press

time and tide

“rob ellis’s quaint and emotional direction works as he clearly evokes a feeling of pure comedy versus melancholia with a slight tinge of possible tragedy” — ★★★★★ boyz magazine

“director rob ellis ensures the action is carefully paced, taking its time to establish the characters and then exploding into moments of wonderful theatre” — ★★★★★ pocket size theatre

“rob ellis’s direction is tight and makes good use of the small stage to convey the claustrophobic nature of the play, together with the repetitive physicality of running of an end of pier cafe. ” — ★★★★ theatre news

“with a convincing script from mcdermott and strong direction from rob ellis, time and tide is a smooth production which flows well and avoids any moments of lagging” — ★★★★ from page to stage

“the leisurely pace of director rob ellis’s production varies subtly to reflect mood swings between pathos and humour, always allowing four fine performances to flourish” — ★★★★ the reviews hub

“the director, rob ellis, ensures that the pace inherent in the dialogue is maintained throughout, and the third act especially is painful and moving to watch” — ★★★★ londontheatre1

cuttings

“the three actors bounced off one another with superb chemistry and pace moving the story along slickly and built the comedy tenfold. a fantastic production, cuttings is a modern comedy for a modern audience and it is a revelation” — ★★★★★ london theatre reviews

“rob ellis’s direction is defined, pacey, and superbly well-observed...cuttings is a complete five-star must-see triumph” — ★★★★★ the review chap

“rob ellis directs the play and gives it a snappy and fresh pace that keeps in line with the millennial feel of the text.” — ★★★★ broadway world

“rob ellis’ energetic direction makes good use of the hope theatre’s small performance space, the trio’s stalking of the space mimics the frenetic pace of their thought processes” — the stage

“every inch of the small space of the hope is used well, with attention to detail and the intimacy really does make the audience feel part of the story” — ★★★★ londontheatre1

“rob ellis’ production starts at a run and rarely pauses for breath during the 75 minutes that follow. the same goes for the actors, and joan potter, natasha patel and maisie preston never miss a beat as the three women hilariously brainstorm and bicker their way in real time through a hectic monday morning” — the blog of theatre things

unicorn

“suitably packaged in an unpretentious format, with well-judged, engaging performances inspired by commendable direction that finds just the right pace and tone, there’s more than enough here to both entertain and provoke thought” — ★★★★ actdrop

“rob ellis’ idea to keep the story flowing is effective. this production is a delight to watch as an aspiring artist — a younger theatre

unicorn is a multifaceted piece of theatre that keeps its audience thoroughly engaged throughout” — ★★★★ theatre weekly

the 39 steps

“a skilfully written adaptation and the actors served it well under the spot on direction of rob ellis.” — ★★★★ spy in the stalls

“directed, or perhaps choreographed, by rob ellis, he is brilliantly assisted by dom ward and emily grimson as the cast of hundreds. well worth a visit.” — camden new journal

a matter of life and debt

“one of the best absurdist plays i’ve ever seen” — ★★★★ ed fringe review

“hyper imaginative, highly original, a promising new company” — ★★★★ the scotsman

as associate director:

it’ll be alt-right on the night

“rejects easy stereotypes...and its all the bolder for it” — ★★★★ the scotsman

“a fine solo performance around the radicalisation of the disenfranchised, told with a backdrop of music as you will have never have heard it before.” — ★★★★ everything theatre

“blisteringly funny...a sharp script, delivered with a delirious energy that’s hard to resist” — ★★★★ the list

“tautly written study of the unifying capacity of music and the destructive capacity of a toxic political debate...the play is as vigorous as it is topical” — ★★★★ ed fest

bismillah! an isis tragicomedy

“brilliantly acted, lots of funnies” — ★★★★★ hiive

“a shining example of how theatre can educate, evoke empathy and open the minds of its audience on a complex and heart-breaking subject matter.” — ★★★★★ the live review

“a number of complex socio-political debates are touched upon with sensitivity and nuance, even between the dick jokes” — ★★★★★

theatre box “a wonderfully sympathetic piece of writing, brimming with insight, humour and humanity.” — ★★★★ the stage

“powerful, hilarious and gripping” — ★★★★★ the list