Matthew Xia is a multiple award winning theatre director, cultural leader, and multi-disciplinary artist whose work moves fluidly between stages, streets, and communities. Matthew began his career at Stratford East as a young actor and DJ under the name Excalibah, this unorthodox path through performance, music, and a love of audiences informs his distinctive approach.

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He directs across forms: drama, comedy, musicals, immersive theatre, family productions, site-specific and large-scale works, blending artistic daring with audience connection. Highlights include THE HARDER THEY COME at Stratford East, THE WIZ at Hope Mill Theatre, BLUE/ORANGE at the Young Vic (starring David Haig, Daniel Kaluuya, and Luke Norris), ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI…, BLOOD KNOT, EDEN, Marcelo Dos Santos’ Fringe First winning FEELING AFRAID AS IF SOMETHING TERRIBLE IS GOING TO HAPPEN, and the immersive production of THE ARCHITECT, staged on a moving London bus. That production explored Black British lives, memory, and future hopes, inspired by Stephen Lawrence, blending performance, steel pan music, and a celebratory finale in Woolwich town square.

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At Actors Touring Company (ATC), which he leads as Artistic Director and CEO, Matthew has directed AMSTERDAM, Michele Lee’s RICE, multiple iterations of Mojisola Adebayo’s FAMILY TREE (Alfred Fagon Award winner), BODIES OF WATER, and the European premiere and national tour of TAMBO & BONES. Under his leadership, ATC has become a globally-focused, socially conscious theatre company, championing international voices, urgent stories, and work that bridges local communities and global perspectives.

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In 2024, Matthew made his Donmar Warehouse debut with Dominique Morisseau’s SKELETON CREW.

 

In 2022, he co-adapted HEY DUGGEE: THE LIVE THEATRE SHOW, which toured nationally and won the 2023 Olivier Award for Best Family Show.

 

In 2025, he directed the critically acclaimed stage adaptation of THE HARDER THEY COME, adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks.

 

Earlier in his career, he was Associate Artistic Director at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, where he directed INTO THE WOODS, a brand new FRANKENSTEIN by April De Angelis, and Katherine Soper’s Bruntwood Award–winning WISH LIST (starring Joseph Quinn & Erin Doherty), while founding OPEN EXCHANGE, a funded programme supporting thousands of early-career theatre-makers.

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Matthew is a founding member of Act For Change, a trustee of Cardboard Citizens and Get Into Theatre, and has judged the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, the Alfred Fagon Award, and the Eurovision Song Contest.

 

He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of the Arts London (UAL) for his work making theatre more equitable, accessible, and representative.

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Matthew’s work is driven by curiosity, collaboration, and a commitment to storytelling that resonates, challenges, and connects - whether on a stage, a moving London bus, across the UK and beyond.

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Matthew is a DJ, composer and occasional sound designer under the pseudonym Excalibah.

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Recent Directing 

THE HARDER THEY COME by Suzan-Lori Parks featuring songs by Jimmy Cliff (Stratford East / Washington Square Films)

SKELETON CREW by Dominique Morriseau (Donmar Warehouse)

TAMBO & BONES by Dave Harris (ATC / Stratford East & National Tour)

THE ARCHITECT by Roy Williams, Bola Agbage, Mojisola Adebayo, Dexter Flanders, Vanessa Williams & Matthew Xia (ATC / GDIF)

HEY DUGGEE: THE LIVE THEATRE SHOW by Vikki Stone & Matthew Xia (Kenny Wax / Cuffe & Taylor) OLIVIER AWARD WINNER 

FEELING AFRAID AS IF SOMETHING TERRIBLE IS GOING TO HAPPEN by Marcello Dos Santos (FMP) FRINGE FIRST WINNER 

THE WIZ by Charlie Smalls & William F Brown (Ameena Hamid Productions / Hope Mill / Chuchu Nwagu) 8 NOMINATIONS AT BBTAS 

RICE by Michele Lee (ATC / Orange Tree and National Tour) 

FAMILY TREE by Mojisola Adebayo (ATC / Young Vic / Greenwich & Docklands International Festival / Belgrade / Brixton House) 

846LIVE by N. Martello White, N. Powell, S. Srivastav and S. Thompson (Stratford East / Greenwich & Docklands International Festival)

AMSTERDAM by Maya Arad Yasur (ATC / Orange Tree / Plymouth Theatre Royal) 

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI... by Kemp Powers (Nottingham Playhouse / Bristol Old Vic / HOME)  

BLOOD KNOT by Athol Fugard (Orange Tree Theatre) 5x OFFIE NOMINATED 

SLEEPING BEAUTY by Sarah Nixon, Mark Chatterton and Robert Hyman (Theatre Royal Stratford East)

SHEBEEN by Mufaro Makubika (Nottingham Playhouse /  Theatre Royal Stratford East) ALFRED FAGON AWARD WINNER

FRANKENSTEIN by April de Angelis after Mary Shelly (Royal Exchange)

WISH LIST by Katherine Soper (Royal Court) BRUNTWOOD AWARD WINNER / STAGE DEBUT AWARD / UK THEATRE AWARD

