The Kiln's departing chief has been named the first female artistic director of The National Theatre.
Indhu Rubasingham joins a rosta of distinguished male directors of the national institution including Laurence Olivier, Peter Hall, Trevor Nunn, and Nicholas Hytner.
Succeeding Rufus Norris when he steps down in Spring 2025, she will also work alongside Kate Varah as Joint Chief Executive.
Since joining the Kilburn arts centre in 2012, Rubasingham has scored numerous hits often with exciting new writing projects including Zadie Smith's White Teeth and The Wife of Willesden, Ayad Aktar's The Invisible Hand, which was twice Olivier Award nominated, the multi award-winning Red Velvet and the Florian Zeller trilogy – The Father, The Mother and The Son.
She also oversaw a £9m revamp of the former Foresters' Hall on Kilburn High Road in 2018, and has directed numerous plays at the National Theatre including The Great Wave, Ugly Lies the Bone and The Father and the Assassin
Indhu who will join the National Theatre as Director Designate from Spring 2024, said: "It’s a huge honour to be appointed Director of the National Theatre – for me, this is the best job in the world. The National has played an important part in my life - from tentative steps as a teenage theatregoer, to later as a theatre-maker, and to have the opportunity to play a role in its history is an incredible privilege and responsibility.
"Theatre has a transformative power – the ability to bring people together through shared experience and storytelling, and nowhere more so than the National. There’s nowhere like it, and it will be a joy to be a part of this iconic building’s next chapter.
"I am thrilled to be following in the footsteps of Rufus, and I look forward to working closely with him from next year as I plan my first season."
Sir Damon Buffini, Chair of the National Theatre Board said throughout the recruitment process, Rubasingham demonstrated her clear vision for the National's next chapter.
"Having run Kiln Theatre for over a decade Indhu has a proven record of strong leadership and artistic success, alongside a commitment to bringing theatre to diverse audiences and broadening access to creative education," he said.
Rufus Norris said, ‘Indhu is an exceptional artist who I respect and admire hugely, and I am so pleased that she will become the next Director when I step down. She has run Kiln Theatre expertly for over a decade and I know this experience will be invaluable as she moves to the NT. I know that the National will continue to thrive and remain at the heart of British cultural life."
Kiln's new artistic director Amit Sharma took over on December 1.
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