I amMartha Pardue,a director determined to makepolitically poignantandpersonal theatre.I amMarthaPardue,a director determinedto makepoliticallypoignantand personal theatre.
I am a deep thinker, a curious person, and put my heart and soul into everything I create. I am currently studying English Literature & Drama at the University of Manchester. Alongside acting, I worked on six short films, one of which was nominated for the Liverpool Indie Awards, and as script supervisor on three productions, developing a deeply critical understanding of text, character, attention to detail and an ability to stay focused and organised consistently.
Initially, work as an actor led me to train at Identity School of Acting (IDSA), where I gained professional training in screen and stage acting, voice, movement, physical theatre and script analysis. This gave me a strong understanding of both the technical craft of performance and the collaborative rehearsal process, which now informs my work as a director.
My directing credits include The Duchess of Malfi, which I adapted through a feminist lens, Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl, a classical retelling, and Shakeyourspear2026, a Shakespeare showcase at Victoria Baths involving over forty collaborators and twelve extracts performed to an audience of more than 250, all done in around four weeks. These projects have strengthened my interests in classical text, historical dramaturgy, actor-centred rehearsal, and visually ambitious theatre.
Alongside my degree, I have continued to develop my directing practice through professional training and workshops. I was selected to participate in the Career Paths Workshop at the Donmar Warehouse and am currently undertaking a directing course at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts with Barry Fitzgerald. I have also participated in a directing workshop with Tim Supple, whose work spans both classical and contemporary theatre and who currently teaches on the MA Acting programme at East 15 Acting School, as well as Pliable Theatre's Shakespeare workshop led by director Giulia Grillo.
My creative interests lie in psychological realism, morally ambiguous characters, and stories that explore power, gender and the complexities of human behaviour. I am particularly drawn to classical theatre and politically engaged drama that combines emotional precision with social urgency.
I believe there are still many things in our society that need to be questioned and changed, and for me, storytelling has always been the most powerful way of bringing those issues to the forefront. BIG IDEAS that aren’t talked about enough that NEED to be talked about, that’s my thing! Facts and figures can only do so much, theatre has the ability to make us feel, empathise, and see the world through someone else's perspective. That is why I want to direct: to create work that encourages audiences to question, reflect, and leave the theatre thinking differently than when they walked in.
me.