Lorne Campbell, Artistic Director of Northern Stage, will take over National Theatre Wales in Spring 2020. He takes over from controversial director Kully Thiarai who quit to take up a role back in England in the wake of widespread critics of the organisation.
Scottish theatre director, Lorne Campbell began his career at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh and most recently was Artistic Director of Northern Stage. He was appointed to the role in 2013 and by the time of his departure he will have served in that role and as joint Chief Executive for almost 7 years, partnering with Executive Director Kate Denby since 2015. Highlights of his time at Northern Stage include The Bloody Great Border Ballad (2015) Get Carter (2016) and The Last Ship (2018), and Northern Stage’s multi-award winning showcasing work at the Edinburgh Fringe. Under Campbell’s leadership, Northern Stage has produced more work, attracted greater audiences, developed its commitment to nurturing talent across the North East and pioneered new co-creation models with young people and communities of economic disadvantage.
Prior to Northern Stage, Campbell worked as a freelance theatre director creating productions for Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres, Birmingham Rep, Theatre Royal Bath, Traverse Theatre, The Almeida and Hull Truck. He was Associate Director at the Traverse Theatre between 2004 and 2008. He worked as a Course Director at Drama Centre and as a Creative Fellow of the RSC between 2011 and 2013 and as founding co-Artistic Director of Greyscale between 2009 and 2013.
Lorne Campbell said, “It is a profoundly exciting prospect to be joining National Theatre Wales as Artistic Director and also a great sadness to be leaving Northern Stage after six and a half years. I have been privileged to work with the most wonderful colleagues, artists, audiences and communities that you could wish for. I am very proud of what we have achieved together and know that the theatre is in a great place to continue to evolve and thrive in the years ahead.
“The chance to work with the incredible talent, ambition and dynamism of Welsh theatre and through the innovative and flexible model of NTW, to create opportunities for new conversations between audiences, artists and communities, domestically and internationally, is both remarkable and humbling. There is great work happening in Wales and I cannot wait to engage with the depth and breadth of this creativity, aspiration and expression.”