Matthew Evans Wins JMK Young Director Award 2010Date: 17 May 2010
Matthew Evans, director with collaborative group, Gameshow, was yesterday awarded the JMK Young Director Award, one of the most prestigious awards available to young theatre makers. The annual award enables one young director to mount a full-scale professional production of a 'classic' play of their choosing. Evans was chosen to receive the award following his application to direct The Jewish Wife by Bertold Brecht. The production will run at the BAC from 21 July to 14 August.
Evans's work with Gameshow includes the shows, The Tiger That Isn't and The Spanish Tragedy. As well as The Jewish Wife, the company is developing a production of Robin Hood, a pantomine to play this Christmas. Evans has trained at the National Theatre Studio and the Young Vic and assisted on the ATC production Eurydice, which is the currently touring the UK. His solo directing credits includes work in Oxford and at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The JMK Trust was established in 1998 following the death of James Menzies-Kitchin, a talented young director. Each year an established director puts together a list of 25 'classic' plays; applicants then choose a play from this list as the basis for a production they wish to direct. This year, The Jewish Wife was selected from 25 'classic' texts chosen by NT associate director, Katie Mitchell.
The winner of the JMK Award receives £12,000 towards the cost of mounting their chosen production, as well as support in kind from BAC and the JMK Trust. In total the value of the prize is in the region of £20,000. Two runners-up each receive £2,000 towards the development of their chosen production. The runners-up this year are Kate Budgen, with Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape and Duncan Macmillan with Chekhov's Uncle Vanya.
This year's award differs slightly from previous years in that applicants were asked to propose a site-specific production at the BAC, rather than simply using the venue's black box space. The Jewish Wife will move from the BAC's foyer area into various other parts of the building, including the Members' Bar.
- by Jo Caird - Theatregoer Reporter
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