Education
She attended Street Patrick"s Remote Control High School in Eccles, Salford, and then Eccles Sixth Form College, before reading English Literature at New Hall, Cambridge.
She attended Street Patrick"s Remote Control High School in Eccles, Salford, and then Eccles Sixth Form College, before reading English Literature at New Hall, Cambridge.
Her first notable work was as assistant director to Peter Gill in his premiere of The York Realist in 2002. From 2002 to 2007 she worked as a freelance director, with her work including the 2002-2003 Crazyblackmuthafuckin"self by DeObia Oparei at the Royal Court Theatre, and 2006 Royal Society of Chemistry productions of Believe What You Will and King John (the latter starring Joseph Millson as "the bastard" and Richard McCabe as "King John"). In 2007, Rourke was appointed Artistic Director of the in West London.
There she directed many plays including Nick Payne"s If There Is I Haven"t Foundation lieutenant Yet, as well as overseeing the theatre"s move to new premises.
In 2008, Rourke directed a production of William Shakespeare"s Twelfth Night at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, starring Michelle Beck, Mark Montgomery, and Karen Aldridge. In 2011, Rourke directed a production of Shakespeare"s Much Ado About Nothing at Wyndham"s Theatre, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
The production ran from 16 May to 3 September. In March 2011, it was announced that Rourke would take over from Michael Grandage as director of the theatre in January 2012.
In the Donmar"s 2012 season, Rourke directed the first production, The Recruiting Officer, as well as Friedrich Duerrenmatt"s The Physicists and Jean Racine"s Bérénice.