Biography
Sophie Dillon Moniram is a director for theatre, screen and audio works. She is passionate about international writing and diversity. Sophie makes theatre that is life affirming; that reminds us we are larger than the individual story we are living. She makes work about freedom.
She was on attachment at The Old Vic Theatre as an Old Vic 12 Director in 2018. Through her attachment she developed a new play written by Omar El-Khairy. She has also worked at the Old Vic as Associate Director to Adrian Lester on The Greatest Wealth, a series of monologues celebrating 70 years of the NHS, curated by Lolita Chakrabarti.
Prior to beginning her directing career she trained on Mountview Academy’s Theatre Directing MA after studying Philosophy at Southampton University. Most recently she has directed audio pilot The Falling for Audible, and has worked as staff director at The National Theatre on The Ocean at the End of the Lane and The Visit.
Through her commitment to diverse new work, she directed Black Theatre Live’s national tour of a new play The Diary of a Hounslow Girl by Ambreen Razia (commissioned and supported by Ovalhouse). The show was nominated for Best Stage Production at The Asian Media Awards 2016. Following its success the production re-toured with House Theatre and was performed at Southbank Centre.
She was on attachment at The Old Vic Theatre as an Old Vic 12 Director in 2018. Through her attachment she developed a new play written by Omar El-Khairy. She has also worked at the Old Vic as Associate Director to Adrian Lester on The Greatest Wealth, a series of monologues celebrating 70 years of the NHS, curated by Lolita Chakrabarti.
Prior to beginning her directing career she trained on Mountview Academy’s Theatre Directing MA after studying Philosophy at Southampton University. Most recently she has directed audio pilot The Falling for Audible, and has worked as staff director at The National Theatre on The Ocean at the End of the Lane and The Visit.
Through her commitment to diverse new work, she directed Black Theatre Live’s national tour of a new play The Diary of a Hounslow Girl by Ambreen Razia (commissioned and supported by Ovalhouse). The show was nominated for Best Stage Production at The Asian Media Awards 2016. Following its success the production re-toured with House Theatre and was performed at Southbank Centre.
Directing credits include
POT (National Tour/Ovalhouse/Stratford Circus), The Diary of a Hounslow Girl (Ovalhouse/Black Theatre Live National Tour/House Theatre National Tour/ Southbank Centre), Midsummer Roman Feast (as writer and director) (RSC), dirty butterfly (Co-director, Guildhall), Women Beware Women/’Tis Pity She’s a Whore (LAMDA), Wild East (Drama Centre), The Five Stages of Waiting (Tristan Bates Theatre), Fucking Outside the Box (VAULT Festival: The Vaults), Indian Summer (White Bear Theatre), Creditors (Cockpit Theatre), The Star-Spangled Girl (Karamel Club), Purgatorio (Karamel Club), Zero Degrees (The Annex Theatre) The Lark (Cockpit Theatre)
Short Plays Noah (Young Vic), Synergy, Vertical Line at Greenwich Theatre, Writer’s Avenue at Soho Theatre, Heavy Weather at Park Theatre, Writer’s Bloc at Charring Cross Theatre, Off Cut Festival at Riverside Studios, Breaking 30 at Worlds End Studios and for Rapid Write Response at Theatre 503.
For Audio The Diary of a Hounslow Girl (Audible) The Falling (Audible)
POT (National Tour/Ovalhouse/Stratford Circus), The Diary of a Hounslow Girl (Ovalhouse/Black Theatre Live National Tour/House Theatre National Tour/ Southbank Centre), Midsummer Roman Feast (as writer and director) (RSC), dirty butterfly (Co-director, Guildhall), Women Beware Women/’Tis Pity She’s a Whore (LAMDA), Wild East (Drama Centre), The Five Stages of Waiting (Tristan Bates Theatre), Fucking Outside the Box (VAULT Festival: The Vaults), Indian Summer (White Bear Theatre), Creditors (Cockpit Theatre), The Star-Spangled Girl (Karamel Club), Purgatorio (Karamel Club), Zero Degrees (The Annex Theatre) The Lark (Cockpit Theatre)
Short Plays Noah (Young Vic), Synergy, Vertical Line at Greenwich Theatre, Writer’s Avenue at Soho Theatre, Heavy Weather at Park Theatre, Writer’s Bloc at Charring Cross Theatre, Off Cut Festival at Riverside Studios, Breaking 30 at Worlds End Studios and for Rapid Write Response at Theatre 503.
For Audio The Diary of a Hounslow Girl (Audible) The Falling (Audible)
As Associate Director The Greatest Wealth (Old Vic).
As Staff Director The Ocean at the end of the Lane directed by Katy Rudd (National Theatre) and The Visit directed by Jeremy Herrin (National Theatre)
As Assistant Director The Winter’s Tale (National Theatre), Yerma (Young Vic & NT Live), B (The Royal Court), Myth (RSC), Creditors (Young Vic) The Rise and Shine of Comrade Fiasco (The Gate).
