Brightlingsea young theatre director Richard Hornsby is going places.

As well as getting a very prestigious assistant director’s post for the Mercury’s current production of Noises Off, Richard is also making his way to Edinburgh for the fringe festival.

“I actually went to Edinburgh last year for the first time,” he says.

“But just as a punter, to watch plays and make the most of the experience.”

Richard will be putting on his own production at the international theatre festival.

“Taking a play up there is a very different matter altogether,” he says, “ and I’m extremely nervous about it but very excited about the opportunity too.”

Richard’s production of My Name is Rachel Corrie is one half of a pair of shows going up to Edinburgh this year thanks to the Lakeside Theatre at Essex University, the other one being the Intriguing Imagination of Arla Bell, a puppetry piece directed by Abi Bing.

“I saw it the other days and it’s brilliant,” Richard tells me. “Both of us have a lot to thank the Lakeside for but we still need to raise some more funds which is why I’ve set up a gofundme account.”

My Name is Rachel Corrie is a play based on the diaries and other writings of American peace activist Rachel Corrie who, aged just 23, was killed in the Gaza Strip where she was protesting against the destruction of Palestinian homes.

“I discovered the play as part of my studies,”

Richard explains. “When I started my MA what I was going to do changed quite a bit.

“I started with just theatre directing, then I moved over to theatre directing with languages and finally I decided to do theatre directing with human rights.

“It’s a practice-led masters, which means I have to present a production next summer which supports my dissertation, and I thought Rachel Corrie would be perfect for that.

“The play is a segment of Rachel’s diaries, journals and poetry which has been put together by actor Alan Rickman and journalist Katherine Viner.

“Essentially it’s a one-woman show but I’ve cast four different actors.

“I’ve done that for several reasons, one of which is because it’s exam time and it’s a little unfair to ask just one person to learn the whole show, but also because I wanted to have a mix of nationalities.

“Rachel Corrie was a young woman from America. That’s why her death hit the headlines but she spoke for people all over the world.

“I first read it in my third year as part of my theatre and human rights module and I instantly became attached to it.

“In fact over the past fewweeks rehearsing it has been really intense so Noises Off has been a welcome distraction.”

Born and brought up in Brightlingsea, Richard, 22, has been involved in the theatre since he was ten years old.

“My sister went to audition for the Brightlingsea Pantomime that year,” he grins, “and I think it was more curiosity than anything else. I wanted to know where she was going so I stood by the front window until she came home.

“In the end she only ever did that show and my other sister did one two. Noises Off, I think, is my 87th show.”

After the Brightlingsea Pantomime Group, Richard then joined the Seaview Players, at first doing the lighting and design before eventually stepping on to the stage himself, appearing in a number of hit shows such as AMidsummer Night’s Dream and the History Boys.

For the past fewweeks he has been back behind the scenes as part of his MA studies at Essex University, assisting Mercury Theatre artistic director Daniel Buckroyd.

“Two of us on the course had the opportunity to do placements and I chose the Mercury. It’s been a theatre I have been going to for many years so it was a bit of a thrill to get to work there.

“Mind you on the first day I was absolutely terrified.

Thankfully the cast were amazing. They came up to me and said ‘Hey don’t worry about it, we’re all new here too’.

“I’ve had such an incredible time doing this. Technically Noises Off is such a challenging and complex play so that’s been pretty good for me to see and just watching what Daniel does has already reaped its rewards with what I’ve been doing in Rachel Corrie.”

Noises Off continues its run at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, until Saturday.

For tickets call the box office on 01206 573948.

My Name is Rachel Corrie Edinburgh previews take place at the Lakeside Theatre, Essex University, on May 22 and 23 at 7.45pm. Tickets are £5, available by calling 01206 873261.

Anyone who would like to support Richard further in his Edinburgh Festival project can go to www.gofundme.com/mnirc-e2e