# Marion Potts

Marion Potts is an Australian theatre director.

## Early life and education

Potts developed an interest in the theatre when she went to see Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night on a school excursion.
While attending the University of Sydney, she joined the Sydney University Dramatic Society and contemplated a career in theatre after studying theatre symbiotics with an inspiring female academic. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in French and a Master of Philosophy in Performance Studies. She also studied directing at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).

## Career

Potts has directed productions for many of Australia's major theatre companies including Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Griffin Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare and Victorian Opera.
Potts was a Resident Director for the Sydney Theatre Company from 1995 to 1999. She was Bell Shakespeare’s Associate Artistic Director and Artistic Director of its development arm, Mind’s Eye, from 2005 to 2010. She was Artistic Director of the Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne from 2010 to 2015. She became Director of Theatre with the Australia Council in 2015. Marion was Executive Producer of Performing Lines from 2017 to 2024.
She was also a founding directorate member of HotHouse Theatre and has been Chair of World Interplay, Townsville, a board member of Griffin Theatre Company, Windmill Theatre and Playworks, and Curator of the National Playwrights Conference.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | With | Award | Category | Result |
| 2006 | The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? | Helpmann Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Won |
| 2007 | The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Nominated |
| 2008 | Venus and Adonis | Green Room Awards | Best Direction | Nominated |
| 2011 | Meow Meow's Little Match Girl | Green Room Awards | Best Cabaret Director | Won |

## Personal life

Potts is married to actor Ned Manning, with whom she had two children. In 2010, they relocated from Sydney to Melbourne when she was appointed director of the Malthouse Theatre.

## Credits
### As director / creator

| Year | Title | Role | Venue / Co. |
| 1988 | Sylvia Plath: a dramatic portrait | Director | University of Sydney |
| 1990 | Struth | Director | Stables Theatre, Sydney |
| 1992 | The Will | Director | Harold Park Hotel, Sydney with Lounge Acts |
| 1993, 1994 | The Gap | Director | Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney, Civic Square, Canberra with Asia Arts Management |
| 1993 | The Gentleman's New Clothes (aka Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme) | Director | Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney |
| 1994 | Falsettos | Assistant Director | Monash University, Melbourne with STC |
| 1994 | The Cafe Latte Kid / Darling Oscar | Director | Wharf Studio Theatre, Sydney with STC |
| 1995 | Sydney Stories 2: The Blessing / Two Wongs / In the Club / The Way I Was | | Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC for Sydney Festival |
| 1995 | Dead White Males | Assistant Director | Regional Australian tour, Sydney Opera House with STC |
| 1995 | Two Weeks with the Queen | Director | Alexander Theatre, Johannesburg, South African State Theatre, Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC |
| 1995 | Tales from the Vienna Woods | Director | NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney |
| 1995 | Three Tall Women | Assistant Director | Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC, Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC, Gold Coast Arts Centre |
| 1995, 1996 | Beecham | Director | Marian Street Theatre, Sydney for Sydney Festival |
| 1996 | Playgrounds | Director | Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC |
| 1996 | The Torrents | Director | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 1996, 1997 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Assistant Director | Queens Park Theatre, Perth, Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre, Esperance Civic Centre, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Burnie Arts and Function Centre, Princess Theatre, Launceston, Canberra Theatre, Sydney Opera House with Glen Street Theatre & STC |
| 1997, 1998 | The Herbal Bed | Director | Wharf Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Adelaide, Canberra Theatre with Royal Shakespeare Company, with STCSA & STC |
| 1997 | Pygmalion | Director | Glen Street Theatre, Sydney, Canberra Theatre with STC |
| 1997 | Gary's House | Director | Adelaide Festival Centre with STCSA |
| 1997 | Closer | Director | Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC |
| 1998 | Navigating | Director | Sydney Opera House with STC |
| 1999 | Cyrano de Bergerac | Director | Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC |
| 1999 | Big Hair in America | Director | The Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga with HotHouse Theatre |
| 2000 | Equus | Director | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA |
| 2000 | The Beauty Queen of Leenane | Associate Director | Playhouse, Adelaide, Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with STC & with MTC |
| 2000 | Life After George | Director | Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC |
| 2001 | Don Juan | Director | Sydney Opera House with STC |
| 2002 | Volpone | Director | Sydney Opera House |
| 2002 | Fear and Misery of the Third Reich | Director | Western Sydney University |
| 2003 | Wonderlands | Director | The Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga, Riverina Playhouse, Wagga Wagga, Stables Theatre, Sydney with HotHouse Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company & Riverina Theatre Company |
| 2003 | A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Artistic Director | Amphitheatre, Gateway Island, Wodonga with HotHouse Theatre |
| 2004 | Dreaming Transportation | Director | Sydney Opera House with Performing Lines |
| 2004 | A Number | Director | Brisbane Powerhouse with STCSA |
| 2004 | Newton's Cradle | Director | Wharf Theatre, Sydney with Blueprints |
| 2005 | Cyrano de Bergerac | Translator | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 2005, 2006 | The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? | Director | Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide, Seymour Centre, Sydney with STCSA |
| 2006 | Constance Drinkwater and the final days of Somerset | Director | Bille Brown Studio, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre |
| 2007 | Othello | Director | Playhouse, Canberra, Playhouse, Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, Orange Civic Theatre with Bell Shakespeare |
| 2007 | The Story of the Miracles at Cookie's Table | Director | Stables Theatre, Sydney, Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga with HotHouse Theatre & Griffin Theatre Company |
| 2008, 2009 | Venus and Adonis | Director | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Wharf Theatre, Sydney, Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland with Bell Shakespeare |
| 2008 | Hamlet | Director | Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Melbourne with Bell Shakespeare |
| 2009 | Grace | Director | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC |
| 2009 | The Wonderful World of Dissocia | Director | Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC & MTC |
| 2009 | The Taming of the Shrew | Director | Theatre Royal, Hobart, Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre, Mt Gambier, Chaffey Theatre, Renmark, Barossa Arts and Convention Centre, Northern Festival Centre, Port Pirie, Middleback Theatre, Whyalla, Nautilus Theatre, Port Lincoln, Canberra Theatre, Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare |
| 2010 | King Lear | Director | Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Canberra, Playhouse, Brisbane, Playhouse, Melbourne, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth with Bell Shakespeare |
| 2010 | Sappho...In Nine Fragments | Director | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2010 | Uncle Vanya | Associate Director | Sydney Theatre with STC |
| 2011 | ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore | Director | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2011, 2012 | Little Match Girl | Director | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London |
| 2012 | Blood Wedding | Director | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2012 | Wild Surmise | Director | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2013 | Hate | Director | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2013 | The Dragon | Director | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2013–2014, 2016 | The Shadow King | Dramaturge | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Carriageworks, Sydney, Heath Ledger Theatre, Perth, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide, Darwin Amphitheatre, Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture, Katherine, Brisbane Powerhouse, Barbican Theatre, London |
| 2014 | Ugly Mugs | Director | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company |
| 2014 | Cyrano de Bergerac | Translator | Sydney Theatre with STC |
| 2014, 2016 | The Riders | Director | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Victorian Opera, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth with West Australian Opera |
| 2015 | Meme Girls | Creator | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2017 | Di and Viv and Rose | Director | Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 2018 | Good Cook. Friendly. Clean. | Director | Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company |

### As actor

| Year | Title | Role | Venue / Co. |
| 1989 | Artaud at Rodez | | University of Sydney |