10 Instrumental Personalities Shaping London Theatre Today
By Something CuratedTheatre in London flourished after the English Reformation, with the first permanent public playhouse, known simply as The Theatre, constructed in 1576 in Shoreditch by James Burbage. Along with New York’s Broadway, London’s West End is widely considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world. Leading non-commercial venues in London also enjoy great artistic prestige, such as the Royal National Theatre, the Barbican Centre, Shakespeare’s Globe, and the Old Vic, among others. Taking a closer look at a selection of influential stage professionals working in the capital, Something Curated highlights ten personalities shaping London’s theatre landscape today.
Nica Burns, Producer & Theatre-Owner
Nimax Theatres co-founder Nica Burns has maintained a diverse career since developing an interest in performing and producing while studying law. Following graduation, Burns adapted H.E. Bates’ The Dulcimer, and starred in the production at the Edinburgh Festival in 1982. Establishing herself in several directing positions, such as artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse in 1983 and production director of Stoll Moss and Really Useful Theatres in 1993, Burns has gone onto produce over 100 shows including Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Jamael Westman, Actor
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British actor Jamael Westman came to the spotlight through his lead role as Alexander Hamilton in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s award winning show Hamilton. For his performance, Westman was nominated for “Best Actor in a Musical” at the 2018 Olivier Awards. After graduating from The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in 2016, Westman starred in Torn at the Royal Court and The White Devil at the Globe. He has also acted in films and television shows including, Identicals, Kebab, and Casualty.
Kwame Kwei-Armah, Artistic Director at Young Vic
Kwame Kwei-Armah is a British actor, playwright, director, singer, and broadcaster who is currently the artistic director of London’s Young Vic. Kwei Armah is the first African-Caribbean director to run a prestigious theatre in the UK, and as of 2005, the second black Briton to have a play showcased in the West End of London. He was previously the artistic director of Baltimore Center Stage where he directed Jazz, Marley, One Night in Miami, Amadeus, Dance of the Holy Ghosts, and more.
Vicki Mortimer, Costume Designer
Vicki Mortimer has designed numerous costumes and sets for opera and dance productions showcased in the National Theatre, The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera House, The Royal Court, Broadway, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and more. The Slade School of Fine Art graduate made her designing debuts at the Royal Ballet in 2003 with Wayne McGregor’s Qualia. Theatre productions Mortimer has designed for include: Othello, Beauty and the Beast, and Hamlet, among many others.
Rufus Norris, Director of National Theatre
Rufus Norris is an acclaimed film and theatre producer. Following his production of Afore Night Came at the Young Vic in 2001, Norris was awarded the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Newcomer. Since then, he has produced multiple other award-winning shows, such as Festen, Vernon God Little, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and London Road. He made his screen debut in 2009 with the film King Bastard. In 2015, Norris replaced Nicholas Hytner as Artistic Director of the National Theatre.
Gareth Fry, Sound Designer
Before becoming an award winning sound designer, Gareth Fry studied theatre design at the Central School of Speech & Drama, and worked for AMS Acoustics on speech intelligibility modelling. John Tiffany, Simon McBurney, Sacha Wares, and Katie Mitchell are among the eminent theatre directors Fry has designed for. Aside from operating sound for theatre, Fry has designed for prominent events and exhibitions, such as the Victoria & Albert’s David Bowie Is exhibition and the 2012 Olympic Games’ Opening Ceremony.
Emma Brünjes, Producer
Long before Emma Brünjes secured her reputation as a leading producer, she starred in Alice in Wonderland as the Red Queen during her student acting career at Windlesham School in Brighton. While studying at the London School of Economics, she became an usher at the Royal Opera House, and later became a marketing assistant at Avalon Management. After six years at Avalon, she worked as the General Manager of Productions and Programming at Nimax Theatres with Nica Burns. In 2013, she founded ebp, where over 56 productions have been showcased and over 50,000 tickets have been sold.
Paule Constable, Lighting Designer
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British lighting designer Paule Constable has established herself as an award winning designer in theatre, opera, and dance. The Associate Director of the National Theatre studied English and Drama at Goldsmiths at the University of London, and trained in lighting design while working in the music business. Constable’s lighting design for Bill Bryden’s The Cunning Little Vixen (1990) marked her Royal Opera debut. Since then, Constable has designed for productions showcased in the Royal Ballet, English National Opera, Glyndebourne, Royal Court Theatre, and more.
Mat Burt, Andy George & Tim Wilson, Directors of VAULT Festival
VAULT Festival, one of London’s largest and artistically diverse annual arts festivals, is directed by Mat Burt, Andy George, and Tim Wilson, who also lead the Heritage Arts Company. Wilson, the HAC’s creative producer, founded the organisation in 2007, and later founded VAULT in 2012. Burt joined HAC as a creative director in 2008 for their debut production Where the Soldiers Sleep. George, the company’s head of technical production, joined in 2012. The directors encourage artists across all disciplines – theatre, comedy, film, live performance, and more – to showcase their innovative talents at their festival.
Matthew Bourne, Choreographer
Matthew Bourne began dancing at the relatively late age of 22, after graduating from The Laban Centre in 1985. He danced professionally for 14 years, and was artistic director of his first company, Adventures in Motion Pictures, (1987-2002), where he created award-winning works such as, Nutcracker!, Highland Fling, Swan Lake, and The Car Man. In 2002, he launched New Adventures, where he showcased productions such as, Edward Scissorhands, Dorian Gray, Lord Of The Flies, and Early Adventures. Bourne’s 30 years worth of dancing direction for theatre, musicals, opera, and film have earned him recognition from over 40 international awards.
Words by Ashley Barquin | Feature image: Paule Constable’s lighting design for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (via The National Theatre)