Young Vic awards Genesis Fellowship to theatre director and playwright Gbolahan Obisesan

Thursday, 23 July 2015

Gbolahan Obisesan, the new recipient of the Genesis Fellowship, will take up his new role at the Young Vic in September 2015, working alongside Artistic Director David Lan to develop his craft.

A talented theatre director and playwright, Gbolahan Obisesan’s previous work at the Young Vic includes Feast (co-written with Yunior García Aguilera, Rotimi Babatunde, Marcos Barbosa and Tanya Barfield) directed by Rufus Norris, his play Mad About The Boy directed by Ria Parry and direction of Sus by Barry Keefe in 2009. Other directing and writing credits include plays at the Royal Court, Bush Theatre, Gate Theatre, Soho Theatre and Bristol Old Vic.

John Studzinski, Founder and Chairman of the Genesis Foundation said:

The Genesis Fellowship at the Young Vic is one of the most respected and coveted awards offered to a young theatre director. To work closely with David Lan for two years, not only directing his own show but also being part of the theatre’s programming and artistic planning teams, is an experience that will enrich and challenge Gbolahan Obisesan’s artistic vision in ways that will stay with him for their rest of his life. I’m delighted to welcome Gbolahan as the latest Genesis Fellow as he follows in the footsteps of previous Genesis Fellows Natalie Abrahami, Carrie Cracknell, and Joe Hill-Gibbins, whose achievements make us at the Genesis Foundation deeply proud of our collaboration with David.

The Genesis Foundation has supported the Young Vic for more than ten years; the Theatre runs the most comprehensive training programme for directors in the UK. In addition to funding the two-year Genesis Fellowship, the Foundation also funds the Genesis Directors Network and the Genesis Future Directors Award at the Young Vic.

To find out more about the partnership with the Young Vic click here.