London's National Theatre has named four artistic associates, who will work closely with Indhu Rubasingham, the new director and co-chief executive of the National, and Deputy Artistic Director Robert Hastie.
The new associates are director and choreographer Miranda Cromwell (Death of a Salesman); author, academic, and dramaturg Dr. Sophie Duncan; Pulitzer-winning playwright Lynn Nottage (Sweat, Ruined, Clyde's); and Clint Dyer, former deputy artistic director of the National.
The foursome will help support and shape the National鈥檚 creative vision, ensuring the broadest possible access to high-quality theatre.
In a statement Rubasingham said: 鈥淚 am really happy to be welcoming Miranda, Sophie, and Lynn as our new artistic associates. Alongside Clint, who continues his inspiring work with us as an associate artist, this brilliant group brings a wealth of experience, passion, and different perspectives to our NT community. Their distinguished careers as leading practitioners in their fields speak volumes about their extraordinary talent and their unwavering dedication to pushing and challenging artistic boundaries.鈥�
Cromwell added, 鈥淚 am elated to join such an esteemed group of artistic associates at the National Theatre at this exciting and pivotal time. It is thrilling to be here at the start of a new chapter of history for the NT with the assiduous and inspiring Indhu Rubasingham and Kate Varah at the helm.鈥�
Duncan stated, 鈥淚ndhu Rubasingham鈥檚 vision for the National Theatre is both strikingly contemporary and true to the NT鈥檚 original mission: to bring the best of everything theatre has to offer to audiences in the U.K. and internationally. I鈥檓 thrilled to be joining her as artistic associate to work on plays old and new.鈥�
鈥淚t is with great pride and joy that I join this exciting new era for the NT as Indhu鈥檚 associate artist,鈥� said Dyer with Nottage also commenting, 鈥淚ndhu Rubasingham is a visionary leader, and I鈥檓 beyond excited to be invited to be part of the vibrant and vital community that she is creating at the National Theatre."
Cromwell received a Best Direction Olivier Award for co-directing Death of Salesman and a Black British Theatre Award for Best Director for and breathe. Her recent directing credits include The Little Mermaid (Bristol Old Vic), Mlima鈥檚 Tale (The Kiln), The Beekeeper of Aleppo (Nottingham Playhouse), Rockets and Blue Lights (National Theatre/Royal Exchange Theatre), and Death of a Salesman on Broadway. She was previously the associate director at Chichester Festival Theatre and most recently appointed new co-artistic director of Bristol School of Acting.
Duncan is
a Research Fellow and Dean for Welfare at Magdalen College in the
University of Oxford. She writes extensively on Shakespeare and theatre
history and has advised theatre companies, broadcasters, and heritage
organizations. Her collaboration with Rubasingham began in 2012 with Red Velvet at the Tricycle Theatre, now the Kiln. Duncan鈥檚 books include Searching for Juliet: The Lives and Deaths of Shakespeare鈥檚 First Tragic Heroine (Sceptre, Hachette); Shakespeare鈥檚 Props (Routledge); and Shakespeare鈥檚 Women and the Fin de Si猫cle (Oxford University Press).
Dyer's work at the National Theatre includes playing the role of Cutler in the Olivier-winning Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, for which he won Best Actor at the I.A.R. Awards. He co-wrote and also directed the award-winning Death of England series, including the BAFTA-nominated film Death of England: Face to Face.
Other directing credits include Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical in the West End and Roy Williams鈥� Kingston 14 at Theatre Royal Stratford East. He also transferred the Olivier/Evening Standard-nominated musical The Big Life
from Stratford East to the Apollo Theatre, making it the first Black
British Musical to achieve a West End transfer.
Nottage is the first woman in history to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. Upcoming work includes This House,
an opera co-written with Ruby Aiyo Gerber and composed by Ricky Ian
Gordon, which will premiere at Opera St. Louis in June; and In the Rush,
an opera co-written with Ruby Aiyo Gerber and composed by Carlos Simon
commissioned by LCT/The Met. She is also currently developing the 1933
novel Imitation of Life into a stage musical alongside
composer/lyricist John Legend and director Liesl Tommy. Nottage is a professor at Columbia University
School of the Arts and the recipient of a MacArthur "Genius Grant''
Fellowship, Steinberg "Mimi" Distinguished Playwright Award, Doris Duke
Artists Award, and PEN/Laura Pels Master Playwright Award.
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