Ashley Scott Layton

Ashley trained in Theatre and Performance, later going on to study Theatre Directing at Birkbeck College, University of London.

Ashley has a wealth of experience across the London West End and internationally. After winning the Director’s Guild Award, he began a year long residency at the Lyric Hammersmith. He was the assistant director on five critically acclaimed productions before becoming the associate director on the Lyric’s production of Morning by Simon Stephens.

He worked with theatre makers across Europe including a festival residency at the Kammerspiele in Munich, a placement with Mala Voadora in Lisbon and writing a new version of Antigone for Greek and British actors in Athens.

Returning to the UK, he was the resident director on the acclaimed production of The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night Time at the Royal National Theatre. After this, he moved to the Canary Islands to help Spanish speaking students get into London drama schools.

Ashley’s classes thrive on collaboration and he seeks to nurture the idiosyncratic strengths of his actors. Having worked with an eclectic mix of companies from the Royal National Theatre to fringe groups across Europe, he has developed a wide range of insights and skills, allowing him to adapt to the needs of his students.

He always strives to create a rehearsal room which is safe but exciting, structured but surprising, and ultimately the perfect space in which students can explore the possibilities of their own creativity.

“Teaching is a vital force in my creative life and one which I take very seriously and enjoy very thoroughly.”