Management student’s Liverpool Everyman production

Third-year Management student Olivia Byrne is to make her debut as a director at Liverpool Everyman with a production of Middle. It’s part of the YEP (Young Everyman Playhouse) Directors Festival. 

We caught up with Olivia to find out more about her work on Middle, which is performed on 8, 9 October, and her experience of the Management degree. 

How have you found the role of director? 

It’s been challenging but great fun. I’ve been finding my feet and getting confidence but once you start working in the rehearsal room you get into the flow of it and I’ve loved it. 

I work alongside a producer who is looking after the budget and more of the administrative side while I concentrate on rehearsals and the creative aspects of the production. Middle is part of a trilogy by David Eldridge. It’s quite serious and deep but there is definitely humour in there as well. It’s quite a fun play. 

What have you learnt on the Management course that has helped you as a director? 

I think having knowledge of things like budgets, marketing and cast wellbeing are all really helpful. They give you a view of the whole production. Certainly, with marketing, if you know who your target audience is it can be really useful creatively.  

When you started on the Management course did you know you wanted to be a director? 

I’ve worked at my local theatre and I knew that was what I wanted to do, but I didn’t know if I’d be able to get into direction, so I started training to be a producer. But since I’ve been a student at LIPA and in Liverpool there have been so many opportunities that I’ve been able to throw myself into that I now feel being a director is possible.  

One of the best things about the Management course is that it’s so open. Everyone seems to have different interests and ambitions. Even the other people interested in theatre have different aims to me. The lecturers have been very supportive. They have theatre experience, knowledge and contacts, so they’ve always been able to help me. 

You’re just about to start your three-month work placement, where are you going? 

I’m heading down to London and will be with theatre producers Paul Morrisey Ltd. They are involved in production, casting, general management and facilitating workshops. I’m really looking forward to it.

Find out more our Management degrees

Find out more about YEP Directors Scheme

Image: Olivia Byrne