Jen Malarkey

Jen is a director, movement director and artist.  She is from Croydon and lives in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. 

She is the Artistic Director of performance company Encounter, making work across theatre, dance and screen. She directed I Heart Catherine Pistachio (2016) and The Kids Are Alright, (2019 - 2020) both collaborations with award-winning playwright Lee Mattinson. 

She trained at The BRIT School, Dartington College of Arts and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and through her company has partnered, collaborated with and toured Northern Stage, Soho Theatre, The Yard, The Lowry, The Place, The Albany, Live Theatre, Lancaster Arts, Z Arts, Traverse Theatre, Paines Plough and Fuel Theatre. 

Alongside directing she teaches actor movement in Higher Education with a special interest in access and inclusion. 

Press for The Kids Are Alright live performance and film.

"It’s ridiculous, absurd, infuriating and, at points, very, very sad. Which makes it an almost perfect portrayal of an attempt to navigate loss in the aftermath of an utterly unfathomable event.”  ★★★★ The Stage

“Extraordinary and surreal”  ★★★★★ The Stage