GEORGIA MURPHY
DIRECTOR | WRITER | THEATRE MAKER
About
I am a London-based Chinese-Irish director, writer, and theatre maker.
My work is fun, silly, comical, imaginative, sometimes tragic, often personal and always playful.
I trained at The Young Vic Directors Scheme and Ecole Philippe Gaulier and have worked with Spymonkey, Complicite and Cal McCrystal (The Mighty Boosh). My work has toured the UK and internationally and has been featured on Channel 4 News. I have been Associate Director at The Octagon and Almeida theatres and I am now co-Artistic Director of Not That Asian CIC - an ESEA-led clown company that blends comedy, music and animation to explore stories about ESEA and mixed heritage identity.
Whether I am directing a mainstage classic or devising a clown show, my practice is defined by a commitment to play, a rigorous collaborative spirit, and a fascination with the relationship between performer and audience.
Ongoing:
I co-directed with Cal McCrystal a clown show called 'Garry Starr: Classic Penguins' - (Guardian's Best Comedy 2024) which is currently on tour.
The first family clown show I created called 'Dr Zeiffal, Dr Zeigal and the Hippo that can never be caught!' was translated into finnish in 2019 and premiered at Helsinki Theatre, it was re-staged at Kotka City theatre in 2024 and is about to embark on it's third tour.
I am also a Trustee for the Dukes Theatre, Lancaster.
2026:
Directing Jake Roche's comedy musical 'Do you know who I think I am?' at Soho Theatre in April click here for tickets.
Directing 'Buds, Revolt!' by Elisabeth Tu a playful and poetic absurdist comedy exploring food, migration, identity, and the chaotic in-between spaces we inhabit when we don’t quite belong. WIP at the Union Theatre April 14th/15th. Click here for tickets.
Directing 'Madonna on the Rocks' by Marie Hamilton, UK Tour
Directing and co-writing with clown and cabaret artist Shea Wotjus on 'Bear With Me' - a comedic exploration of female anger, expressing ourselves fully, connecting with our innate wildness and letting out the bear inside for its UK tour.
Directing and co-writing 'Not That Asian' - a devised theatre show that uses clown, music and animation to celebrate what it means to be Asian, Wasian and Other, supported by New Earth Theatre, The Lowry and Contact Theatre.
Working with emerging artists is also one of my favourite things to do and I am currently coaching:
Youyang Song on her first show: 'Clown on a 7-day hunt for a British Husband' supported by the Borough of Wandsworth's Culture Award.
Mandeep Singh on his second show 'Singh When You're Winning - A Clown's Journey Through F1' - click here for tickets to his WIP at Brighton Fringe in May.
I am also working with the National Theatre's Connections Scheme as a Mentor Director.
Reviews
'Spendidly silly'
(The List, Dr Zeiffal)
'Pythonesque wit'
(Spy in the stalls, Ryan Lane Will be there Now in a Minute)
'Creative, comical and clever'
(The Gryphon, Superfunadventuretimes)
'Inventive absurdity and delight'
(Chortle, Classic Penguins)
'Intelligent, imaginative, very funny'
(JimJamArts, Dr Zeiffal)
'Fun, silly, entertaining and creative'
(Fest Mag, Ellie and the Enormous Sneeze)
'Ingenius, fast moving and very funny'
(The Scotsman, Classic Penguins)
‘Brilliant, by turns beautiful, surreal, tragic and comic’
(Edfringe Review, Dirt)
'Georgia has an unfazeable sense of humour and sparkling theatrical intelligence. We think she is quite brilliant.'
(Toby Park, Artistic Director Spymonkey)
'Georgia is a fabulous director and wonderful all-round human being. She has a real knack for bringing clown and comedy to life in a theatrical setting.'
(Damien Warren-Smith AKA Garry Starr)