Bryn Holding: ‘the seeds of being a director were sown at LIPA’
Tuesday 01 July 2025
Ten years on from making the switch from acting to directing, Bryn Holding is returning to the theatre where his new career started.
Bryn, who graduated from our Acting course in 2008, is directing Tom Wells’ Big, Big Sky at the New Vic Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent.
We spoke to Bryn about the production, his decision to become a director, the important role the New Vic has played in his career, and his time at LIPA.
In a nutshell, Big, Big Sky is about grief, love and bird watching! One of the characters, Lauren has lost her mum and is processing her grief, as is her dad. They live on a remote peninsular in the North Sea when this guy, Ed, rocks up from the midlands – and everything changes. It’s a beautifully written play and ties in with the natural movement of the seasons and the migration of birds in spring and autumn. It’s simple, beautiful, and universal. It’s a heart warming comedy with poignancy.
Working on a new play, that’s only been staged once before, with a living writer feels really freeing. I’m probably more known for working on classic material, like Shakespeare where there’s quite a lot of performance history or on literary adaptations where people know the novel. Those productions come with a weight of expectation. But with this, most people won’t have seen it or know it, which is very exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing how it resonates with the audience.
Image: Bryn in rehearsals for a production of Cinderella
Directing was my dark secret. I worked as an actor for 10 years and did a bit of directing but kept it quiet as I thought people might not take me seriously as an actor if they knew. In 2015 I arranged to have a coffee with the artistic director of the New Vic Theatre and told them how I’d love to be a director, but was really nervous about it, and that if there was ever an opportunity to develop that or assist, I’d be really interested. Four weeks later I got a call from my agent telling me the New Vic had offered me a role in their Christmas show as an actor but slightly unusually, they’d also offered me work as an assistant director. They created this role for me so I could have a bridging moment between my acting and directing career. Then the following year in 2016 I returned for a 10 month placement as a resident assistant director and that’s when I made the switch. I haven’t been back on stage since 2017 and have been pursuing directing solely since then. I’m really grateful to have this circular moment back at the New Vic 10 years on from that coffee.
I always wanted to be an actor but the seeds of being a director were sown at LIPA. I think it was something lecturer Steve Buckwald recognised in me, even if I didn't at that point. I remember a tutorial when he said “we’re not going to talk about acting, I want you to think bigger than acting.” He helped me get onto a directing module in my second year, even though I hadn’t done it in my first year – and then in my third year I directed some independent student productions. LIPA gave me the belief in myself and the opportunities to expand my skills and experience. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today if not for the teaching and the time I spent there.
Being at LIPA, in a building where collaboration is so important, has stayed with me throughout my career. That sense of working with different artists and practitioners and knowing that this is a team game and although leadership is required from a director, really your role is to collaborate with your peers.
My favourite memories of Liverpool are probably nights out listening to music. I lived in a house with13 people including a Norwegian rock band – musicians are such positive, joyful people – and the nights out and the music were fantastic! It’s just such a great, great city. It’s small, feels safe, is full of great art and culture and wonderful, wonderful people. I drove past the Liverpool exit on the M6 just a couple of days ago and had a real pang of sadness that I wasn’t heading there.
Big, Big Sky at New Vic Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent runs from 5-24 July.
