Young Vic appoints Kwame Kwei-Armah as artistic director
The Young Vic have officially appointed Kwame Kwei-Armah as David Lan's successor as the theatre's artistic director.
In June, Lan announced he would be stepping down form the post after 17 years in the role. Kwei-Armah, who is currently directing Elinor Cook's version of Ibsen's The Lady from the Sea at the Donmar Warehouse, will take the role according to The Stage.
And here he is - big cheers for @kwamekweiarmah around @DonmarWarehouse pic.twitter.com/iU9ErBsJdL
— tom scutt (@tomscuttdesign) September 26, 2017
Kwame Kwei-Armah is new artistic director of the Young Vic. Exciting though David Lan a VERY hard act to follow https://t.co/vAi3TKoy95
— Alice Jones (@alicevjones) September 26, 2017
Kwei-Armah is currently the artistic director of Center Stage in Baltimore. His recent plays in London include One Night in Miami... which was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Play. He was also nominated in 2003 for Elmina's Kitchen at the National Theatre, which went on to be adapted for television.
Kwei-Armah said: "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. 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."
He will announce his first season of work a the theatre in early 2018.
David Lan, whose production of Yerma was revived at the theatre this summer, will continue to oversee the Young Vic's 2017/18 season. He said: "The choice the panel has made is inspired. I welcome it wholeheartedly and will do whatever I can to support Kwame in the early days as he finds his own distinctive way to keep the Young Vic one of the great producing theatres of this country and the world."
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