The Royal Court Theatre has announced two new Trainee Directors for 2026 as part of its major investment in theatre directors.
Mayaan Haputantri (How To Defend Yourself, The Amazing Lemonade Girl) and Danielle Kassaraté (Associate Director, Stranger Things and the First Shadow) will join the artistic team in January and June 2026 respectively. Both will gain access to directing opportunities and work across departments, experiencing how the Royal Court operates at every level.
For the first time, Trainee Directors will receive a dedicated artistic budget on top of their salary to develop their own directing and creative projects. Alumni of the programme include Lyndsey Turner, who returns to direct Archduke as part of the Court’s 70th Anniversary Season, and Rufus Norris.
The Royal Court has also announced its inaugural cohort of Assistant Directors. The 2026 pool includes Aaliyah Mckay (Ballet Shoes), Yanni Ng (A Doll’s House), Nico Rao Pimparé (The Cherry Orchard), Molly Stacey (People, Places & Things), Charlotte Vickers (Cymbeline) and Tiffany Wong (Paddington – The Musical).
Selected via open applications, the Assistant Directors’ Pool will receive first access to apply for an increased number of paid assistant directing opportunities at the Court. They will also receive a one-off bursary, mentoring, and career guidance throughout the year.
The appointments follow the July 2025 announcement of an expanded support programme for directors. The Royal Court will employ an Assistant Director on all Upstairs productions and has doubled the number of Trainee Directors over the year. These positions sit alongside a programme of Open Opportunities for Directors at any stage of their career, including bookable slots at Open Technical Rehearsals and Directors’ Nights.
Aneesha Srinivasan said:
“It is a pleasure and privilege to bring this talented cohort of directors and artistic leaders together at the Court to spend the year learning ‘in the room’: whether that be through new assisting opportunities with the best directors in the business, or by being embedded in the core artistic processes that make the Royal Court what it is.”
The Royal Court Directors Programme is generously supported by The Foyle Foundation, The Katie Bradford Arts Trust, and The Fenton Arts Trust.
More information can be found here.
