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| Kwame Kwei-Armah named new artistic director of Young Vic | Kwame Kwei-Armah named new artistic director of Young Vic |
| (4 months later) | |
| Award-winning British playwright, who is currently director of Baltimore’s Center Stage, will take over role next year | |
| Hannah Ellis-Petersen | |
| Tue 26 Sep 2017 16.45 BST | |
| First published on Tue 26 Sep 2017 13.36 BST | |
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| Kwame Kwei-Armah, the actor turned award-winning British playwright, has been announced as the new artistic director of the Young Vic in London, marking a major step forward for diversity in British theatre. | Kwame Kwei-Armah, the actor turned award-winning British playwright, has been announced as the new artistic director of the Young Vic in London, marking a major step forward for diversity in British theatre. |
| Kwei-Armah, who is currently the director of Baltimore’s Center Stage, will take over the prestigious theatre role next year. | Kwei-Armah, who is currently the director of Baltimore’s Center Stage, will take over the prestigious theatre role next year. |
| Kwei-Armah wrote his first play, Bitter Herb, in 1998 and went on to be only the second black British playwright to have his work on at the West End, with his play Elmina’s Kitchen. It grappled with families and crime in Hackney’s so-called murder mile at a time when the stories of poor black and Asian communities rarely made it on to London’s stages. | Kwei-Armah wrote his first play, Bitter Herb, in 1998 and went on to be only the second black British playwright to have his work on at the West End, with his play Elmina’s Kitchen. It grappled with families and crime in Hackney’s so-called murder mile at a time when the stories of poor black and Asian communities rarely made it on to London’s stages. |
| His appointment is a pivotal moment in the push to increase diversity in British theatre, which was once described as “hideously white” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Kwei-Armah will join only four black or Asian artistic directors of major UK theatres: Madani Younis at the Bush theatre, Indhu Rubasingham at the Tricycle, Kully Thiarai at National Theatre Wales and Nadia Fall of Theatre Royal Stratford East. | His appointment is a pivotal moment in the push to increase diversity in British theatre, which was once described as “hideously white” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Kwei-Armah will join only four black or Asian artistic directors of major UK theatres: Madani Younis at the Bush theatre, Indhu Rubasingham at the Tricycle, Kully Thiarai at National Theatre Wales and Nadia Fall of Theatre Royal Stratford East. |
| The multi-award-winning playwright Roy Williams said: “I think it’s terrific news and it’s about bloody time, if I’m going to be frank, to see a person of colour leading one of the capital’s most important theatres. | The multi-award-winning playwright Roy Williams said: “I think it’s terrific news and it’s about bloody time, if I’m going to be frank, to see a person of colour leading one of the capital’s most important theatres. |
| “It’s something we’ve all been wanting to see for quite some time, and some of us doubted whether it would ever happen. With all the talk about diversity, and the Act for Change movement, we’ve all been waiting to see some action. | “It’s something we’ve all been wanting to see for quite some time, and some of us doubted whether it would ever happen. With all the talk about diversity, and the Act for Change movement, we’ve all been waiting to see some action. |
| “And no way is this a token gesture. He’s more than proved what a hugely talented writer and director he is – he brought a hugely distinctive voice to British theatre when it was needed – and he’s already run a theatre in America for several years. But this just proves we can do it, that a person of colour is put in charge of a major London theatre and the world didn’t come to an end.” | “And no way is this a token gesture. He’s more than proved what a hugely talented writer and director he is – he brought a hugely distinctive voice to British theatre when it was needed – and he’s already run a theatre in America for several years. But this just proves we can do it, that a person of colour is put in charge of a major London theatre and the world didn’t come to an end.” |
| Kwei-Armah will take over from David Lan, who will have been director of the Young Vic for 18 years when he steps down in January. Lan described the choice of Kwei-Amah to be his successor as “inspired”. | Kwei-Armah will take over from David Lan, who will have been director of the Young Vic for 18 years when he steps down in January. Lan described the choice of Kwei-Amah to be his successor as “inspired”. |
| “To walk into the Young Vic is to come face to face with everything I love about theatre, so I am beyond humbled, if not a little scared,” Kwei-Armah said. “But to lead this magnificent theatre at this time in our nation’s history, after such a visionary as David, excites me beyond words. I can’t wait to get started.” | “To walk into the Young Vic is to come face to face with everything I love about theatre, so I am beyond humbled, if not a little scared,” Kwei-Armah said. “But to lead this magnificent theatre at this time in our nation’s history, after such a visionary as David, excites me beyond words. I can’t wait to get started.” |
| Kwei-Armah has been an outspoken critic of the lack of black and Asian voices on stage and behind the scenes in British theatre. Speaking last year, he said: “It’s hard being home and looking around at the theatres in Britain and asking: ‘Where are the African-Caribbean or African artistic directors and leaders?’ It’s painful that I can’t name very many.” | Kwei-Armah has been an outspoken critic of the lack of black and Asian voices on stage and behind the scenes in British theatre. Speaking last year, he said: “It’s hard being home and looking around at the theatres in Britain and asking: ‘Where are the African-Caribbean or African artistic directors and leaders?’ It’s painful that I can’t name very many.” |
