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

He is currently a Director Associate for the Royal Ballet & Opera on the Jette Parker Artists Programme and next directing Charles Dickens’ The Signalman for Hydrocracker, where he is co-director. He has previously run the youth justice project tipping point and is a proud Trustee for Graeae.

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, the National Theatre Directors’ Course and the inaugural OPERA LAB: MAKING THE FUTURE OF OPERA (2024-2025) programme at the Royal Ballet & Opera. He is from Manchester and works between London and the North.

Recent work spans Associate directing for James Bonas and Aurora Orchestra at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, directing a graduate show for Royal Conservatoire Scotland and leading English Touring Opera’s flagship Lyrics project nationally.

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