UK's National Theatre in London will appoint its first female artistic director since its foundation 60 years ago, choosing Indhu Rubasingham to succeed the current holder of the seat, Rufus Norris, who will leave NT in the spring of 2025.
Rubasingham, who will be the theatre's seventh director since its founding in 1963, will officially be joining as director designate starting in 2024 and will work beside executive director Kate Varah in a joint chief executive role.
Who is Indhu Rubasingham and What is Her 'Track Record?'
Born in Sheffield, England, with a Tamil Sri Lankan heritage, Rubasingham is continuing to progress her decorated theatre career from being the artistic director of the Kiln Theatre in over a decade, starting from 2012.
She has also been part of a multitude of renowned productions during her time in the Kiln Theatre, this includes directing the Olivier Award-winning plays "Red Velvet" and "Hand Bag," both of which have since been adapted for showing in several US theaters.
In addition to that, Rubasingham also led the Kiln productions of Zadie Smith's "The Wife of Willesden" and "White Teeth;" and Ayad Aktar's two-time Olivier-nominated play "The Invisible Hand," alongside other shows like "When The Crows Visit" and "A Wolf In Snakeskin Shoes."
One of Rubasingham's goals during her Kiln days was to generate new writing interest within the company and to pull promising creative voices toward the popular mainstream channels.
Aside from this, Rubasingham also managed an $11.3 million, or £9 million, large-scale fundraising effort that eventually led to the 2018 reopening of the company's building into what is presently known as the Kiln Theatre.
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Endorsed by National Theatre's Executives
In a statement to BBC, Norris, whom Rubasingham will succeed as director in NT, said that his successor is someone whom he "respects and admires hugely," which is why he is "pleased" that Rubasingham will be the one to follow up on his legacy as artistic director in the renowned theatre institution come 2025.
Norris cited the source of his admiration and excitement with Rubasingham's excellent prior record, saying, "She has run Kiln Theatre expertly for over a decade and I know this experience will be invaluable as she moves to the NT - a place she knows well, having directed successfully in each of the three theatres."
National Theatre's chairperson Sir Damon Buffini echoed Nottis' sentiments saying that her "proven record" exhibits Rubasingham's exceptional ability as a leader and artist, in addition to her dedication to diversifying the viewership in theatre and efforts of "broadening access to creative education."
