Gabriella is a London-based theatre director and dramaturg with Turkish-Cypriot and Maltese heritage.
She studied Theatre Directing at Royal Holloway University with Katie Mitchell, as well as with the Young Vic Directors' Programme, British Youth Opera and was Apprentice at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in 2011-2012. From 2020-21 she was a Creative Associate at Jermyn Street Theatre and is currently working as Assistant Director at the RSC.
In 2016 she co-founded theatre company Plain Heroines whose recent productions SCRATCHES was nominated for an Offie and VAULT Festival award. Their debut production Madwomen in the Attic was shortlisted for the Eddies' Award, the NSDF award and was EdFringeReview's Critic's choice. The 4th Country was runner up for the 2020 Charlie Hartill Prize and transferred from VAULT Festival to Park Theatre in 2022.
As Director her work is often has music at its core and often incorporates or features Actor Musicians, frequently collaborating with students at Rose Bruford College. As Associate Director she has worked both nationally and internationally at theatres including the RSC, Sheffield Crucible, Theatre by the Lake, English Theatre Frankfurt, Deutsches Theater Munich and Jermyn Street Theatre.
Gabriella also works as an educator and facilitator, adapting and directing Shakespeare for Schools and running workshops for Youth Theatre and Young People. Her recent production of Macbeth toured with Orange Tree Theatre, Reading Rep and Guildford Shakespeare Company to schools and theatres across the UK and The Hague, Netherlands.