*Jerwood Assistant Director supported by The Jerwood Charitable Foundation
As Freelance Dramaturg Hush by Moon Mission in association with Patch of Blue (Gilded Balloon), Super Hero Snail Boy by Vertical Line in association with Greenwich Theatre (Bedlam Theatre), Skint by Rosie Kellett (VAULT Festival) and Naked by Jessica Burgess (VAULT Festival).
She has run development workshops at The National Theatre Studio for Megaball by Sonali Bhattacharyya and at The RSC for You Bury Me by Ahlam.
Download full CV
As Staff Director The Ocean at the end of the Lane directed by Katy Rudd (National Theatre) and The Visit directed by Jeremy Herrin (National Theatre)
As Assistant Director The Winter’s Tale (National Theatre), Yerma (Young Vic & NT Live), B (The Royal Court), Myth (RSC), Creditors (Young Vic) The Rise and Shine of Comrade Fiasco (The Gate).
*Jerwood Assistant Director supported by The Jerwood Charitable Foundation
As Freelance Dramaturg Hush by Moon Mission in association with Patch of Blue (Gilded Balloon), Super Hero Snail Boy by Vertical Line in association with Greenwich Theatre (Bedlam Theatre), Skint by Rosie Kellett (VAULT Festival) and Naked by Jessica Burgess (VAULT Festival).
She has run development workshops at The National Theatre Studio for Megaball by Sonali Bhattacharyya and at The RSC for You Bury Me by Ahlam.
Download full CV
Press
︎︎︎︎︎
‘Moniram blends humour with the more serious drama in the text and keeps the proceedings lively. I doubt you will see something more moving or a performance as strong’
British Theatre Guide on The Diary of a Hounslow Girl
︎︎︎︎
‘Sophie Moniram’s production is a winning combination of simplicity and ambition’
The Stage on The Diary of a Hounslow Girl
︎︎︎︎︎
‘An astonishing piece of new writing that is perfectly executed. … one of the most brutally uplifting and joyously upsetting shows of this year.’
Grumpy Gay Critic on The Five Stages of Waiting
‘Moniram blends humour with the more serious drama in the text and keeps the proceedings lively. I doubt you will see something more moving or a performance as strong’
British Theatre Guide on The Diary of a Hounslow Girl
︎︎︎︎
‘Sophie Moniram’s production is a winning combination of simplicity and ambition’
The Stage on The Diary of a Hounslow Girl
︎︎︎︎︎
‘An astonishing piece of new writing that is perfectly executed. … one of the most brutally uplifting and joyously upsetting shows of this year.’
Grumpy Gay Critic on The Five Stages of Waiting
︎︎︎︎
‘POT is a prescient, timely and engaging account of gang life...truly fine acting performances’
London Theatre on POT
︎︎︎︎
‘an absolute gut punch’
Everything Theatre on POT
︎︎︎︎
‘Acutely observed morality tale’
Reviews Hub on POT
︎︎︎︎
‘Fresh and hilarious…visually wonderful. An absolute must see’ Everything Theatre on The Diary of a Hounslow Girl
‘POT is a prescient, timely and engaging account of gang life...truly fine acting performances’
London Theatre on POT
︎︎︎︎
‘an absolute gut punch’
Everything Theatre on POT
︎︎︎︎
‘Acutely observed morality tale’
Reviews Hub on POT
︎︎︎︎
‘Fresh and hilarious…visually wonderful. An absolute must see’ Everything Theatre on The Diary of a Hounslow Girl
︎︎︎︎︎
‘Sophie Moniram is a director that astutely understands Dixey’s text. Every effort has been made to make the action feel as bone-fide as the characters. She’s not afraid of making long awkward silences just that, or have people talk over each other just like they would in real life.’
Grumpy Gay Critic on The Five Stages of Waiting
︎︎︎︎
‘Alongside laugh out loud moments, the play non directly asks hugely important and imminent questions about the struggles of identity felt by second generation immigrants’
SOOBAX on Diary of a Hounslow Girl
‘clever, modern and yet also timeless’
A Younger Theatre on POT
‘Sophie Moniram is a director that astutely understands Dixey’s text. Every effort has been made to make the action feel as bone-fide as the characters. She’s not afraid of making long awkward silences just that, or have people talk over each other just like they would in real life.’
Grumpy Gay Critic on The Five Stages of Waiting
︎︎︎︎
‘Alongside laugh out loud moments, the play non directly asks hugely important and imminent questions about the struggles of identity felt by second generation immigrants’
SOOBAX on Diary of a Hounslow Girl
‘clever, modern and yet also timeless’
A Younger Theatre on POT