Melanie Spencer

Melanie is a writer-director working in theatre, TV, film and radio. Hampstead Theatre and BBC Radio 4 have produced her writing work, and she has undertaken assignments from Royal & Derngate, ETT, Royal Court, Headlong and National Theatre Studio. She has been longlisted for The Bruntwood Prize and received five and four-star reviews from The Times, Time Out, Evening Standard and The Independent .  

Melanie participated in Chichester Festival Theatre’s inaugural playwright’s scheme under the mentorship of Suhayla El-Bushra (exec. producer of Ackley Bridge) and was National Theatre of Scotland’s nomination for Pearson Playwright. Melanie is an alumnus of the Channel 4 Screenwriters Initiative, working with Sian Robins-Grace (exec. producer of Sex Education).   

Her writing was recognised with the JB Priestley prize from the Royal Literary Foundation. Her screenplays have placed in top ten and quarter-finalist position in international competitions including the Stephen Knight Prize (elected by the creator of Peaky Blinders), Page Awards, Final Draft’s Big Break.  

As staff and associate director, Melanie has worked for the National Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Headlong, HighTide, Gate Theatre and the Lyric Hammersmith. She is also a credited casting director on high-profile documentary films for BBC and Channel 4.