| Kwei-Armah has held his role at Center Stage in Baltimore since 2011, and has established himself as one of the best regional theatre directors in America. | Kwei-Armah has held his role at Center Stage in Baltimore since 2011, and has established himself as one of the best regional theatre directors in America. |
| His plays Elmina’s Kitchen, Fix Up and Statement of Regret were staged at the National Theatre. Nick Hytner, who was artistic director at the time, told the Guardian: “It’s an absolutely superb appointment. I have known Kwame since 2002 as a playwright, director and inspirational leader. And his success as an artistic director of one of America’s leading regional theatres makes him uniquely qualified to take the Young Vic through its next exciting phase.” | His plays Elmina’s Kitchen, Fix Up and Statement of Regret were staged at the National Theatre. Nick Hytner, who was artistic director at the time, told the Guardian: “It’s an absolutely superb appointment. I have known Kwame since 2002 as a playwright, director and inspirational leader. And his success as an artistic director of one of America’s leading regional theatres makes him uniquely qualified to take the Young Vic through its next exciting phase.” |
| Last year, he directed One Night in Miami at the Donmar Warehouse in central London, which had an all-black cast and was nominated for an Olivier award. He will return to the London stage this year with a new version of Ibsen’s The Lady from the Sea at the Donmar in October. | Last year, he directed One Night in Miami at the Donmar Warehouse in central London, which had an all-black cast and was nominated for an Olivier award. He will return to the London stage this year with a new version of Ibsen’s The Lady from the Sea at the Donmar in October. |
| David Ajala, who played Jim Brown in One Night in Miami, said of Kwei-Armah: “I’ve learned so much from him and I had so much fun working with him. I feel that he has so much to offer and contribute. He is able to connect with people from so many different walks of life, and allows people of different races, genders, backgrounds to feel their story is important and valid. | David Ajala, who played Jim Brown in One Night in Miami, said of Kwei-Armah: “I’ve learned so much from him and I had so much fun working with him. I feel that he has so much to offer and contribute. He is able to connect with people from so many different walks of life, and allows people of different races, genders, backgrounds to feel their story is important and valid. |
| “With Kwame championing diversity, I think it will show people what a necessity it is. It’s still so often the case that when it comes to theatre the default is white, and so I really think he will help the UK theatre scene move forward.” | “With Kwame championing diversity, I think it will show people what a necessity it is. It’s still so often the case that when it comes to theatre the default is white, and so I really think he will help the UK theatre scene move forward.” |
| Brought up in Southall, west London, Kwei-Armah changed his name from Ian Roberts when he was 19 after tracing his family roots to Ghana. His experiences of growing up in Southall during the riots and witnessing the police and skinhead brutality against the black and Asian community had a profound effect on him, and formed the basis of his first play. | Brought up in Southall, west London, Kwei-Armah changed his name from Ian Roberts when he was 19 after tracing his family roots to Ghana. His experiences of growing up in Southall during the riots and witnessing the police and skinhead brutality against the black and Asian community had a profound effect on him, and formed the basis of his first play. |
| His first major TV role was as the paramedic Finlay Newton in Casualty between 1999 and 2004, and it was during this time he gained prestige as one of Britain’s best emerging playwrights and directors. He was the chancellor of the University of the Arts London from 2010 to 2015, and in 2012 was awarded an OBE for services to drama. | His first major TV role was as the paramedic Finlay Newton in Casualty between 1999 and 2004, and it was during this time he gained prestige as one of Britain’s best emerging playwrights and directors. He was the chancellor of the University of the Arts London from 2010 to 2015, and in 2012 was awarded an OBE for services to drama. |
| Patrick McKenna, chair of the Young Vic board, said after meeting Kwei-Armah the panel was “unanimous in its decision to appoint him as the next leader for this remarkable institution”. | Patrick McKenna, chair of the Young Vic board, said after meeting Kwei-Armah the panel was “unanimous in its decision to appoint him as the next leader for this remarkable institution”. |
| He added: “Kwame’s wealth of experience directing, writing and working with the local community in Baltimore and beyond will translate beautifully to his new role leading the work on the Young Vic’s three stages as well as its pioneering outreach and education work in London.” | He added: “Kwame’s wealth of experience directing, writing and working with the local community in Baltimore and beyond will translate beautifully to his new role leading the work on the Young Vic’s three stages as well as its pioneering outreach and education work in London.” |
| • This article was amended on 3 October 2017. An earlier version said that there were only three other non-white artistic directors of leading theatres in the country. This has been corrected to say four, and included this year’s appointment of Nadia Fall at Theatre Royal Stratford East. | • This article was amended on 3 October 2017. An earlier version said that there were only three other non-white artistic directors of leading theatres in the country. This has been corrected to say four, and included this year’s appointment of Nadia Fall at Theatre Royal Stratford East. |
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