Five Genesis Directors Head Young Vic’s Line Up for 2015

Thursday, 12 March 2015

No fewer than five current and past directors, who have all been part of the Young Vic’s ground breaking Genesis Directors program, have been given prestigious productions to direct at the Theatre during 2015. Genesis Fellow Natalie Abrahami is currently busy in rehearsals for Eugene O’Neill’s play Ah, Wilderness! ahead of its opening on 14 April. Ah, Wilderness! is a rarely performed comedy set in 1906 Connecticut. The action follows the teenage tribulations of Richard Miller and touches on memory, trust, love and the painful process of growing up. The play will be on at the main house until 23 May 2015. To find out more and to book tickets, click here.

Ah, Wilderness! is the second play to be directed by Natalie at the Young Vic this year, coming hot on the heels of the revival of Happy Days. After a hugely successful run in 2014, Beckett’s play returned to the Young Vic stage in February this year and can be seen until 21 March 2015. Featuring Olivier Award-winning stage and screen actress Juliet Stevenson, the revival has received five star reviews in the Evening Standard and Daily Telegraph. To read a round-up of all the glittering reviews click here.

Later in the year, the Young Vic welcomes back two directors who were supported through the Genesis Fellowship and who have gone on to extremely successful careers. Joe-Hill Gibbins (Genesis Fellow 2010-11) will direct Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure in October-November and Carrie Cracknell (Genesis Fellow 2012-2013) will return to the Young Vic at the end of November to direct Shakespeare’s Macbeth. To book tickets for both these plays click here.

The Young Vic and the Genesis Foundation’s partnership over the last ten years has grown from strength to strength. As well as the Genesis Fellowship, the Genesis Foundation now supports emerging young directors at the Young Vic through the Genesis Future Directors Award.

Genesis Future Director Finn Beames has recently directed a successful run of Man: three short plays by Tennessee Williams in the Young Vic’s Clare Theatre. Finn is the fourth recipient of a Genesis Future Directors Award, following Tinuke Craig (also an award winner for 2014), Matthew Xia (2013) and Ben Kidd (2012). Former Genesis Future Director Award winner, Ben Kidd, was recently invited back to the Young Vic in February and March 2015 to direct award-winning play Lippy.

Find out more about the Genesis Foundations partnership with the Young Vic here.

More about the Genesis Fellow and Genesis Future Directors Award

The Genesis Fellowship is a two-year grant that enables its recipients to work with Artistic Director David Lan as they continue to develop their craft as a theatre director. The program continues to be a phenomenal success and is a launch pad for some of this country’s most prestigious and revered directors.

The Genesis Future Director Award, now in its third year, nurtures and develops emerging young directors providing them with an opportunity to explore and develop their craft while creating their first fully resourced production in the Clare theatre at the Young Vic. Now with increased support, the Genesis Foundation is able to support two emerging directors with this opportunity.