After three years in the post of Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the National Theatre of Scotland, Laurie Sansom is to leave the company at the end of June with plans to explore ambitious directing opportunities in the UK and internationally.
His term has seen the company produce a diverse range of critically-acclaimed theatre, the centerpiece of which has been The James Plays, the epic trilogy of history plays charting the fortunes of Scottish Kings James I, II & III which have played to five-star reviews at international festivals in Edinburgh, Adelaide and Auckland and at the National Theatre of Great Britain in London. The award-winning plays, directed by Sansom, are currently on a Scottish and UK tour and have star billing at Toronto’s Luminato Festival.
Laurie Sansom says, “I’m intensely proud to have been part of a National Theatre of Scotland which has produced such a wealth of bold and relevant theatre for audiences across a nation and across the world.
It has been a privilege to play a part in shaping the story of an amazing first decade in the life of one of the world’s great new national theatre companies but I believe it is time for new leadership to take the Company into its next decade as it moves into its new creation centre. I can’t thank enough the artists and audiences who have made this such a rewarding and inspiring time for me”.
Lucy Mason will take up the role of interim Chief Executive, on his departure, while the National Theatre of Scotland puts in place a senior leadership structure to take the company into its second exciting decade.
Dame Seona Reid, Chair of the National Theatre of Scotland says, “…We wish Laurie every success for the future. He is a special talent and we thank him warmly for his defining contribution to theatre-making in Scotland. The National Theatre of Scotland looks forward to starting its second decade by delivering a wide range of compelling new work and its first permanent home in Glasgow which we are committed to establishing as a creative heart for Scotland’s theatre-makers.”