Orla O'Loughlin

Orla O'Loughlin is a British theatre director. In 2018, she became the vice principal and director of drama at Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

Education O'Loughlin trained at the National Theatre and National Theatre Studio. She has a B.A (Hons) in theatre and performance from Warwick University, an M.A (Dist) in advanced theatre practice from Central School of Speech and Drama and a PGCE in drama from the University of Reading.

Career O'Loughlin was artistic director of Pentabus Theatre from 2006 to 2012 and the international associate at The Royal Court.

From 2012 to 2018, O'Loughlin was the artistic director of the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. In her final year as theatre director, she won ten nominations in the Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland across six categories.

O'Loughlin has been the vice principal and director of drama at Guildhall School of Music & Drama since 2019. Alongside this role, she also works as a freelance theatre director.

The Observer listed O'Loughlin as one of the top 50 cultural leaders in the U.K and she was included in The List Hot 100 of Women in the Arts. She is a regular subject for print and digital media and has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, The Today Programme and was the subject of the BBC Radio Documentary Stark Talk covering her life and work. O'Loughlin continues to deliver masterclasses and workshops across the world and has sat on a range of award panels including: James Tait Black Award for Drama, Windham Campbell and the Linbury Prize.

Directing credits Year Production Company/venue

Kebab Dublin International Festival, Royal Court Theatre The Hound of the Baskerville West Yorkshire Playhouse, national tour, West End

Relatively Speaking, Blithe Spirit, Black Comedy Watermill Theatre For Once Hampstead Theatre, national tour 2012 How Much is your Iron? Young Vic

Clean and A Respectable Widow takes to Vulgarity Traverse Theatre, Oran Mor, Theatre 59E59, NYC Spoiling Traverse Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East 2015 Swallow Traverse Theatre

Milk Traverse Theatre Grain in the Blood Traverse Theatre

Meet Me at Dawn Traverse Theatre Locker Room Talk Traverse Theatre, Latitude Festival, Abbey Theatre, Scottish Parliament, tour

What Girls Are Made Of National tour 2024 Enough of Him Not presented

A Play, a Pint and a Pie Traverse Theatre Wallace Traverse 2026 Ciara Herald Angels and Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland and she is previous winner of the James Menzies Kitchin Directors Award and recipient of the Carlton Bursary at the Donmar Warehouse.