The National Theatre Studio and West Yorkshire Playhouse are delighted to announce that the first Quercus Award for Theatre Directors will be given this year to Róisín McBrinn.

The intention behind the Quercus Award is to enable the recipient to make the transition from directing in fringe and smaller venues to working on main stages around the UK. It was conceived by the National Theatre Studio and the director Marianne Elliott as a response to the lack of opportunities currently available to directors at this early stage in their careers.

The Quercus Award will enable Róisín McBrinn to direct a full-scale production in the Courtyard Theatre at West Yorkshire Playhouse in Spring 2011 by contributing a substantial sum towards its costs.

The Award is supported by the Quercus Trust, which has a record of supporting young theatre directors and other initiatives in the performing arts; it is hoped it will in future become a biennial initiative.

Originally from Ireland, Róisín McBrinn was Resident Assistant Director at the Donmar Warehouse from 2003-4. Since then she has directed at the Abbey Theatre Dublin, the Tricycle, Southwark Playhouse, Theatre 503 and the Arcola, as well as working for RADA and the National Theatre’s New Connections programme.

The judging panel for the award was Ian Brown (Artistic Director, West Yorkshire Playhouse), Marianne Elliott (Associate Director, NT), Purni Morell (Head of Studio, NT) and Gareth Machin (Studio Associate). One hundred and sixty-three applications were received