Marianne Elliott

“I suppose I always find a lot of characters that are deeply, deeply keening with a sense of yearning and desire through sadness, but they have a bravery that keeps them going despite that.”

“I had a very embarrassing time acting extremely badly at university, which is when directing suddenly became so attractive.”

“I'm drawn to female stories, of which there aren't that many, and particularly to stories now about older women. The things they have to confront and override is really fascinating. That's a whole untold part of our world.”

“The better the acting is, the less visible the director and the less visible the actor.”

“I didn't want to just be remembered for 'War Horse.'”

“Staging any play is very exposing because, if you are going to do it well, you have to put so much of yourself into it.”

“As you get older, you realise that your identity becomes more important - the environment in which you have grown is actually part of who you are just as much as your family or your school.”

“I hope for continued bravery and risk-taking for all theatremakers in 2018 and beyond.”

“It's difficult to find an actress prepared to play a fading star.”

“I never want to see 'Hamlet' ever again! Never ever!”

“I feel that if you're going to do theater, you've really got to throw yourself into the deep end. You have to commit your whole life and soul to it to make it the best it could ever be because theater can truly change people in lots of different ways. But I also think it can bore people to death, and it's quite a fine line between those two things.”

“I'm aware, as I get older, there are less and less stories that really pertain to me and who I am and where I'm going.”