Meet the Team
Oliver Hurst
Oliver Hurst (He/Him) is Artistic Director of Red Brick Theatre. He is a director with a commitment to telling stories exploring memory, grief and human relationships with time. Oliver won the Royal Exchange Hodgkiss Award 2024 and is a member of the Young Vic Fresh Directions cohort 2023/24.
He is currently assistant directing Josh Roche on a dazzling revival of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest at the Royal Exchange, and developing Bad Moult (Winner of the Cambridge Playwrighting Award) by Robin Cantwell, which will premiere in Manchester this summer.
Recent directing credits includes the first professional UK revival of Simon Stephens’ Pornography since 2009, The BBC’s First Homosexual as part of the BBC100 celebrations, and Sour Milk by Jonathan Mitchell.
Matilda Philipson
Matilda Philipson (She/Her) is a Manchester based stage manager, producer and facilitator with a passion for movement, inclusion and childhood development through the arts.
Matilda is currently an assistant facilitator for The Lowry Young Company’s National Theatre Connections Festival, The Lowry’s Young Leaders and the musical theatre tutor at PQA Salford. She previously worked on Tales Retold, winner of the 2023 UK Theatre award for Excellence in Arts Education, as well as Stage Directions, a theatre making programme for young people in Salford.
Current stage management work includes Caryl Churchill’s A Number, Sunny Girl with Her Productions as well as, And the Skull Said… by Caroline Astiago. Recent work includes movement director and stage manager for Simon Stephen’s Pornography and stage manager of Sour Milk by Jonathan Mitchell.
Jess Gough
Jess Gough (She/Her) is a Bristol born, Manchester based Director & Actor with a passion for contemporary, political and provocative theatre - drawing inspiration from female playwrights such as Billie Collins, Debbie Tucker Green and Vivienne Franzmann. She recently graduated from Manchester School of Theatre. During her time training she also represented the school in the finals for the Spotlight Prize 2023.
She is currently directing a shattering revival of Caryl Churchill’s A Number coming to 53two this May. This will be Jess’ full length directorial debut, and she can’t wait to show Manchester theatre what she’s made of. She is also currently directing Interesting as part of HER Productions’ Vignettes 6.
Recent credits include Co-directing Take Back our Futures with Julie Hesmondhalgh for Take Back Theatre, Assistant Directing Oliver Hurst on a major revival of Simon Stephens’ Pornography.