Australia鈥檚 Sydney Theatre Company has announced that Kip Williams will take over the helm as artistic director commencing immediately. Williams, who is the youngest artistic director in the theatre鈥檚 history, according to , has already begun working on programming the 2018 season.
The news comes after Jonathan Church announced in May that he was stepping down as artistic director following a short, nine-month stint. The U.K. director had replaced Andrew Upton in September 2015, marking the first time in the organization鈥檚 history that an international director was at the helm.
Acclaimed Australian director Neil Armfield (Holding the Man) commented in a press statement that it was 鈥渧ery reassuring to have the artistic directorship of STC finally settled.鈥�
鈥滽ip is one of the outstanding directors of his generation, clearly a new force in Australian theatre. In everything I鈥檝e seen him do, and the work he鈥檚 done with me, I鈥檝e been impressed by his imagination, determination, calm and intelligence,鈥� he added.
Williams first worked with STC in 2011 as assistant director to Upton on the production of The White Guard. In 2012, he became directing associate, and, later, a resident director at STC. He took on the role of interim artistic director in August.
Cate Blanchett, who was co-artistic director of STC from 2008鈥�12 added, 鈥淭his is wonderful news, not only for STC but for the whole theatre community. Kip鈥檚 appointment marks an exciting new chapter.鈥�
STC executive director Patrick McIntyre described Williams as a 鈥渞igorous, thoughtful and original theatre maker, but never at the expense of keeping his audiences engaged and stimulated.鈥�
Williams鈥� directing credits include the Shakespearean classics A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth, as well as Arthur Miller鈥檚 All My Sons, Caryl Churchill鈥檚 Love and Information, and The Golden Age by Louis Nowra.
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