Marion Potts is an Australian theatre director.

Early life and education

Potts developed an interest in the theatre when she went to see Shakespeare’s ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'' on a school excursion. While attending the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

, she joined the Sydney University Dramatic Society and contemplated a career in theatre after studying theatre symbiotics with an inspiring female academic. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in French and a Master of Philosophy in Performance Studies. She also studied directing at the

National Institute of Dramatic Art The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is an Australian educational institution for the performing arts based in Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 1958, it offers bachelor's, master's and vocational degrees in subjects including acting ...

(NIDA).

Career

Potts has directed productions for many of Australia's major theatre companies including

Sydney Theatre Company Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in the Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Theatre ...

Melbourne Theatre Company The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre com ...

, Queensland Theatre Company,

Malthouse Theatre Malthouse Theatre is the resident theatre company of The Malthouse building in Southbank, part of the Melbourne Arts Precinct. In the 1980s it was known as the Playbox Theatre Company and was housed in the Playbox Theatre in Melbourne's CBD ...

, State Theatre Company of South Australia,

Griffin Theatre Company Griffin Theatre Company is an Australian theatre specialising in new works, based in Sydney. Founded in 1979, it is the resident theatre company at the Stables Theatre in Kings Cross. the artistic director is Declan Greene. Artistic directors ...

Bell Shakespeare Bell Shakespeare is an Australian theatre company specialising in the works of William Shakespeare, his contemporaries and other classics. Founded by actor John Bell and based in Sydney, it is Australia's only national theatre company. Apart f ...

and

Victorian Opera Victorian Opera is an opera company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company was founded in 2005 by the Victorian Government as a replacement for the Victoria State Opera. It commenced operations in January 2006 with Richard Gill a ...

. Potts was a Resident Director for the

from 1995 to 1999. She was Bell Shakespeare’s Associate Artistic Director and Artistic Director of its development arm, Mind’s Eye, from 2005 to 2010. She was Artistic Director of the

in Melbourne from 2010 to 2015. She became Director of Theatre with the

Australia Council Creative Australia, formerly known as the Australia Council for the Arts and the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announ ...

in 2015. Marion was Executive Producer of Performing Lines from 2017 to 2024. She was also a founding directorate member of HotHouse Theatre and has been Chair of

World Interplay World Interplay is the largest festival of young playwrights in the world. It is the peak activity of the Interplay organisation, and is held for two weeks every two years in Townsville, Australia. The first World Interplay was held in Sydney i ...

, Townsville, a board member of

, Windmill Theatre and Playworks, and Curator of the National Playwrights Conference.

Awards and nominations

Personal life

Potts is married to actor

Ned Manning Ned Manning is an Australian playwright, actor and teacher. His film credits include the lead role in '' Dead End Drive-In'' (1986), and television credits include '' The Shiralee'' and ''Prisoner'', and '' Brides of Christ''. His plays include ...

, with whom she had two children. In 2010, they relocated from Sydney to Melbourne when she was appointed director of the

Credits

As director / creator

As actor

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Potts, Marion Australian theatre directors Living people Australian women theatre directors Helpmann Award winners Year of birth missing (living people)