Australian director Amanda Brotchie, known for Riot Women, Doctor Who, Renegade Nell, Gentleman Jack, The Letdown, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Mr Black, Girlboss, and Lowdown, has died after a battle with cancer according to a 19 December Instagram post shared by her husband Adam Zwar.
Brotchie, also a writer, producer, actor and linguist. She had a PhD in linguistics, from the University of Melbourne.
The last project Amanda Brotchie directed were three episodes of the 2025 BBC One drama Riot Women, created by Sally Wainwright, which aired recently and received critical acclaim.
Before that, she directed two episodes of Doctor Who Season 2, Lux and The Well, starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor.
Among other television shows Brotchie has directed are A Place to Call Home and Squinters.
Her theatre credits include The Inner Sanctum, which she directed, and Headlock, which she wrote and directed and was nominated for a Green Room Award for Writing.
Brotchie directed the multi-award-winning short film Break & Enter (1999). Her awards included an AFI award for Best Short Film, and the Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Short Film.
Though Amanda Brotchie’s life was tragically cut short by cancer, her legacy as a pioneering Australian director — marked by sharp wit, emotional depth, and groundbreaking work on shows like Doctor Who, Gentleman Jack, and Lowdown will continue to inspire and illuminate screens around the world for generations to come.
