Barbara Houseman: A Director’s Evolution
Barbara Houseman trained as a director at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. On leaving she assisted Pip Broughton on Real Estate at the Tricycle Theatre (now the Kiln) and Mike Alfred on The Marriage at the Lyric Hammersmith and on tour. She then received an Arts Council Director's Bursary, directing Crystal Clear, Not About Heroes, Insignificance, Stevie, Ashes, Taking Steps, Pack of Lies and Salonica during her 18 months at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff. She then directed Steaming (twice) and Taste of Honey at Queen's Theatre Hornchurch and Larkrise at Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham.
She then joined Drama Studio London as a Voice Coach and Director where she directed A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, Trojan Women, Aberfan (devised project), Greed (devised project). She also directed The Cherry Orchard at Guildhall and later Agamemnon at LAMDA.
She then joined the RSC voice department working with over 30 directors during her 6 years tenure, including Bill Alexander, Tim Alberry, Michael Attenborough, John Barton, Michael Boyd, Bill Bryan, Ron Daniels, Howard Davies, Peter Gill, Peter Hall, Terry Hands, Phyllida Lloyd, Katie Mitchell, Sam Mendes, Adrian Noble, Stephen Pimlott, Max Stafford Clark and Tim Supple.
On leaving the RSC she was invited by Tim Supple to join him as Associate Director at the Young Vic where she worked on Comedy of Errors and More Grimm Tales. She was invited to continue into the various other projects with Tim both at the Young Vic and at the National Theatre however she took time off to write her books and work freelance - including coaching on many shows including Complicity's Mnemonic - Oxford Playhouse, Further than the Farthest Thing - Tricycle (now Kiln), The Misanthrope - Comedy, Richard III - Sheffield Crucible
She joined Open Air Theatre Regents Park in 2009 as Voice and Text Coach and then became Season Associate Director in 2012 and working on all productions there until leaving in 2022 to pursue her own work.
Along side her work at the Park she also coached on All's Well that Ends Well - Globe, Britanicus - Wilton's Music Hall, Government Inspector, Hamlet (with Cush Jumbo) - Young Vic, Playboy of the Western World, Duchess of Malfi, Sweet Bird of Youth, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Endgame - Old Vic, Macbeth - Sheffield Crucible, The Machine, - Manchester International Festival, Jamie Lloyd's Macbeth, Richard III and Dr Faustus, Phyllida Lloyd's All Female Trilogy, Trelawny of The Wells, Coriolanus, Les Liaisons Dangereuses and St Joan - Donmar, Kenneth Branagh Company Season - Garrick, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Gielgud and Tour, The Ferryman - Royal Court/Gielgud, Pride & Prejudice (Sort of) - Criterion & Tour
She was also Associate Director on Roma & Juliet - Naples International Festival and directed one woman shows From Prejudice to Pride and Bethlehem.
Since 2023 she has worked as a voice and text coach on Macbeth, The Human Body, Fear of 13 and Natasha Pierre and the Comet of 1812 - Donmar and Titus Andronicus - RSC
She has also directed Love and Information, Sweet Science of Bruising and A Dream at Royal & Derngate, Northampton and Pippin -Chroma Q, Leeds and Workshop versions of Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George and Assassins - Leeds Conservatoire.
