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| The Young Vic | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Young Vic |
| Address | The Cut, London |
| City | Southwark |
| Country | England |
| Architect | Quinlan Terry; Roy Battersby (conversion); Terry Farrell (redevelopment) |
| Capacity | 420 (Main Stage), 140 (Maria) |
| Opened | 1970 |
| Reopened | 2006 (redevelopment) |
The Young Vic is a London theatre company and venue founded in 1970 to provide innovative productions for young audiences and emerging artists. Located near Waterloo station on The Cut, London in Southwark, it has become a landmark of contemporary British theatre, known for interdisciplinary work and international collaborations. The company has nurtured directors, actors and designers who have gone on to prominence at institutions such as National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, and Globe Theatre.
The company was established by Frank Dunlop, John Ridley and David Hare among others, building on the legacy of the old Old Vic and connections with figures like Laurence Olivier, Peter Hall, and Richard Eyre. Early seasons featured artists later associated with Royal Court Theatre, Everyman Liverpool, and Bristol Old Vic, and drew attention from critics at The Times, The Guardian, and The Observer. In the 1970s and 1980s the venue presented work by playwrights such as Edward Bond, Harold Pinter, Caryl Churchill, Tom Stoppard and collaborators from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Major milestones included programming exchanges with Comédie-Française, touring partnerships with Royal National Theatre, and festivals featuring companies like Complicité, Shakespeare's Globe, and Schaubühne. A full redevelopment led by architects including Terry Farrell in the early 2000s modernised the site ahead of reopening in 2006, attracting attention alongside projects at Barbican Centre and Southbank Centre.
The converted warehouse on The Cut was originally adapted by a team including Quinlan Terry and later redesigned by Terry Farrell and Benedetta Tagliabue-style practices during the 2000s redevelopment. Facilities now include a thrust Main Stage seating approximately 420, the Maria studio (about 140 seats), rehearsal rooms, and production workshops comparable to those at Donmar Warehouse and Almeida Theatre. Technical specifications allow for collaborations with designers linked to Royal Court Theatre, National Theatre Studio, and European houses such as Théâtre de la Ville and Berliner Ensemble. The building sits in proximity to cultural sites like Young Vic Gardens, Southbank Centre, and Shakespeare's Globe, and adheres to planning frameworks of London Borough of Southwark.
Programming has ranged from revivals of classics by William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov, and Bertolt Brecht to new plays by Sarah Kane, Mark Ravenhill, Lucy Kirkwood, and Roy Williams. International work has involved companies such as Complicité, SITI Company, La Fura dels Baus, and directors like Peter Brook, Phyllida Lloyd, Katie Mitchell, Joe Hill-Gibbins and Bijan Sheibani. The Young Vic has staged musicals and adaptations drawing on texts by Charles Dickens, Homer, and Victor Hugo and worked with composers linked to Royal Opera House and English National Opera. Co-productions with Old Vic, Donmar Warehouse, National Theatre of Scotland, and venues at the Edinburgh International Festival have extended its touring footprint to venues such as Sydney Opera House, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and major European festivals.
Artistic directors over time have included Frank Dunlop, David Lan, and Kwame Kwei-Armah, each associated with programming intersecting with artists from Royal Court Theatre, young companies and international collaborators. Resident and guest directors have included Sam Mendes, Nicholas Hytner, Phyllida Lloyd, Lucy Bailey, and designers who have also worked at National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Globe Theatre, and Royal Opera House. The company has launched careers of actors who later appeared at West End theatre, Broadway, BBC Television, and in film with companies like Working Title Films and Channel 4. Creative teams frequently comprise stage managers and technicians trained at institutions such as Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Education programmes have connected with schools in Southwark, youth groups linked to Prince’s Trust, community organisations like Mencap, and cultural partnerships with Southbank Centre and Barbican. Initiatives include participatory projects co-created with City of London Corporation commissions, training schemes similar to those at National Theatre Studio and apprenticeships modelled on the Royal Court Theatre approach. The Young Vic has hosted workshops led by visiting artists from Royal Shakespeare Company, Complicité, Teatro Nacional D. Maria II, and universities such as King's College London and University College London.
Productions and personnel have received recognition from institutions including the Olivier Awards, Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, Evening Standard Theatre Awards, and Laurence Olivier Award nominations. Directors and actors associated with the company have won prizes at the Tony Awards, Drama Desk Awards, and international festival awards at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Venice Biennale. Reviews in The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, and New York Times have alternately praised landmark productions and noted controversies similar to public debates around programmes at Royal Court Theatre and Donmar Warehouse.
The organisation operates as a registered charity and company limited by guarantee with governance practices comparable to National Theatre and Barbican Centre. Funding sources have included grants from Arts Council England, philanthropic support from trusts such as Paul Hamlyn Foundation, corporate partnerships like those seen with HSBC UK and Barclays, donor circles analogous to Royal Theatrical Fund, and ticket income. The board has included figures with links to London Borough of Southwark, cultural funders, and higher education institutions, reflecting governance standards used across UK institutions.
Category:Theatres in London