Indiana Lown-Collins
Award-Winning Theatre Director
About Indiana
Indiana (she/her) is a theatre maker and director, and the winner of the 2022 JMK Directors Award for her acclaimed production of The Solid Life of Sugar Water by Jack Thorne at the Orange Tree Theatre. The production received universal critical acclaim and won the OFFIE for Best Production, also earning Indiana a nomination for Best Debut Director at The Stage Debut Awards. She is an Associate Artist at both Shakespeare’s Globe and the Orange Tree Theatre, and has worked at a range of exciting venues, including the Leeds Playhouse, Watermill Theatre, The Young Vic, and more. Her most recent production, Pinocchio at the Watermill Theatre, was named one of The Guardian’s Top 10 Shows of 2024. As an artist, Indiana thrives on pushing boundaries — working from an uninhibited perspective to create theatre that evolves her practice and explores radical yet sincere forms of expression. As a disabled artist, she is passionate about centring disabled voices in the stories she tells. Indiana creates sensory-rich work that celebrates theatricality and craft, with a strong emphasis on movement, exploring form, and the sounds and textures of language — always seeking thrilling new ways for it to resonate and travel.
Pinocchio by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Simon Reade
Indiana Lown-Collins and Elle While (Co-Directors) brought Simon Reade’s adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s artfully told, funny and anarchic story of our favourite puppet boy Pinocchio to life, at The Watermill Theatre (Christmas 2024). This production was named one of the 'Top 10 shows of 2024' by the Guardian. Audiences joined us on an adventure into a magical world where things weren't always what they seemed.
Reviews
★★★★★ Every aspect of the stagecraft is outstanding. Simply Glorious
The Guardian
★★★★★ Fresh, boisterous production brought to life with ingenuity, talent and flair. Elle While and Indiana Lown-Collins strike a perfect balance between family entertainment and imaginative theatre.
The Stage
★★★★★ Exhilarating, joyus, vibrant production
WhatsOnStage
★★★★ Folksy entertainment, a restlessly versatile cast and lots of charm
The Times
The Solid Life Of Sugar Water by Jack Thorne
Indiana's JMK Award winning production 'The Solid Life Of Sugar Water' by Jack Thorne played to universal critical claim at The Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond (2022). 'The Solid Life of Sugar Water' is a beautifully told, witty and impassioned personal story. It amplifies disabled voices as an integral part of the play, and provides representation of a community that often goes unseen and unheard.
Reviews
'The Solid Life of Sugar Water' won the OFFIE Award (Off West End) for 'Best Production'. It was also nominated for 'Best Access' (For breaking down barriers), 'Lead Performance' for Katie Erich and 'Lead Performance' for Adam Fenton.
The OFFIES
★★★★★ "Inclusive, consistently compelling...A vital, remarkable piece of theatre"
What's On Stage
★★★★ "Brilliantly acted, designed and directed, Thorne’s tender but brutally powerful portrait of a couple gets an overdue revival"
The Guardian
★★★★ “Lown-Collins deftly handles the plays emotionally gruelling content.”
The Stage
★★★★ I look forward to seeing what Lown-Collins does next...She does the play and her two performers proud.”
Evening Standard
★★★★ "Explosively Funny...Smashingly good performances"
The Times
★★★★★ “Director Indiana Lown-Collins has humbled the West End in their lack of inclusivity, showing how utterly immaterial disability is to quality of performance”.
The Spy In The Stalls
Featured Shows
Burnt At The Stake
Shakespeare’s Globe
Indiana co-directed along side Naeem Hayat (October 2023) a night of new writing 'Burnt at the Stake, or The Whole of the Truth' at Shakespeare’s Globe. 13 anonymous writers told the tales that needed to be told in a night of uncensored and fearless storytelling. This was a night for us all to celebrate the power of story and imagination to make positive change.
Image Copyright: Cesare De Giglio
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare's Globe
Indiana was Resident Associate Director at Shakespeare's Globe in 2023. Her role included working as associate director on 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' directed by Elle While (starring Michelle Terry) and 'As You Like It' directed by Ellen McDougall . As Resident Associate Director, Indiana was an integral part of the creative team from the early development of the productions and a part of the core artistic team within Shakespeare’s Globe throughout the year.
Image Copyright: Shakespeare's Globe
The Purple Princess
Guildford Shakespeare Company
A new piece of writing, written by Ant Stones and devised and directed by Indiana. The script focused on seizure awareness through a modern fairytale with the use of forum theatre. The show toured throughout Surrey over a three week run. It was an incredibly rewarding process where we witnessed the impact theatre can have on highlighting unheard voices and a production providing tools that could save lives.
Image Copyright: Guildford Shakespeare Company
Credits
Pinocchio (The Watermill Theatre); Burnt at the Stake (Shakespeare’s Globe); The Solid Life of Sugar Water (Orange Tree Theatre); Romeo and Juliet and The Purple Princess (Guildford Shakespeare Company); and The Last Supper for the Fresh Direction ‘Replay Project’ at the Young Vic.
As associate director: The Comedy of Errors and A Comedy of Rascals (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre); Drop the Dead Donkey (U.K. tour, Simon Friend Productions); Richard III, As You Like It and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe); The Light at the Piazza in concert (Alexandra Palace Theatre); Macbeth (Guildford Shakespeare Company); Merrily We Roll Along (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre) and The Woman in White (Electric Theatre). As Assistant Director: Titus Andronicus and Julius Caesar (Shakespeare’s Globe); All’s Well That Ends Well (Jermyn Street Theatre); Cinderella (Yvonne Arnaud); All Aboard (Electric Theatre). As Movement Director: The Comedy of Errors and A Comedy of Rascals (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre); Romeo and Juliet, Henry V and The Tales of Hans Christian Andersen (GSC). As language coach: Strictly Ballroom the Musical (Leeds Playhouse). Indiana was Resident Associate Director at Shakespeare's Globe (2023) and Resident Assistant Director and Producer at the Guildford Shakespeare Company (2019–2021), where she assisted on As You Like It, She Stoops to Conquer, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Twelfth Night, Robin Hood, Alice in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet and The Legend of King Arthur.
See Full CV