Nell Ranney is a director and producer of original and multi-disciplinary theatre work. Most recently she co-created and directed Maureen: Harbinger of Death with Jonny Hawkins (Adelaide Festival 2023, Rising Melbourne & Darwin Festival 2022, Sydney Festival 2021), is leading the development of GRLZ by Victoria Haralabidou (supported by Create NSW & the Australia Council for the Arts), and has directed the Sydney premiers of TUESDAY by Louris van de Geer (25A Belvoir) and She Rode Horses Like the Stock Exchange by Amelia Roper (KXT). Nell is associate director for Debra Oswald’s solo performance Is There Something Wrong With That Lady? (Griffin Theatre Company) and in 2018 she was appointed the Baylis Assistant Director at the Old Vic in London for the development and premiere of SYLVIA (Old Vic/ ZooNation) by Kate Prince, a hip-hop soul and funk musical about the life of Sylvia Pankhurst.
In programming Nell has worked for The Garden of Unearthly Delights as program manager (2018-20) and for Belvoir as their artistic associate (2016-17). As a dramaturg, she has worked for Playwriting Australia and Shopfront Youth Theatre.
For her UK based company, In Transit Theatre, she conceived and directed They Call Me Nina (Escena Contemporanea/ Teatro Britanico, Peru) and The Misadventures of Me (Rosemary Branch Theatre). Other assistant director credits include the UK tours of In Praise of Elephants, The Iranian Feast and Leaving Home Party for Farnham Maltings, all site specific shows designed for village halls.
Nell holds an MA in Advanced Theatre Practice from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and BA Communications (Theatre/ Media) from Charles Sturt University.
“Carefully nuanced, physically aware and confident direction.”
Diana Simmonds, Stage Noise
“Nell Ranney.. delivers in spades”
Jason Blake, Sydney Morning Herald