Francesca is a Welsh, working class theatre director and the previous Associate Artistic Director of Theatr Clwyd.
It has recently been announced that in 2026 Francesca will direct the inaugural production for Welsh National Theatre, Our Town, starring Michael Sheen in a co-production with The Rose Theatre and with creative associate Russel T Davies.
This summer she will co-direct the revival of Nye by Tim Price alongside Rufus Norris for The National Theatre and Wales Millenium Centre. In Autumn, Francesca will direct Snake in the Grass in co production with Theatr Clwyd and Bolton Theatre.
Francesca creates multi discipline, non-naturalistic theatre that champions unheard voices. She is interested in extraordinary real-life stories from everyday people. She enjoys working with new writing and reimagined classics and her work usually incorporates music and movement.
Francesca was selected for the inaugural Warner Bros. Discovery Access programme in partnership with Waterloo Road and the BBC, developing female directors for screen.
In 2023 she was chosen as one of the Development Artists for the RSC being mentored by writer and director Robert Icke and renowned international theatre company Cheek by Jowl.
Francesca trained at The National Theatre Directors Course and The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.
She was the first recipient of the 18 month Carne Traineeship for Directors in Wales, mentored by Tamara Harvey and prior to that the Trainee Director at The Other Room theatre in Cardiff.
She co-founded The Far Away Plays - an online play reading company that champions Welsh and Wales based creatives - with a view to revisit existing Welsh plays and discussing the place for those classics for today.
Francesca has been a visiting lecturer at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, LIPA, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Mountview and Leeds Conservatoire.
The Guardian, Sorter“Superbly staged, Francesca Goodridge’s incisive, focused direction confirms that she is one of Wales’ most exciting theatre directors.”
The Stage, A Pretty Shitty Love."Francesca Goodridge's production is stamped with style and boldness, marking her as one to watch.”
“Francesca Goodridge…is fast establishing herself as one of the smartest directors of her generation”
Christopher Haydon, Artistic Director, Rose Theatre