My ultimate dream is to run an Artistic Director, to have a theatre where I curate the shows and the vibe, to make a space that is accessible and inspirational for all.

What advice would you give to any student hoping to go in theatre directing?
My advice is to keep going; working in theatre is hard graft, and not easy. You will probably need to have at least three other jobs to sustain you. However, I truly believe that if you want to do it, you will find a way and you will find your people.

Throw yourself into every opportunity that school offers. Experiment and make stories wherever you can; you don’t need a theatre to do it. Take creative risks in earlier stages of your career as it will be easier to make mistakes then! Seek out external opportunities like the National Youth Theatre and find a director whose work you love, follow their shows, and ask to have a cup of tea with them.
I am always here for one of those and can be contacted via my website: www.alicewordsworth.com