Ola Ince

Ola Ince is a British theatre director. She is noted for her Shakespeare productions. Her work often includes themes of power and race.

Early life and education Ince was born in London to working class parents, and grew up in Norbury.

Work Her work include Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Appropriate, her full directorial debut, She also worked on the musical Tina. She says that "America’s frank obsession with power and race really speaks to the themes I’m interested in. I’m attracted to the jugular." and "Theatre is a form of activism, it should try and change things." Gay Times said "... while the concept is strong, the execution is sometimes lacking. On balance it’s still an entertaining watch, but there’s potential here for something even better." The Evening Standard said "Still, this remains one of the most effective readings of this play that I’ve seen in years. Despite its occasional clumsiness, Ince’s vision is more nuanced than many attempts to give a ‘relevant’ spin to the Capulet-Montague feud." The Guardian said "This is a high-stakes rewiring of Romeo and Juliet with so much energy and cleverness at play that the romance is barely missed at all." The Times said "Like an over-eager English teacher out to prove that Shakespeare is “relevant” to modern youth, this Romeo and Juliet underscores the story’s issues while failing to give the sort of life to the human drama that would make them matter." Reviews were generally positive.

In 2024, she directed Othello. In this version, Othello (Ken Nwosu) is an officer in the Metropolitan Police, and his subconscious is a separate character (Ira Mandela Siobhan). The Guardian said "Ultimately, the concepts lead to a surfeit of ideas, pushing against each other. At over three hours, the tension drops, although the play never loses its potency and offers a genuinely new, exciting experience." The Evening Standard review concluded that "I was compelled throughout, though, and believed in Othello's duping and his descent into madness, which isn’t always the case. I have an ex-cop friend who claims the Met is not as bad as the media paints it, but Ince's vision feels horribly credible."

In November 2025, Ince took over as director of The Mousetrap at St Martin's Theatre, the longest-running production in the West End.

Recognition She won the Genesis Future Director Award in 2016, suggesting a production of the 1960s play Dutchman. She won the Peter Hall Bursary Award in 2020.