Clare Prenton

Clare is a freelance director with over 13 years experience in theatre, musical theatre and opera.

Originally from Liverpool she read English Literature at Leeds University and gained an MA in Theatre Production and Directing at Hull University. Clare left Hull, having directed an award winning production of Ionesco’s The Bald Prima Donna for National Student Drama Festival which was picked up by National Student Theatre Company. From University Clare moved to London and trained with the Royal National Theatre Studio in 2000 on its course for emerging young directors. From here, she gained valuable assisting experience with companies such as Regents Park Open Air Theatre/The New Shakespeare Company, English Touring Opera, Opera Holland Park and English National Opera Studio.

Clare’s experience is broad, ranging from opera to musical theatre, straight productions to open air Shakespeare. She has directed open air productions for Regent’s Park, the Cambridge Shakespeare Company and The British Shakespeare Company. Credits include Twelfth Night with Wayne Sleep and Norman Pace and The Taming of the Shrew (British Shakespeare Company) starring Tony Booth and Chloe Newsome - an open air performance at the 500-seat stadium erected at Kirkstall Abbey. In traditional theatre spaces Clare has directed the Ayckbourn classics Relatively Speaking and How The Other Half Loves (Sheringham Little Theatre, Norfolk).

Clare assisted Sir Alan Ayckbourn at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough on the 2008 UK tour of A Trip to Scarborough inspired by RB Sheriden’s 1777 version of a play of the same name. Sir Alan invited Clare back to direct the plays he commissioned from award winning writer Nick Warburton’s plays Fly in the Ointment and Cover Her Feet in summer 2008 for the Stephen Joseph Theatre and a tour. Clare returned to Scarborough to re- direct the UK tour of Ayckbourn’s latest play, Life and Beth, starring Liza Goddard, in January 2009 for a UK tour. In July 2009 Clare directed a professional rehearsed reading of Absurd Person Singular (Royal and Derngate Theatre, Northampton) in celebration of Ayckbourn's 70th birthday.

Clare is currently creating a piece of new work about a boy with ADHD which she intends to commission from the Edinburgh based writer Claire Wingfield in 2010 as well as writing a new vampire musical The Watchers for Youth Music Theatre UK . Previously Clare has directed a number of Studio productions for the company in Edinburgh, Kent and Hemel Hempstead. Clare has also directed projects for Scottish Youth Theatre in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders.

She is a member of Equity, the Young Vic Theatre’s Director Forum and a reader for Mercury Musical Developments.