Our Team

Dominic has been Artistic Director and Joint CEO of the Citizens Theatre since 2011. During his tenure at the Citizens, he has secured an unrivalled reputation for presenting bold new interpretations of classic texts that are relevant to contemporary audiences. He has frequently directed co-productions with the National Theatre of Scotland, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and many other partners across the UK as well as for Scottish Opera, Royal Shakespeare Company and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. 

Before joining the Citizens, he was Artistic Director of the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh and Joint Artistic Director of Dundee Rep. He has directed in theatres in London and throughout the UK. 

Alex joined the Citizens Theatre in March 2019 and prior to this he was Executive Director/Joint CEO of the Lyceum Theatre Company in Edinburgh since August 2010. He has also served as the Chair of the Federation of Scottish Theatre from 2012-2018. 

Born in Scotland, but raised in South Africa, he returned to the UK in the early nineties since when he has gained over 20 years’ experience in the performing Arts throughout the UK – from the Macrobert in Stirling and Northern Stage in Newcastle upon Tyne to a range of theatre companies in London such as the Young Vic, Unicorn, Almeida and Dash Arts. 

Paul McNamee is UK editor of The Big Issue. Having started out in local newspapers in Northern Ireland, he has worked for titles including The Daily Mirror, The Guardian, Belfast Telegraph and The Irish Times. Since his appointment as UK Editor in 2011, he has guided The Big Issue through a shift to digital-first output. He has won multiple prestigious awards for his work, including being named British Editor of The Year three times by the British Society of Magazine Editors. He is a regular contributor to news, politics and sports shows on the BBC and Sky.  

Susan Aitken was elected Leader of Glasgow City Council in 2017, forming Glasgow’s first ever SNP-led City Government. First elected as a councillor in 2012, following a career in public policy and communications, she was reappointed as Council Leader in 2022. Under her leadership, Glasgow hosted the UN Climate Summit COP26. She was Scottish Local Politician of the Year in 2019 for ending historic gender pay discrimination and Scottish Council Leader of the Year in 2021 for leadership on climate issues. Susan was one of 40 global city leaders selected for the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative Class of 2023. 

Gemma Bodinetz is the Director and CEO of The Lir, National Academy of Dramatic Art at Trinity College, Dublin. Previously she was Director of Drama, Dance, Production and Film at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland from 2021-2023. She was the Artistic Director of the Everyman and Playhouse Theatres in Liverpool for over 17 years. As a freelance director she has worked at major UK theatres including The Royal Court, Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Leeds Playhouse and Hampstead Theatre. Gemma has had several productions transfer to the West End and Off-Broadway. 

Dominic has been Artistic Director and Joint CEO of the Citizens Theatre since 2011. During his tenure at the Citizens, he has secured an unrivalled reputation for presenting bold new interpretations of classic texts that are relevant to contemporary audiences. He has frequently directed co-productions with the National Theatre of Scotland, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and many other partners across the UK as well as for Scottish Opera, Royal Shakespeare Company and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. 

Before joining the Citizens, he was Artistic Director of the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh and Joint Artistic Director of Dundee Rep. He has directed in theatres in London and throughout the UK. 

Jackie Kay was born and brought up in Scotland. She is the author of— among other books—The Adoption Papers, which won the Forward Prize, Red Dust Road, winner of the Scottish Book of the Year Award, Trumpet, and the Costa-shortlisted Fiere. She was the third Makar, or National Poet for Scotland (2016-2021). She is a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Salford. 

John has an M.A. from St Andrews University and an M.B.A. from Strathclyde Graduate Business School. He worked for for Marks and Spencer in both Finance and HR and key roles included  Head of Audit, Divisional Financial Controller, Head of Graduate Recruitment, Head of HR for Scotland and Head of Reward. Currently John is a lay member for Employment Tribunals and the Scotland Social Security Chamber. Throughout John’s career he has been involved in advisory roles for Edinburgh International Festival, The Association of Graduate Recruiters, Employability Leadership Group and the Government’s Employee Engagement Task Force.  John also works as an HR consultant which includes support for arts venues in London and Glasgow.

Neil is the Managing Director of Urban Union Ltd, a prominent housing-led regeneration business, with a focus on affordable and private tenures. This experience gives him a unique perspective and interest in community building. In addition, Neil serves as a Board Member for a well-known Registered Social Landlord and is formerly a Board Member of its development subsidiary.  

Neil is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. 

Judith was Director of Finance and Company Secretary of Scottish Opera for 20 years and is now the Deputy Finance Director for Birmingham Royal Ballet. Previously she worked as an auditor across the UK, specialising in the Charitable and Not For Profit Sectors. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, has a Diploma in Charity Accounting and is recognised as a Business Finance Professional. She has assisted many Scottish arts organisations in the areas of finance and governance. Judith is also a Director of Cheek by Jowl, Capella Nova and Vanishing Point.

Louise Welsh is the author of ten novels including The Cutting Room and To the Dogs. She has a ten-year practice in opera with composer Stuart MacRae. Louise was co-founder and director (with Jude Barber, Collective Architecture) of the Empire Café. She has received numerous awards and international fellowships, including Honorary Doctorates from both the Open University and Napier University, and Honorary Fellowships from the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program and the University of Otago. She is Professor of Creative Writing at University of Glasgow and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Society of Literature.