Georgia Murphy

Georgia Murphy is a Chinese-Irish director, writer and theatre maker based in London. Her work is bold, comic and highly visual, driven by a commitment to play, a rigorous collaborative spirit, and a fascination with the relationship between performer and audience. Her work spans mid-scale theatre, hit comedy, and award-winning family shows that have been produced across the UK and internationally.

Notable directing credits include the mainstage musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol at the Octagon Theatre, which broke box-office records and was featured on Channel 4 News; Jake Roche’s musical comedy Do You Know Who I Think I Am? (Soho Theatre), which featured a live cameo appearance from Shane Richie; her award-winning family show Dr Zeiffal, Dr Zeigal and the Hippo That Can Never Be Caught!, which premiered at Helsinki’s Kapsäkki Theatre and was recently restaged by Kotka City Theatre; and Garry Starr: Classic Penguins (co-directed with Cal McCrystal), which The Guardian named one of the Best Comedy Shows of 2024. Upcoming projects include Ella Langley’s We Have Been Here For... as part of the Shedinburgh Festival line-up transferring to the Young Vic, and Madonna on the Rocks (Marie Hamilton’s punk musical about motherhood, dramaturgy by Bryony Kimmings), touring in autumn 2026.

She is the Co-Artistic Director of Not That Asian, a company creating contemporary work that celebrates ESEA narratives through clowning, music and projection. The company is currently developing its flagship clown musical with support from The Lowry, New Earth Theatre, Sheffield Theatres, and Spymonkey.

From 2022–24, Georgia was the Associate Director at the Octagon Theatre, where she championed new work, family theatre and underrepresented voices whilst leading the Artist Development department. She is currently an Almeida Maker, a National Theatre Mentor Director and a trustee of The Dukes, Lancaster.

As a writer, her credits include Supermies, a baroque-clown opera for the Helsinki Opera House, Not That Asian, Bear With Me, Ryan Lane Will Be There Now in a Minute, Valentina Star Dreamer, Dr Zeiffal, Dr Zeigal and the Hippo That Can Never Be Caught!, and the Primary Times Award-nominated Ellie and the Enormous Sneeze. For television, she has developed Welsh Wuxia AKA The Monkey King, a fast-paced action comedy set in Wales.

Georgia trained at École Philippe Gaulier and the Young Vic Directors Scheme and has worked as an assistant director with Spymonkey, Complicite, and Omar Elerian. She regularly teaches clown and collaborative writing at institutions including the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Rose Bruford, and the Almeida Theatre.

Full Credits List:

MADONNA ON THE ROCKS (Exeter Phoenix/New Wolsey/The Lowry/Aberystwyth Arts Centre); BUDS, REVOLT! (Union Theatre); DO YOU KNOW WHO I THINK I AM? (Soho Theatre); NOT THAT ASIAN (Bush Theatre / Sheffield Theatres); BLOOD FRUIT (Almeida Young Company, Almeida Theatre); GARRY STARR: CLASSIC PENGUINS (Edinburgh Festival Fringe/Soho Theatre/The Lowry/UK & International Tour – co-directed with Cal McCrystal); ONE IN A CHAMELEON (Summerhall); ALFIE THE ELF’S CHRISTMAS RESCUE, LONG STRONG HAIR, THE TIDY TROLLS, A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Octagon Theatre); BAMBER BRIDGE, LEGEND (Rehearsed Reading - Octagon Theatre); HIBERNATION (WIP - Octagon Theatre); THE BEAUTY OF BEING HERD (UK Tour); IN TO THE SEA WE GO (Rose Bruford); SUPERMIES (Helsinki Opera House); VALENTINA STAR DREAMER (The Place); FRILLS AND SPILLS (Camden People's Theatre/The Wardrobe/UK Tour); RYAN LANE WILL BE THERE NOW IN A MINUTE (Soho Theatre/Edinburgh Fringe/UK Tour); CHARLIE AND THE CHRISTMAS CAT (The Lichfield Garrick Theatre); A CABARET NIGHT WITH EVIE FEHILLY (The Glory); TRAGIC SCENES OF LEGENDARY WOMEN WHERE SNAKES WERE (KIND OF) PRESENT (Blue Elephant/UK Tour); THE ASTONISHING SINGING FISH! (Brockley Jack & UK tour); TOHTORI ZEIFFAL, TOHTORI ZEIGAL (Kapsaaki Theatre/Kotka City Theatre/Finland Tour); ELLIE & THE ENORMOUS SNEEZE (Theatre Deli/Brighton/Edinburgh Festival Fringe); DR ZEIFFAL, DR ZEIGAL AND THE HIPPO THAT CAN NEVER BE CAUGHT! (Ovalhouse/UK Tour); SUPERFUNADVENTURETIMES (Camden People's Theatre); CUCKOO LAND (Toynbee Studios); HAM (The Space/The Roundhouse).

Associate Director Credits:

RHINOCEROS (Almeida Theatre, dir. Omar Elerian); SPRING AND PORT WINE (Octagon Theatre, dir. Lotte Wakeham); ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS (Octagon Theatre/Liverpool Playhouse/Theatre by the Lake, dir. Lotte Wakeham); THE BOOK THIEF (Octagon Theatre, dir. Lotte Wakeham).

Assistant Director Credits:

GO CLOSER (R&D - Complicite, dir. Omar Elerian); A CHRISTMAS CAROL (The Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse/Spymonkey, dir. Ed Gaughan).