ABOUT

Lydia is a theatre director and dramaturg, born and raised in London. Her work excavates and amplifies the human experience, questioning the factors and social constructs that shape our relationships, identity and behaviour. She engages with how we can use theatre to speak to the contemporary audience, through developing new writing and re-imagining classic texts.​

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Lydia is co-founder of Gentlewomen Production House, a theatre and film company for emerging artists, focusing on externalising the female experience. 

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Lydia was literary assistant at the Finborough for the last three years, responsible for organising the theatre's attendance at all new work invitations across the UK. She is script reader for the Park, and runs her own script-reading service. 

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She will be associate director on the west end transfer of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Cyrano de Bergerac, playing at the Noel Coward Theatre this summer. This is following its previous success at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-Upon Avon, where she was assistant director on the production. 

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Her love for working with actors has also led her to freelance as a casting assistant for the last five years, working across film and TV.  She recently spent two months in Mexico & Dubai, working on a new televisions series as assistant to the directors. 

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Lydia is represented by Lou Davidson at Simon & How Associates. 

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Awards: 

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Winner of Best Show for The Effect - The Scribe Arts Magazine (2017)

'McKinley's direction provides a slick and interesting examination of human thoughts and feelings, and should be applauded wholeheartedly' 

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Training:

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MA Drama Directing - Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, 2022-23

First Class Honours in BA English Literature & Theatre Studies - Leeds University, 2015-18

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Creative Facilitation - Clean Break 2024

Director Programme - WoLab, 2020

The Director's Cut - Southwark Playhouse, 2019 - 22

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