She began her three-year tenure at the Southwark Playhouse in January 2001. In addition to work at the Playhouse, she served as an associate Director on the long-running West End production of 'Art', directed works for the Royal National Theatre and English Touring Theatre, and began her association with the Peter Hall Company. Sharrock left the Southwark Playhouse in late 2003, and became artistic Director at the Gate Theatre in August 2004. She left this post in 2006, and had been widely tipped to take over at the Royal Court Theatre[2], although the post eventually went to Dominic Cooke. She served on the selection panel for the 2005 Linbury Biennial Prize for Stage Design, and is now a JMK Award trustee.