Kate Golledge
From the school stage to global spectaculars, Kate Golledge has carved out a career telling big-hearted stories with imagination, scale, and soul. A Brighton Girls alumna (Class of ’99), she is now an internationally recognised theatre director and dramaturg whose work spans Disney, Cirque du Soleil, and the National Youth Music Theatre. Whether leading a team on a multimillion-dollar stage show or nurturing the next generation of young performers, Kate’s passion lies in crafting unforgettable experiences – and putting people at the centre of every story.
1. When you were at Brighton & Hove High School, and what is your fondest memory of school?
I was at BHHS from 1992 – 1999.
Two memories stand out. The first is our choir trip to Belgium – that magical combination of music, friendship, and freedom that felt so grown-up at the time.
The second is from the school play, when someone went off sick and I learnt the part in a single day. It was chaotic, exhilarating, and quietly life-changing; I fell hard that day for the unrepeatable thrill of live performance.
2. Who was your favourite teacher and why?
Caroline Schilt, our Drama teacher. It’s only since becoming an educator myself that I’ve realised how extraordinary her generosity was – the time, space, and respect she gave us as a sixth form drama group. She knew what we were capable of before we did, and she treated our ideas with total seriousness.f.
3. What were the benefits of being in an all-girls school?
There’s something powerful about growing up in an environment where young women are the default protagonists. That kind of environment normalises women leading, speaking up, taking risks.
Now that I work in storytelling, I think about that a lot. Who’s driving the story? Who gets the spotlight? Growing up where girls were always centre stage made it easier to imagine a world where that was the default – not the exception.
4. What did you want to be when you ‘grew-up’?
I always knew it would be something in theatre. I started out wanting to be an actor, trained in musical theatre, and then discovered directing – and realised that was where I felt most at home.
5. What do you do now, and what are the most rewarding and challenging parts of your job?
I’m a theatre director and creator of live experiences, working mostly in musical theatre and family entertainment. I’ve worked in the West End and internationally, and I’m currently developing new entertainment concepts for Disney and Cirque du Soleil. I’m also the Head of New Work at the National Youth Music Theatre, where I support young creatives and emerging musicals.
The most rewarding part is making something from nothing – and doing it with brilliant, generous people. Helping actors feel safe enough to be brave. Watching an audience lean in, laugh, or hold their breath.
The most challenging part is the uncertainty. As a freelancer, you have to build your own momentum and keep going, even when the next job isn’t visible yet.
6. What are you most proud of so far?
Apart from raising a really awesome eight year old, I’d have to say directing Disney: The Castle, a brand new immersive stage spectacular created for an international audience as part of Riyadh Season 2023. We played to over 6,000 people a night with live concerts taking place in front of the first Disney Castle ever to be built outside of a Park.
We had large-scale illusions, reimagined Disney music classics, and a team of over 200 people – performers, designers, technicians, crew, front of house staff – and the show ran for three and a half months. It was a huge creative, logistical, and cultural undertaking, and I was proud to lead the creativity from the ground up.
But honestly, I’m just as proud of the quieter work I do with young performers – building rehearsal rooms where they can take risks, tell the truth, and grow into the artists they’re becoming.
7. What was the best piece of advice you were given whilst at Brighton?
To slow down sometimes. I’m still working on it!
8. What advice would you give to your 18 year old self?
Take up space. You don’t have to shrink to fit. Trust your instincts – they’re stronger than you know. And you don’t have to earn rest.
9. What book, film or piece of music would you recommend to your younger self and to your fellow alumnae?
Book: Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull – part Pixar origin story, part leadership manual, and full of insight about how creative teams thrive.
Film: Coco – a joyful reminder that stories connect us across time and place.
Music: Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall – a guaranteed feelgood strut anthem. It’s about recognising something powerful in someone else… and then finding it in yourself.
10. How would you like to be remembered?
As someone who listened deeply, led kindly, and made space for others to shine. Who told stories that mattered – and helped others believe theirs did too.
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