Nathan is a director working across theatre, screen and audio on new writing, devised work and classical texts.

He is the Co-Director for immersive, site specific theatre company Hydrocracker, runs the youth justice project tipping point and is a Trustee for Graeae.

He has recently completed the Royal Ballet & Opera’s OPERA LAB: MAKING THE FUTURE OF OPERA (2024-2025) programme, part of the Jette Parker Artists Programme.

He has directed shows and projects for Liverpool Everyman, Storyhouse, Graeae, LAMDA, Orange Tree, National Theatre Learning, Donmar Warehouse LOCAL, Old Vic New Voices, National Youth Theatre and National Theatre Wales.

Nathan was nominated for the 2025 The Stage Debut Award for Best Director for his recent Main Stage production for Liverpool Everyman. He is the official Runner Up for the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award (2021) receiving a year long mentorship placement with English Touring Theatre, the Official Runner Up for the JMK Award at the Young Vic (2017), a Finalist for the Genesis Future Directors Award at the Young Vic (2018) and the Winner of the Deutsche Bank Award for Dramatic Art (2014).

He trained on LAMDA’s postgraduate directing course and the National Theatre Directors’ Course. He is from Manchester and based between London and the North.

Recent teaching includes Associate Lecturer in directing at University of Manchester, an Artist Led workshop at Sadler’s Wells ‘Creating Layered Dramaturgies: lyricism, movement and creative access’ and English Touring Opera’s flagship Lyrics project nationally.

He is currently working as Associate to James Bonas for Aurora Orchestra’s Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring at (Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, Snape Maltings).

To contact about projects and collaboration: nathancrossan-smith [at] hotmail [dot] com