BLUE/ORANGE by Joe Penhall (director) EVENING STANDARD LONG LISTED

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Manchester Royal Exchange - Associate Artistic Director

FRANKENSTEIN by April de Angelis after Mary Shelly (director)

WISH LIST by Katherine Soper (director) BRUNTWOOD AWARD WINNER / 3x MANCHESTER THEATRE AWARD WINNER 

INTO THE WOODS by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim (director)

BRINK by Jackie Kay (director)

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Young Vic

BLUE/ORANGE by Joe Penhall (director) EVENING STANDARD LONG LISTED

THE SOUND OF YELLOW by Francesca Beard, Matthew Xia and the participants (director)

SIZWE BANZI IS DEAD by Athol Fugard, Winston Nshona, John Kani (director) (Eclipse co-production) GENESIS AWARD 

BLACKTA by Nathaniel Martello-White (assistant director to David Lan)

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Theatre Royal Stratford East - Associate Director 

SLEEPING BEAUTY by Sarah Nixon, Mark Chatterton and Robert Hyman (director)

MAD BLUD by Philip Osment (associate director to Philip Osment)

THE BLACKS (REMIXED) by Jean Genet (co-director with ULTZ /composer/actor)

RE:DEFINITION a staged concept album starring: Fumin, Shola Ama, Ghetts, Devlin, Omar (director)

I WAS LOOKING AT THE CEILING AND THEN I SAW THE SKY by John Adams prod. Barbican (co-director Kerry Michael)

CINDERELLA by Trish Cooke and Robert Hyman (co-director Kerry Michael)

ALADDIN by Trish Cooke and Robert Hyman (associate director to Kerry Michael)

SKIN by Toby Wharton (reading - director)

INHERITANCE by Mike Packer (reading - director)

DA BOYZ by Rogers and Hart (musical director/adapter/performer)

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​Other Directing

40 EXTRAORDINARY YEARS by Laura & Babs Horton feat. Biggins, Theo Clinkard, Birmingham Royal Ballet (Theatre Royal Plymouth)  

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI... by Kemp Powers (Nottingham Playhouse / Bristol Old Vic / HOME)  

BLOOD KNOT by Athol Fugard (Orange Tree Theatre) 5x OFFIE NOMINATED 

DUBLIN CAROL by Conor McPherson (Sherman Theatre Cardiff) 

EDEN by Hannah Patterson (Hampstead Theatre Downstairs) 

SUCKERPUNCH BOOM SUITE a staged mixtape in response to Basquiat (Barbican / NitroBEAT) 

WISH LIST by Katherine Soper (Royal Court) BRUNTWOOD WINNER / STAGE DEBUT AWARD / UK THEATRE AWARD

MIGRATION MUSIC by Saphena Aziz (Liverpool Everyman)

SCRAPPERS by Daniel Matthew (Liverpool Playhouse)

THE MISANTHROPE by Roger McGough after Moliere (Liverpool Playhouse - asst. director to Gemma Bodinetz / ETT Tour)

BLACKLANDS by Levi David-Addai (Alfred Fagon Award Reading, Cottesloe - National Theatre)

WILD CHILD by Arinze Kene (Royal Court - Rough Cut)

THE MACHINE SPEAKS by Matthew Xia, Sarah Sayeed and cast (Contact Theatre)

RUTH THE DIVORCEE AND BARRY THE LOVE SICK BEE by Jon Brittain (Soundbites at Lyric Hammersmith Studio)

ABANDONMENT by Tom Morton-Smith (Soundbites at Rich Mix) 

SOYUZ 40 by Kenny Emson (Soundbites at Theatre 503)

RE:DEFINITION a staged concept album starring: Kano, Donaeo, Ghetts, Scrufizzer, Mpho (Urban Development at Hackney Empire)

IN HIS HANDS by Roberto Martins (Okai Collier at Hackney Empire)

WHEN CHAPLIN MET GANDHI by Jim Kenworth (Site specific piece at Kingsley Hall)

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Composition | Sound Design

THE PEOPLE ARE SINGING (Manchester Royal Exchange / World Stages / British Council)

FLASH MOB (Greenwich and Docklands Festival)

FREE RUN (Underbelly Productions)

THATS THE WAY TO DO IT (Time Wont Wait)

SQUID (Theatre Royal Stratford East)

MAD BLUD (Theatre Royal Stratford East)

STICK TO THE SCRIPT (Cardboard Citizens)

A CLEAN BREAK (Theatre Royal Stratford East)

HANSEL AND GRETEL (Theatre Royal Stratford East)

ORIGIN: UNKNOWN (Theatre Royal Stratford East)

NATIONAL SLAM CHAMPIONSHIP as DJ (Theatre Royal Stratford East)

THE SNOW QUEEN (Theatre Royal Stratford East)

FAMILYMAN (Theatre Royal Stratford East)

MEDEA (Theatre Royal Stratford East)

BOLERO REMIXED (New London Orchestra)

VEX (Crying Out Loud)

IN HIS HANDS (Okai Collier)

PASS THE BATON (New London Orchestra)

PUSH FESTIVAL (Young Vic)

AEROPLANE MAN as DJ (Theatre Royal Stratford East)

ASK DA MAYOR as DJ (Theatre Royal Stratford East)

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