Indhu Rubasingham appointed as next National Theatre director

Rubasingham joins the London theatre as director designate in spring 2024, succeeding current director Rufus Norris, who has been in the post since 2015.

Indhu Rubasingham will be the new director and joint chief executive of London’s National Theatre, replacing Rufus Norris.

She joins executive director Kate Varah, who has also been made joint chief executive in a new co-leadership model.

Rubasingham, who has been artistic director of the Kiln Theatre since 2012, has directed productions including Zadie Smith’s White Teeth, the twice Olivier-nominated The Invisible Hand, and the multi award-winning Red Velvet.

Rubasingham will join the National Theatre as director designate from spring 2024. Norris, who has been National Theatre director and chief executive since 2015, will leave in spring 2025.

“It’s a huge honour to be appointed director of the National Theatre – for me, this is the best job in the world. The National has played an important part in my life – from tentative steps as a teenage theatregoer, to later as a theatre-maker, and to have the opportunity to play a role in its history is an incredible privilege and responsibility,” said Rubasingham about her appointment.

She continued: “Theatre has a transformative power – the ability to bring people together through shared experience and storytelling, and nowhere more so than the National. I’ve been fortunate to have directed on the National Theatre’s stages and to have witnessed firsthand the commitment, collaboration, brilliance and pride of those who bring the magic to the building, both on stage and off.”

Director and chief executive Rufus Norris said: “Indhu is an exceptional artist who I respect and admire hugely, and I am so pleased that she will become the next director when I step down in 2025. She has run Kiln Theatre expertly for over a decade and I know this experience will be invaluable as she moves to the NT – a place she knows well, having directed successfully in each of the three theatres.”

Photo credit: Indhu Rubasingham. (Photo by Antonio Olmos)