Rufus Norris

Who is Rufus Norris?

Rufus Norris is a British theatre director who will be artistic director of the National Theatre in London from April 2015.

He grew up in Africa and Malaysia, and later trained as an actor at RADA before turning to directing.

In 2001 he won the Evening Standard Award for Outstanding Newcomer for his production of David Rudkin's Afore Night Come at the Young Vic.

In 2004, Norris won another Evening Standard Award, a Critic's Circle Award and an Olivier Award nomination for Best Director, for his production of Festen.

In 2006 he made his National Theatre debut directing Market Boy by David Eldridge. He was an Associate Director at the Young Vic from 2002 - 2007, where his productions have included Feast by Yunior Garcia Aguilera, Rotimi Babatunde, Marcos Barbosa, Tanya Barfield and Gbolahan Obisesan, Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre, adapted by Tanya Ronder, Herve's Adventures of Tintin which he adapted with David Greig and his own adaptation of Sleeping Beauty.

In 2009, Norris' first film King Bastard, written by his wife Tanya Ronder, was produced by BBC Films. In the same year, he directed the Royal National Theatre's production of Death and the King's Horseman, which played in the Olivier Theatre.