Adele Thomas

Director

Adele is an award-winning director, working internationally in Opera and Music Theatre. She is an alumni of the RTYDS scheme and the National Theatre Young Director’s Course and an Honorary Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University.

Awards and Nominations

2022 nomination International Opera Award: Director


2022 Olivier Award nomination for Best New Opera Production (Bajazet)

2020 Olivier Award nomination for Best New Opera Production
and Achievement in Opera for Berenice, Royal Opera House

2018 MTA Award for Best Visiting Production for The Weir, ETT

2014 Argus Angel Award for The Bloody Ballad

2013 WhatsOnStage Award & MTN Award for Best Musical 
and Best Music for The Bloody Ballad

2013 Scotsman & Brighton Fringe Award for Emerging Talent
for The Bloody Ballad

2013 Theatre in Wales Award for Best Ensemble and Best
 Music for The Bloody Ballad

Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme (RTYDS) Bursary recipient

2008 Dirty Protest Award for Best Director for Repeat

2007 Writers' Guild of Great Britain Committee Award 
for Supporting New Writing

Honorary Fellow: Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University


Founding member of Freelancers Make Theatre Work


Board member for Stage Directors UK

List Of Productions

2025

TANNHAUSER | Magdeburg, Germany

2024

RIGOLETTO | Welsh National Opera

UN BALLO IN MASCHERA | Zurich Opera House

2023

SEMELE | Glyndebourne Opera

IN THE REALMS OF SORROW | London Handel Festival

IL TROVATORE | Royal Opera House

2022

BAROQUE SCENES | National Opera Studio

BAJAZET | Irish National Opera

2021

IL TROVATORE | Zurich Opera House

2020

4/4: APOLLO & DAPHNE | Royal Opera House

HAIL CREMATION! | National Theatre Wales

2019

COSI FAN TUTTE | Nevill Holt Opera

THE MEMORY OF WATER | Nottingham Playhouse

BERENICE | Royal Opera House, Linbury Theatre

2018

EYAM | Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

MACBETH | The Tobacco Factory, Bristol

2017

THE WEIR | English Touring Theatre

NATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL | Associate Connections Director

BIRDLAND | LAMDA

COSI FAN TUTTE | Northern Ireland Opera

2016

THREE SISTERS | Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

MACBETH, THE COMPLETE WALK | Short Film | Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

NATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL | Associate Connections Director

ALL THAT I AM | Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama / Gate Theatre London

MADNESS IN VALENCIA | Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

2015

THOMAS TALLIS | Sam Wanamaker Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe

THE ORESTEIA | Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

NATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL | Associate Connections Director

2014

THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE | Sam Wanamaker Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe

THOMAS TALLIS | Sam Wanamaker Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe

A WARRING ABSENCE | NT Platform | National Theatre

UNUSUAL UNIONS – THE GOLDEN HOURS | Royal Court

NATIONAL THEATRE CONNECTIONS | National Theatre

THE BLOODY BALLAD OF MARY MAID | Brighton Fringe/ Latitude

2013

COMPANY OF WOLVES R&D | Kneehigh Theatre

APPARITIONS OF SPIRITS - WITH THE FORSYTHE SISTERS | Gagglebabble/Theatr lolo

YOUNG STUDIO SEASON | National Theatre Learning

A VAMPIRE STORY | Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

GABRIEL | Associate Director | Dir. Dominic Dromgoole | Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

THE BLOODY BALLAD OF MARY MAID | Soho Theatre/Theatr lolo/Sherman Cymru/Edinburgh Festival/Tour

WRITE HERE | Traverse Theatre

MY PEOPLE | Director/Writer |National Theatre of Wales

GREATER THAN LOVE | Co-writer with Dafydd James | National Theatre of Wales

PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS

THE PASSION – ONE YEAR ON | Memory project and exhibition | National Theatre of Wales

A COLD SPREAD | Chapter/Ruthisstrangerthanrichard

THE BLUE LENSES | Royal & Derngate, Northampton

BULLETPROOF |Replay

CITYSCAPE: DELUGE/NO VACANCIES | Sherman Cymru

A DOLL’S HOUSE | Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

THE LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN SWANS | Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

UNDER MILK WOOD | Royal & Derngate, Northampton

BIG HOPES | National Theatre, Connections Festival

REPEAT | Dirty Protest

THE GOOD SOUL OF SZECHWAN | Young Vic (TPR)

SENENDD | Welsh National Opera

THE PUSH AND THE PULL | Sherman Cymru

AN ENEMY FOR THE PEOPLE | Sgript Cymru/Chapter Arts Centre

THE RIVER | Edinburgh Festival Tour

FALLING | Sherman Youth Theatre

AS ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

IN THE REPUBLIC OF HAPPINESS | Assistant Director | Dir. Domminic Cooke | Royal Court Theatre

BIRTHDAY | Assistant Director | Dir. Roger Michell | Royal Court Theatre

THE PASSION | Project Associate | working with Michael Sheen | National Theatre of Wales

UNDER MILK WOOD | Creative Associate for Taliesin

OTHER EXPERIENCE

BULLETPROOF | As Dramaturge for Replay

PITCH IN | A series of creative collaborations between writers for Sherman Cymru

SCRIPT STUDY | Co-producing, devising and organising a series of workshops for experienced writers led by leading theatre practitioners | Living Pictures/Script Cymru

HURST RESIDENCY | Resident Director of course for young writers at Arvon Foundation

MA DESIGN PROJECT | Consultant Director for RWCMD

OPERA DESIGN CONCEPTUAL PROJECT | Consultant Director for RWCMD

RUTH IS STRANGER THAN RICHARD | Artistic Director

THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE | Artistic Director, Sherman Youth Theatre

PROCESS WEEK | Young Vic

BRECHT WORKSHOP | Young Vic

A RESPECTABLE WEDDING

NEW YOUNG DIRECTOR’S COURSE (2005) | National Theatre Studio