"You're bringing someone's truth to life for the first time."

Lara is a passionate, disabled, Yorkshire-based director and actor who trained at Leeds Conservatoire (BA Acting, 2024). Her directing credits include Sonja by Laura Graham, Bring Me The Head Of Dr Vohra and Assistant Director for Red Ladder’s courses two years running with Cheryl Martin (2025–2026). Her acting credits include ITV’s Gone (2026), Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet at Leeds Playhouse, and R&D with Hull Truck and Graeae Beyond (2026). Kate Maddison-Greenwell sat down with her to find out more about how she directs when the writer is in the room.

TLDR: Lara Wilson is a Yorkshire-based disabled director and actor (Leeds Conservatoire, 2024) who brings her actor's instincts into the rehearsal room. Her directing is rooted in collaboration, pace, and emotional arc. She's passionate about new writing in the North, believes creatives shouldn't have to move to London to matter, and wants to see disabled characters exist beyond their disability in stories. She directed Sonja for Rise & Howl and is currently working with Rebel Roots Theatre.

What does your role as a director look like when the writer is in the room, and how does that shape your creative decisions?

LARA: When the writer is in the rehearsal room, there is a huge responsibility to do the writing justice. You aren’t just reimagining a pre-performed play, you are helping them bring it to life for the first time. You want to honour their personal work. While that brings extra pressure, the reward is massive when you see the writer’s face light up because you’ve captured their "truth."

My directing style is rooted in collaboration and trust. I love leaning into the actors' instincts to help shape the piece, focusing heavily on:

• Pace - Finding the rhythm of the characters and keeping the audience engaged in the story. 

• Emotional Arc - What journey does the character go on?

• Intention - What does the character want in the play?

  
  

The biggest reward is when the writer sees their work brought to life in a way they didn't expect but love, adding extra depth to their words & characters. For example, when directing Sonja by Laura Graham, Liza is hiding from her ex-friend Sonja in a parked car and I’ve imagined at the start that Liza would see Sonja and duck in her car. This small choice then highlights the courage Liza finds at the end as she decides to start that daunting conversation with Sonja.

What is it like collaborating with Rise & Howl as a new theatre company?

LARA: I loved every minute of collaborating with Rise & Howl. Seeing their growth from the ground up has been incredibly fulfilling. It’s started to feel like a mini-community of creatives as you see familiar faces at their events.

I am deeply passionate about new work in the North. It can sometimes feel like creatives must move to London to be successful but Rise & Howl gives a vital platform for early-career creatives and new voices to thrive here in Yorkshire.

As a young disabled director and actor, what perspectives or strengths do you feel you bring into the rehearsal room and creative process?

LARA: My lived experience as a disabled artist, combined with my experience as an actor/director, allows me to lead a creative room with empathy, playfulness and openness.

My work as an actor directly informs my directing. Because I know what it’s like to stand in the actor's shoes, I am constantly thinking about:

• What an actor needs from me to feel supported.

• How to facilitate a space where actors can be bold and take risks.

  
  

I apply the various techniques I’ve learned during my training as an actor to help facilitate this for my actors. 

In return, being a director makes me a stronger actor. I have a deeper understanding of the "big picture” and the technical needs of a production. I know what it feels like to be on the other side.

What changes would you like to see in the industry to better support and represent disabled creatives, both on stage and behind the scenes?

The industry is already moving in such a positive direction and I’d love to see that momentum continue towards a more integrated way of working. 

I want to see more disabled characters whose plot purpose isn't centred solely on their disability. I love the idea of stories where disabled people exist as humans falling in love, solving mysteries, navigating family drama. Stories where their disability is simply part of them rather than the central conflict. 

I’d love to see the industry move toward a model where discussing access is a standard, two-way conversation from day one. When a company and a creative sit down on day one to chat about what everyone needs to thrive. It turns the rehearsal room into a space where everyone is empowered to be their most creative self from the start.

Ultimately, I strive to make the rehearsal room a collaborative playground where everyone, regardless of their background or ability, feels empowered to contribute to the story we are telling. When we lead with empathy and collaboration, the work becomes more accessible, more honest, and ultimately, more powerful.

Lara is currently in 'Gone' on ITV, playing Freya - you can catch this now!

If would like to see more of Lara's work, she is working with Rebel Roots Theatre on their “A Play in a Day” event on Saturday 30^th May 2026 at Slung Low Warehouse, Leeds.

You can get tickets here: GrassRoots: A 'Play in a Day' Event at Slung Low at The Warehouse in Holbeck event tickets from TicketSource

Lara Wilson Bio

Lara is a passionate, disabled, Yorkshire-based director and actor who trained at Leeds Conservatoire (BA Acting, 2024). Her directing credits include Sonja by Laura Graham, Bring Me The Head Of Dr Vohra and Assistant Director for Red Ladder’s courses two years running with Cheryl Martin (2025–2026). 

Her acting credits include ITV’s Gone (2026), Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet at Leeds Playhouse, and R&D with Hull Truck and Graeae Beyond (2026). 

Instagram: @dramalara Website: www.dramalara.co.uk

From Kate: Lara gets it. She's in the room as an actor, so she knows what actors need. She's behind the table as a director, so she knows what the story needs. That dual perspective makes the work better - and that's exactly the kind of creative we want around our table.

She's Yorkshire-based, early-career, and already doing serious work. That's who we exist for. The ones who are making it, right now, here in the North.

And she leads with empathy without softening the work. That's the balance we're always chasing.

This is what the pack looks like."

Rise & Howl Collective is a Yorkshire-based theatre production company founded by actors Kate Maddison-Greenwell and Paula Boyle. Our next production is The Shroud Maker by Ahmed Masoud, directed by Julie Domaille - a one-woman black comedy about an 80-year-old Palestinian woman who makes shrouds for the dead. 25 July 2026, Seven Arts, Leeds and 31 July 2026 in Hebden Bridge Little Theatre.

Tickets at www.riseandhowl.co.uk.