Emily Burns
Director, Writer
Film, TV & Theatre
Film, TV & Theatre
Emily is a director and writer for stage.
Emily directed the comedy THE COMEBACK at the Neil Coward Theatre in 2020, and in 2022, the acclaimed JACK ABSOLUTE FLIES AGAIN at the National Theatre. This year Emily returned to the National with her revival of DEAR OCTOPUS, playing in the Lyttleton Theatre. She also made her RSC debut as director with LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST.
As adaptor, Emily’s work includes FRANKENSTEIN for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Washington, and MACBETH for Wessex Grove, directed by Simon Gowin and starring Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma.
Emily is an associate of the National Theatre and the Bridge Theatre.
In Development
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
FRANKENSTEIN 2024 | STC Washington | As Adaptor and Director. |
Film
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
2020 - 2021 | National Theatre, Sky Arts, PBS | Adaptor and Associate Director. An original film for television. |
Theatre
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
As Director | ||
LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST 2024 | RSC | Director |
DEAR OCTOPUS 2024 | National Theatre | By Dodie Smith |
VOGUE WORLD 2023 | CONDE NAST | Director |
2022 | The National Theatre | Written by Richard Bean and Oliver Chris. |
THE BOOK OF DUST - LA BELLE SAUVAGE 2021 | The Bridge Theatre | As Co-Director. Adapted by Bryony Lavery from the books by Philip Pullman |
2020 | Noel Coward Theatre, Sonia Friedman Productions | By Alex Owen and Ben Ashenden |
BACKSTAGE 2018 | Soho Theatre & Pleasance Edinburgh | By Alex Owen and Ben Ashenden |
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA 2017 - 2019 | King’s Place, Snape Maltings. Cockpit Theatre, King’s Place & Touring | By Octavia Bright and Héloïse Werner |
NESTING 2017 | The Watermill Theatre | By Ellen Robertson |
THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN 2017 | Opera North Children’s Chorus / Opera North & Theatre Royal Nottingham | By Robert Browning, Jonathan Willcocks |
SCENES FROM THE END 2016 | Camden People’s Theatre, Greenside Nicholson Square, Tristan Bates Theatre / The Hermes Experiment | By Jonathan Woolgar |
TRAVESTY 2016 | Latitude, Edinburgh Festival Fringe & New Diorama / Fight in the Dog | By Liam Williams |
As Adaptor | ||
MACBETH 2023 - 2024 | Wessex Grove | As Adaptor. Dir. Simon Godwin. |
FRANKENSTEIN 2021 | Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington D.C. | Adaptor |
As Dramaturg | ||
TIMON OF ATHENS 2018 - 2020 | RSC, TFANA, Brooklyn & STC, Washington DC | As dramaturg & editor. |
Associate Credits
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM 2019 | Bridge Theatre | Directed by Nick Hytner |
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 2018 - 2019 | National Theatre | Directed by Simon Godwin |
HANSARD 2018 - 2019 | National Theatre | By Simon Woods. Directed by Simon Godwin. |
JULIUS CAESAR 2017 - 2018 | Bridge Theatre | Directed by Nick Hytner |