Director Natalie Abrahami has been appointed Genesis Fellow and Associate Director of the Young Vic theatre, following her work on the Southwark venue’s 2012 hit After Miss Julie.
Following in the footsteps of Joe Hill-Gibbins (The Changeling) and Carrie Cracknell (A Doll’s House) – with whom Abrahami was co-Artistic Director of the Gate theatre from 2007 to 2012 – the director will take up the post at the Young Vic as of this month.
The two-year grant awarded to Genesis Fellows will allow Abrahami to work closely with the Young Vic’s Artistic Director David Lan and enable her to develop her craft as a theatre director.
Lan said: “I am delighted to welcome Natalie back to the Young Vic. After Miss Julie demonstrated her powers as a director. I know it was just one illustration of what she will go on to achieve as a major artist of the theatre. I’m deeply thankful to the Genesis Foundation for their long term support, enabling us to keep some of the very brightest talents right at the creative heart of the Young Vic.”
John Studzinski, founder and chairman of UK-based charity The Genesis Foundation – which develops artistic excellence in collaboration with leading arts organisations – said: “We’re very pleased that Natalie Abrahami is to be the new Genesis Fellow at the Young Vic. Natalie will follow Carrie Cracknell and Joe Hill-Gibbins on the programme, which has given these gifted young directors the chance to direct full-scale productions at the Young Vic. Natalie is an equally impressive talent and we all look forward with great interest to seeing her work in the coming year.”
Winner of the James Menzies-Kitchin Trust Award for Young Directors, Abraham’s directing credits elsewhere include Parallax at the Almeida, Pericles at the Regent’s Park Open Air, The Eleventh Capital at the Royal Court and Headlong’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.