This page part of my application for a time sensitive R&D NLPG and showcases some of my past work as an individual practitioner.

My name's Max (he/him). I'm a New Zealand-British-Irish director and writer.

Whilst there is often a strong movement element to my work, and questions around love and time tend to reappear, my practice does not yet lie in one form or genre.

I am always searching to find moments that can unlock the extraordinariness of our ordinary lives - moments where we feel greater than the limits of our experience - however that manifests in story on stage and screen.

I trained on LAMDA's MA Directing programme and founded Southern Magpie, picking up Offie Nominations for Best Director, Best Movement and a Pub Theatres Award for Show of the Year in 2017.

I've worked as an assistant director to Olivier Award winning director Rebecca Frecknall and North Wall Artistic Director Ria Parry, and I've been mentored by former Donmar Warehouse Artistic Director Mike Longhurst and Auckland Theatre Company Artistic Director Colin McColl.

In 2019-2020, I traveled to meet theatremakers and producers across New Zealand, including indigeounous practitioners of Theatre Marae, a combination of Māori and Western theatre/meeting place (Marae) practice, which first introduced me to cross-cultural practices. That exploration was put on hold and ultimately canceled due to covid lockdowns as I came back to the UK in 2020.

I'm incredibly excited to restart that development and have a more structured R&D phase, to see in what ways how cross-culutral practice might inform the next part of my career.

I am committed to access and inclusion in the arts, and have my Level 1 British Sign Language Qualification. I have held a residency to work with young people at Bedales School and been commissioned by drama schools Mountview and LAMDA to create work for and with young people and D/deaf and disabled actors. I am currently in post production on my second short film which is based on the work developed there.

Some additional press quotes below:

Directos Lab North workshop

ETC at Avignon Festival

Panel discussion at Avignon Festival

International work at Avignon

Gruesome Playground Injuries (2025)

You will never, never see a love story like it. All aspects of the production were jaw-dropping. I had a little cry." ***** Central Tickets

“Matsell and Carrington bounce off one another brilliantly and are a joy to watch” **** theatre and tonic

“Taut revival of Rajiv Joseph’s grisly play gets under your skin” The Stage

“A wicked sense of humour. Highly recommended!” **** Londontheatre1

“the audience could feel the raw emotion... touching and heartfelt” South London News

Skin Tight (2021 & 2017)

"bursts with passion and energy... the set, lighting and sound design intertwine, working beautifully together" ***** A View From the Outside

"Sensual and balletic...expertly directed" ***** Close Up Culture

"The clarity of Max Kirk's direction and staging is impeccable" ***** thespyinthestalls

"Kirk’s direction is dynamic from the offset" ***** londonpubtheatre

"draws the audience in and holds them spellbound" ***** londontheater1

"Moving, provocative, and truly original as a piece of art" - Islington Tribune

**** 1/2 Breakingthefourthwall

"Flawless... heartbreaking" Miro Magazine

Henna Night (2018)

"An intelligent and well-observed two-hander"Susan Elkin, Sardines magazine

His Dark Materials (2016)

"a masterful display of performance, narrative, and sheer emotional lucidity."***** Epigram

"plays of poetry, love and drama that draw you into their world" ***** Intermission Bristol

Low Tide in Glass Bay (2014)

‘Directors… deserve enormous credit for shaping the production into such a heady cocktail of laughter and melody’ **** Edfringe review

"keeps the laughs coming... a likeable look at what happens when grown-ups still have a lot to learn from the school of life."The Scotsman

Gruesome Playground Injuries