Suzanne Gorman is a Director, Producer, Facilitator and Coach.
Suzanne is passionate about making theatre that creates social change and strives to highlight unheard stories and bring diverse voices into the mainstream. For Maya Productions she has directed Dynamic Flights, Súper Chefs, Machinal, The Croydon Avengers, Barefoot Gen, Superheroes: South of the River, Babel Junction, In Time and Up North (work-in progress). She has written the book and lyrics M.A.B.E.L, a new musical that tells the migration story of an Anglo-Indian Family who move from South India to Sheffield in the 1960s.
Other recent achievements at Maya include producing Routes to Roots: A South Asian Heritage Project, a three year programme working with South Asian communities in Bradford, Croydon and Sheffield sharing 15 community performances, curating three exhibitions, one in each city, and producing three documentary films.
Suzanne was previously Education Director at Soho Theatre, directing over 15 new writing productions and pioneering the company’s groundbreaking site-specific and digital work with communities. Her trailblazing and critically acclaimed Moonwalking in Chinatown promenade for Soho Theatre was promoted as an example of “how arts and culture can impact on placemaking and identity“ in Westminster’s Arts and Cultural Strategy.
She was also Associate Artist at Derby Live and has held a range of associate artist and associate director roles with organisations including Sheffield Theatres, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Immediate Theatre and the Barbican.
Suzanne is a Clore Leadership Programme Fellow 2015/2016 and has worked at BBC Arts project managing the development of Performance Live. Her Clore/AHRC funded research project revealed the importance of global majority role models and leaders for inclusion in the arts. It has led to the creation of a Pocket Guide, development of a Race and Allyship Training Programme and the creation of Inclusion Boost , online Theatre Careers Toolkit
Suzanne is Relational Dynamic Coach accredited by Culture at Work and Relational Dynamics 1st Ltd. She is a Vice Chair of Immediate Theatre, and a Director of Dig Where You Stand. She is also a member of the South Asian Ambassadors Group at Sadlers Wells East.
“There needs to be more ethnically diverse visionaries like Suzanne Gorman who is also an experienced and inspiring director to work with.” Seema Bowri, actor
Suzanne’s directing at Soho Theatre includes Bagpuss,( co-production with Birmingham Stage Company) Tales of the Harrow Road, The Weave, 3 Days in July, The Westminster Prize, Under 11s and site-specific promenade productions Sohostreets and Moonwalking in Chinatown.
Other directing credits include:- The Walls Between Us (Farrah Chaudhry /Sampad), The Honey Man (New Perspectives Theatre Company/Derby LIVE) Behna (Kali/Soho Theatre), Starfish, (site-specific at Billingsgate Fish Market), Babel Junction (Maya Productions/ Hackney Empire) We All Fall Down, Can You See Me? The Spirit of Verona ( Immediate Theatre, In The Dark (Studio 3 Arts), Only Connect (Shared Experience), Untold Stories; Aspects of Black and Asian Lives in Stratford Bow 1600 – 1850. (Theatre Venture), A Stoke Newington Mum On War (Young Vic Studio), Love at First Degree-Bliss (Leicester Haymarket) and Theatre Ambush, The Hairy Ape, Limbo, Pirivan Piuma (Sheffield Theatres)
Suzanne’s writing includes Rites of Spice, The Cell Net, Queen of Kings and Stoke Newington Mum on War. She curated Britasia, a multi-disciplinary arts festival celebrating South Asian Arts at Theatre Royal Stratford East and once directed a celebration procession of over 1000 organisations and community groups.
Reviews and endorsements of Suzanne’s work
My own mental health is rocky today but I feel better for seeing a play that has a real community feel to it.
Audience member – Dynamic Flights
“With catchy songs and a consistent theme, delicious Latino food, everyone was mesmerised.”
LATINO LIFE ****
“The audience was invested and responsive, dancing and in some cases even calling out to warn the characters”
LOST IN THEATRE LAND
Director, Suzanne Gorman, creates a fast-moving narrative, interposing live action with clips of video, illustration, audio and audience participation…sophisticated, even slick, staging…in the scripting, projections and interplay of the young performers, some hidden theatrical superpowers are on display.
Spy in the Stalls on The Croydon Avengers
“Suzanne Gorman’s production is triumphant proof that small-scale need not mean limited ambition.”
Guardian on The Honey Man – 4 stars. Full Review Here
“In a time of real division and marginalisation, it’s essential that exhibitions challenge that”
“It encourages diversity and understanding of other cultures”
Sheffield Routes to Roots Exhibition Visitors
“The Walls Between Us was a compassionate and moving depiction of mental health, more specifically depression.”
The Walls Between Us – Full Review Here
Time Out on Bagpuss – 4 stars. Full Review Here
“A magical journey through Chinatown’s bustling, evolving present, and her dazzlingly symbolic past… Suzanne Gorman directs stupendously.”
Time Out on Moonwalking in Chinatown – 4 stars
“There’s warmth, fragrance and excitement here. And truth.”
The Observer on Moonwalking in Chinatown. Full Review Here
“I just want to say that this project is one of the best things I have ever done. It takes projects like this to allow those who wouldn’t usually experiment with their creative side to do so with courage.”
Participant in Tales of the Harrow Road.
“These projects are important as they open the young peoples minds to new ideas, It also helps them to show their hidden skills in an environment which appreciates it. It allows young people to be creative. It gave the refugees a sense of belonging.”
Youth Worker on Superheroes:South of the River
“It gives young people the opportunity to dream dreams. It opens up their horizons and opens up possibilities.”
Youth Worker on the Soho Slam youth programme at Soho Theatre