Josie Rourke is a British theatre director.
She attended St Patricks RC High School in Eccles, Salford and her first notable work was as assistant director to Peter Gill in his premiere of The York Realist in 2002. From 2002 to 2007 she worked as a freelance director, with her work including the 2002-03 Crazyblackmuthafuckin'self by DeObia Oparei at the Royal Court Theatre and 2006 RSC productions of Believe What You Will and King John (the latter starring Joe Milson as 'the bastard' and Richard McCabe as 'King John')[1]. During that period she also worked as the Associate Director of Sheffield Theatres and Trainee Associate Director at the Royal Court.
In 2007 Josie was appointed Artistic Director of the Bush Theatre in West London.[2] There she has directed many hits including Nick Payne's If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet.
In 2011, Rourke directed a production of William Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing at Wyndham's Theatre, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate. The production ran between 16th May and 3rd September.
In March 2011, it was announced that Rourke would take over from Michael Grandage as the new director of the Donmar Warehouse theatre in January 2012, also directing the first production of 2012, The Recruiting Officer.