Isabella Bywater is an award winning director and designer for Opera and Theatre. She has directed numerous critically acclaimed Operas and designed sets and costumes for over 50 productions in the UK and internationally.
She recently directed and designed Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw for the English National Opera at London Coliseum, with Ailish Tynan as the governess and Rob Murray as Quint.
Isabella also previously directed and designed Gorecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs for the English National Opera conducted by Lidyia Yankovskaya, with soprano Nicole Chevalier.
Her debut as director and designer was Gounod’s Faust at the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, conducted by Valery Gergiev.
She was nominated 2 Golden Mask Awards for best production design and best costume design and nominated a Golden Sofit Award for best scenography; winning the Golden Sofit Award for Best Opera Production of 2011 for A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Mariinsky, St Petersburg.
Upcoming Work:
Directing the ENO La Boheme (that she also designed) at Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville opening in December 2026.
Adapting (to direct and design) Emily Wilson’s translation of the Odyessy for a new opera, being written by composer Tom Smail.
The Turn of The Screw at English National Opera
‘Bywater shows she knows the novella and the opera equally well… Applies maximum terror and resonates long after the performance.’ Five stars **** The Arts Desk
‘Isabella Bywater’s intelligent and demanding production injects fresh menace into Henry James’s tale of a ghosts and dark histories’ Four stars **** The Guardian
‘A spine tingling show’ Four stars **** The Times
Four stars **** The Telegraph
Four stars **** Financial Times
Four stars **** Opera Now
Symphony of Sorrowful Songs at English National Opera
‘Hauntingly beautiful production’ Five stars ***** The Times
‘Visionary’ Five stars ***** The Stage
‘Absorbing and emotionally wrenching visualisation’ Four stars **** The i
‘Stunning’ Four stars **** The Guardian
‘Enthralling’ Four stars **** Financial Times
‘Achieved full marks for beauty and mystery’ Four stars **** The Observer
‘ENO is to be congratulated on a production that brings out the best in Górecki’s powerful music’ Four stars **** Daily Express
Lucia Di Lammermoor at Danish National Opera
‘It was a thriller… a brilliant event – clear and inspiring’ John Chritiansen, JCKlassisk
‘A really great staging… a positive surprise… Five stars. *****’ Flensborg Avis, Rigmor Eybye
‘Grippling and moving. The mad scene was paralysing – violent, gentle, wild, despairing and dreamy, leading down several paths at once. An unexpected ecstasy. Four stars. ****” Gregers Dirckinck-Holmfeld
‘The performance of the famous mad scene was insane… it elevated Den Jyske Opera. Four stars. ****” Kristeligt Dagblad
‘A very compelling and gripping performance. Four stars. ****” Ole Staarup, Aarhus Stiftsidende
La Boheme at San Diego Opera
‘A wonderful verismo production designed and directed by Isabella Bywater’ David Gregson Opera West
Faust at the Mariinsky Theatre
‘ Isabella Bywater’s Faust at Mariinsky: fresh ideas, rich colours, musically responsive. Knocks out the Victorian stuffing ‘ Rupert Christiansen @TelegraphOpera
‘ Much to Bywater’s credit the director turned this sentimental opera (Faust) into a production that is more philosophical… toyed intelligently with the divine and the devilish ‘ St Petersburg Times
Productions Directed & Designed by Isabella Bywater
The Turn of The Screw English National Opera
Symphony of Sorrowful Songs English National Opera
Suor Angelica Den Norske Opera Oslo
Il Tabarro & Gianni Schicchi Den Norske Opera Oslo
La Boheme San Diego California
Lucia Di Lammermoor Jyske Opera
Faust Mariinsky Theatre
Video
Galleries
Productions Designed by Isabella Bywater
Madam Butterfly Lindy Hume Welsh National Opera
Idomeneo Stephen Medcalf Buxton Festival Opera
Don Pasquale Jonathan Miller Bilbao
Boheme Jonathan Miller Liceu Barcelona
La Traviata Claudia Solti Mariinsky St Petersburg
Aida Stephen Medcalf Royal Albert Hall London
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Claudia Solti Mariinsky St Petersburg
King Lear Jonathan Miller Northern Broadsides
Don Pasquale Jonathan Miller La Scala Milan
Rutherford & Sons Jonathan Miller Northern Broadsides
Don Pasquale Jonathan Miller ROH Covent Garden
La Boheme Jonathan Miller Cincinnati/ English National Opera
La Traviata Jonathan Miller Glimmerglass, Vancouver & New York City Opera
Fidelio Jonathan Miller Musikhuset Aarhus
Der Rosenkavalier Jonathan Miller New National Tokyo
The Cherry Orchard Jonathan Miller The Crucible Sheffield
Jenufa Jonathan Miller Glimmerglass
L’Elisir d’Amore Jonathan Miller English National Opera & New York City Opera
Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail Stephen Medcalf Ancona, Cagliari & Palermo
La Clemenza Di Tito Jonathan Miller Opernhaus Zurich
Falstaff Jonathan Miller New National Tokyo
Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail Jonathan Miller Opernhaus Zurich
L’Elisir D’Amore Jonathan Miller Kungliga Stockholm
The Macropulos Case Knut Hendriksen Kungliga Stockholm
Eugene Onegin Jonathan Miller Santa Fe Opera & Seattle
Don Pasquale Jonathan Miller Teatro Comunale di Firenze
Ermione Jonathan Miller Santa Fe Opera
I Puritani Jonathan Miller Bayerische Staatsoper
Nabucco Jonathan Miller Opernhaus Zurich
Ezio Stephen Medcalf Theatre Des Champs-Elysees Paris
Cavalleria Rusticana Pagliacci Knut Hendriksen / Kungliga Stockholm
King Arthur Francisco Negrin Guildhall School of M&DKing
Of Mice & Men Dominic Cooke Nottingham Playhouse
The Flying Dutchman Keith Warner New Sussex Opera
Titus Andronicus Deborah Warner Royal Shakespeare Company
The Turn of the Screw Robert Carsen Britten Theatre London
Eugene Onegin Nicholas Hytner Jack Lyons Theatre London
Contact
Isabella Bywater
+44 (0) 7773 324 474
Agent:
EMMA VENTRIS at Athole Still
