Jonathan Man is one of the foremost British Chinese freelance theatre directors, passionate about theatre that uncovers new voices and pushes the boundaries between cultures.

His directing credits include: for Polka Theatre, Monkey! by Colin Teevan, retelling a much loved Chinese legend and performed in promenade. For Contact Theatre, Manchester: Diabolic Kyogen, an anarchic British Japanese comedy double bill; There’s Only One Wayne Matthews, a new Roy Williams play for children commissioned by Polka, following the friendship between two African Caribbean boys mad about football; The EA:ST Project, a play devised with local young British Chinese. 

For the Battersea Arts Centre: Taikonaut, a one woman show by Anna Chen.  For Soho Theatre: After Jane Eyre: Prism, a piece by Alia Bano for the Shared Experience Youth Theatre.  For the Young Vic: Voyage of the Three Star Gods, a community music project that intertwined African and Chinese influences.

He has been Creative Director for the East @ West festival for the West Wing arts centre in Slough for the past two years. He was recently artist-in-residence at the Lakeside Arts Centre in Nottingham, collaborating with international Chinese choreographer Rong Tao on innovative schools and community projects for the regional Chinese New Year festival.

Jonathan is a member of the artist leadership team for Sustained Theatre, a programme working with the Arts Council England to look at the long term infrastructure needs of the sector.

He is currently working with leading UK-Chinese writers to develop plays that tell hidden stories and celebrate the Chinese experience. For the China Now festival, he recently directed a double bill of two new plays, Journeys by Rosaline Ting & Wolf in the House by Simon Wu, for a showing at the Tara Arts Studio. He will also be developing and directing new work for Yellow Earth Theatre, the UK’s leading East Asian touring theatre company.