Former Rugby School student wins prestigious national theatre directing award

Former student and Performing Arts scholar, Emily Browning, has won the Buzz Goodbody Director Award for her production of Love and Friendship, written by Zara Stokes Neustadt. This is a huge accolade and sets her up for a professional career as a director.

Emily received a full academic and drama scholarship to Rugby School for sixth form, before going on to Durham university. At Durham she has directed over 10 shows exploring multiple theatre styles and has participated in the Durham Drama Festival for three consecutive years, receiving the award for Best Director in 2024. In August 2023, Emily directed and co-wrote a devised show for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and in 2024 she will be there again directing two plays. Emily’s passion for theatre also extends to facilitating the involvement and enjoyment of theatre for others as the president of two theatre companies where she has produced and managed performances on large scales. Emily has participated in work experience as an assistant director and production assistant for West End shows and TV, including for Runaway Entertainment and Paramount Plus, and is now seeking to begin her journey into a career directing theatre, film and TV.

In response to this wonderful news, Rugby School’s Artistic Director, Dr Tim Coker writes:

We are enormously proud of Emily’s achievement. The National Student Drama Festival Best Director award has launched the careers of some of the country’s finest theatre practitioners and I know that Emily will make the most of the opportunities this award gives her to further develop her career. We look forward to seeing where this will lead for Emily and to welcoming her back to Rugby, hopefully clutching an Olivier, a Bafta or even an Oscar or two, in the future.