Adena Jacobs

Director

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Image: Pia Johnson

Adena Jacobs is the artistic director of independent company Fraught Outfit. In 2014-15 she was Resident Director at Belvoir, and in 2012 she was Female Director in Residence at Malthouse Theatre. Adena has presented her work internationally at the ENO in London and Tokyo Festival. In March 2021, she will premiere her production of Die Troerinnen (Trojan Women) at Vienna’s Burgtheatre.

​​Directing credits include TITUS ANDRONICUS (Bell Shakespeare/Sydney Opera House), SALOME (English National Opera), THE HOWLING GIRLS (Sydney Chamber Opera/Carriageworks, Tokyo Festival World Competition), BOOK OF EXODUS – PART I & II (Theatre Works), THE BACCHAE (Melbourne International Arts Festival, Dark MOFO), ANTIGONE (Malthouse Theatre), WIZARD OF OZ (Belvoir), OEDIPUS REX (Belvoir), HEDDA GABLER (Belvoir), EXIL (Sydney Chamber Opera/Carriageworks), PERSONA (Theatre Works, Malthouse Theatre, Belvoir), ON THE BODILY EDUCATION OF YOUNG GIRLS (Neon/Melbourne Theatre Company), ELEKTRA (The Dog Theatre), THE CITY (Red Stitch), THIS IS FOR YOU (La Mama) and CLEANSED (Studio45/VCA).​

​As a dramaturgue – THE SEEN AND THE UNSEEN directed by Kamila Andini (Salihara, Jakarta/The Esplanade, Singapore/AsiaTOPA Festival, Melbourne), THE DARK CHORUS (Lucy Guerin Inc/Melbourne International Arts Festival), RE-MAKE (Melanie Lane/Chunky Move), Nick Coyle’s BLUE WIZARD (Belvoir), and as associate artist on Jada Albert’s Brother’s Wreck (Malthouse Theatre).

​Adena graduated with a Bachelor of Creative Arts (honours) from Melbourne University (2004), and a Masters of Theatre Practice from VCA (2008) where she received the Yvonne Taylor scholarship for a female director. In 2011, Adena was awarded the Melbourne International Arts Festival’s Harold Mitchell Fellowship and the George Fairfax Memorial Award in 2018.

 Adena’s work has been nominated for numerous awards including Green Room, Sydney Theatre Awards, FBI SMAC and Helpmanns. Adena Jacobs’ and Damien Ricketson’s THE HOWLING GIRLS was awarded the prestigious Music Theatre NOW prize presented by the Music Theatre NOW Network and ITI, the Award for Outstanding (Sound Design) at Tokyo Festival World Competition and Best Vocal/Choral Work by APRA AMCOS at the 2019 Art Music Awards.

Adena is a Presenting artist for Hi-Viz Satellites 2022.