Theatre Making
As a Theatre-Maker, Nicole has worked as a director-dramaturg, producer and facilitator on varied projects, many that aim to care for different communities. Nicole is interested in co-creation, collaboration and bettering mis and under-representation.
Nicole was selected for training with Almeida Theatre and as a JMK Trust Mentored Director (2021). She has been trained by RTYDS (2019) and has a strong dramaturgical skew to her director work, as a playwright. Nicole has also worked as a script-reader for Sheffield Theatres (2022). She is interested in dynamism, using theatricality to its fullest and how theatre can add to our humanity truthfully, whilst sharing stories that excite and entice.
As a facilitator, Nicole enjoys unlocking and empowering the creative synergy and connecting people through making. Nicole produces and programmes projects and events with and for the community which may be local or more focalised. She currently works in a flexible freelance capacity as Creative Instigator at Bradford Producing Hub working closely with their Director and the communities of local artists, cultural organisations and leaders across Bradford. Nicole leads on Bradford Producing Hub’s Empowered programme. She was trained as a facilitator by the Royal Shakespeare Company, Cast, Leeds Playhouse and Freedom Studios and has extensive producing experience.
Check Nicole’s availability for Director-Dramaturg and facilitation work.
Photo: Lucy Jones. Nicole with fellow Sheffield Theatres Supported Artist Tommo Fowler at a script report meeting (Sheffield Theatres, 2022).
Creative Associate
First Encounters: Twelfth Night (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2022)
Directed by Robin Belfield.
In this new role, Nicole worked as part of a team of Creative Associates employed by the RSC. She supported the large-scale tour of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night for young audiences to Associate School groups and Theatre Partners across Yorkshire: Bradford Alhambra, York Theatre Royal and Hull Truck Theatre.
Nicole supported rehearsals in Stratford-Upon-Avon with the full cast and creative team and directed around 70 young people of varying ages and needs in ensembles in schools and venues across Yorkshire.
Photo: Joe Bailey © RSC. Daniella Agredo-Piper, Stanton Wright and Laura Smithers performing in Twelfth Night: First Encounters at an Associate School venue.
Assistant Director
Brief Encounter (Stephen Joseph Theatre, 2022)
Directed by Paul Robinson.
Nicole was Assistant Director on Emma Rice’s adaptation of Noel Cowards iconic Brief Encounter at the Stephen Joseph Theatre (SJT) in Scarborough.
Nicole worked with the SJT’s artistic director, cast and full creative team. She supported contextual research and the directors noting and vision. Nicole was able to observe a comprehensive in-house and co-produced rehearsal and production process with: actor-musicians, movement direction, designers, lighting designers, composers and musical directors.
Photo: Tony Bartholomew. Pete Ashmore and Anne-Marie Piazza in Brief Encounter.
Facilitator
Together in the City (Sheffield Theatres, 2022)
Nicole was a Facilitator for Sheffield Theatres first Together in the City community festival.
She worked with a group of socially prescribed women in Heeley to build their confidence and co-create a song together celebrating the natural world of spring, contributing to the festival themes of ‘celebration’. The group also saw a performance of Dream Girls together.
Furnace Scratch
Leeds Playhouse (2020)
Written & directed by Nicole Joseph, performed by Leah Francis, Shreya Patel and Adeline Pitu
Nicole directed the script-in-hand performance of an early extract of her play Blessed Spirits at Furnace Scratch (Leeds Playhouse, 2020). She worked closely with the actors and led them through rehearsals, technical rehearsals and worked with producers and stage technicians to deliver the piece to an audience who gave developmental feedback.
Image: Ant Robling. Adeline Pitu and Shreya Patel performing Blessed Spirits.
Assistant Director
Leeds Playhouse & Ramps on the Moon (2020)
by Charles Dickens, adapted by Bryony Lavery dir. Amy Leach.
Nicole was on the directing team for Oliver Twist a co-production between Leeds Playhouse and Ramps on the Moon. The production had a majority deaf and disabled cast and and featured lots of off-stage Deaf and disabled talent too, it had integrated access of audio description, captioning and British Sign Language allowing better accessibility for a wider range of Deaf and disabled audiences.
In this role Nicole was able to observe rehearsals and assist the Director in creating their vision. Nicole supported actors with elements of script and staging, attended production meetings and generally supported the large production team.
Assistant Producer
Slung Low (2020)
As part of Slung Low’s team, Nicole supported the delivery of a variety of creative projects including: The Good Book, their Leeds People’s Theatre short film, their Spring Cabaret, Cultural Community College and LS11 Art Gallery while being embedded in their local community in Holbeck, Leeds.
The Good Book was written by James Phillips, directed by Brett Chapman and was made with professional actors and 100 citizens from Leeds.