Kwame Kwei-Armah

Who is Kwame Kwei-Armah?

Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE, born Ian Roberts, is a British actor, playwright, singer and broadcaster. In 2005 he became the second black Briton to have a play staged in the West End. Kwame's award-winning piece Elmina's Kitchen transferred to the Garrick Theatre in 2005. He voiced Mtambo in The Lorax.

He was brought up in Southall. He changed his name aged 19 after tracing his family history, through the slave trade back to his ancestral African roots in Ghana. His parents were born in Grenada. He has 4 children.

On 1 July 2011, he became Artistic Director of Center Stage in Baltimore, MD, succeeding Irene Lewis.

He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to drama.