Layla Se-Eun Kim is a theatre director / dramaturg / translator based in London and Seoul.

She is currently directing Blacked-Out Blocks by Xinyu Lu (Nomereach Theatre, Theatre Deli London) and Tell Tale by Olivia Cordell (No Such Theatre), and assistant directing RepresentAsian at the Lyric Theatre, West End, this Autumn.

Layla is also the London reviewer and columnist for The Musical magazine and is developing three new international collaborations and development projects.

UK credits: RepresentAsian (Lyric Theatre), Tell Tale (The Others), Blacked-Out Blocks (Theatre Deli — “Visually, the direction by Layla Se-Eun Kim is elegant and effective.”), Spirits (The Water Rats), The King and I (London Palladium), 1446 (The Other Palace), I Wait (Theatre N16), Pie in the Sky (Etcetera, Canal Café Theatre).

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Korea credits: Upcoming: Endless (Julia Riew), &Juliet (Max Martin, David West Read). Other work includes Six, Spring Awakening, A Hundred Words for Snow, The Nature of Forgetting, Hongryeon, Pride and Prejudice with 2 Actors, Midnight, Newsies, Wicked.

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As script translator / dramaturg: Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, The Wasp, Swing Days, The Whale Star, Six, A Hundred Words for Snow, Amélie, A Number, Beginning, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Skylight, Venus in Fur, Passion.

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As interpreter: Moulin Rouge, Next to Normal, The Lion King, Hadestown, The Immersive Great Gatsby, Something Rotten, Cats, Daddy Long Legs, Sweeney Todd, Jekyll & Hyde, Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
For K-pop: BTS, Blackpink, Stray Kids, Monsta X, SM Town, SF9, Baekhyun, Taemin, Zico, Day6.

& Queen, Lady Gaga, Mika, Green Day, Muse in Seoul. 

She has served as the Resident Director, Korean lyricist and librettist, rehearsal interpreter and back translation for the original Korean productions of Six. She introduced Luke Sheppard’s Spring Awakening (Hope Mill Theatre production) to Seoul, which is her absolute favourite show. Her past collaborations include working with international artists and companies such as Ivo van Hove, Matthew Bourne, International Theatre Amsterdam, Wayne McGregor, and Cirque du Soleil.

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Layla is a graduate of East 15 Acting School and Korea University. She is a proud member of the Young Vic Directors Network and the UK’s Musical Theatre Network.

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