Rickson Stays on as Royal Court Artistic DirectorDate: 20 February 2002
Bucking the trend once again, the Royal Court will not be following other leading London theatres by seeking new leadership. Unlike at the Hampstead, Almeida, Donmar Warehouse and National, whose artistic directors have all recently resigned, Royal Court artistic director Ian Rickson has confirmed that he will be staying on for at least another three years.
Rickson took over from Stephen Daldry as artistic director in 1998. At the time, it was seen as a somewhat risky choice. Although Rickson, a former actor, had a reputation internally - having risen up through the ranks since joining the Court's youth theatre in 1991, then becoming an associate director in 1994 - he was little-known elsewhere.
That perception has certainly changed in the past few years, during which Rickson has overseen the Court's delayed return to Sloane Square following a £25 million refurbishment, as well as the development of dozens of new writers. He has also personally directed numerous acclaimed productions including Rebecca Gilman's Boy Gets Girl and Kevin Elyot's Mouth to Mouth, for which he was nominated this year for both an Olivier and a Whatsonstage.com Award for Best Director.
Rickson's original contract runs out in April 2002 and he has signed up for a minimum of three more years, with an option to extend for a further 12 months after that. A spokesman for the Royal Court that Rickson's decision to stay was "fantastic news", providing the theatre with "massive amounts of continuity" as well as much excitement for the upcoming seasons which will see premieres of new work by Jez Butterworth, Nick Grosso and other writers who have been nurtured by Rickson.
The Royal Court Theatre was originally built in 1888. In 1955, after years of disuse and bombing during the Blitz, the Court became the home of the English Stage Company, which pledged to promote the work of forward-looking, modern playwrights. The company's first season included John Osborne's Look Back in Anger. Since then, the theatre has played an instrumental role in developing the careers of playwrights such as Edward Bond, Arnold Wesker, Christopher Hampton, David Hare, Timberlake Wertenbaker, Sarah Kane, Caryl Churchill, Conor McPherson and many others.
- by Terri Paddock
