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YOUNG VIC WINS OLIVIER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AN AFFILIATE THEATRE

The Young Vic today won the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre. The award was presented for an audacious season under the artistic direction of David Lan.

David Lan said 'This is an award for all of us, all the actors, directors, designers, writers, stage crew, administrators without whom there would have been no 2003 season. Theatre is the most collaborative of all the arts and it's thrilling that this is recognised by this award. It also highlights the importance of re-building our theatre for which we are now raising money as vigorously as we can."

Since becoming Artistic Director in 2000, David Lan has built on the company's success in bringing classic drama to a wider audience through creative partnerships with some of the world's leading talent in theatre. His ambitious and highly successful programme of work has enabled inspirational UK and international directors to work side by side with some of the boldest and most skilful directors of the younger generation. With the support of the Genesis Foundation, which is very proud of its affiliation with this exciting and innovative theatre, David Lan has initiated in 2003 a new approach to the schooling of young directors via the Genesis Directors Project at the Young Vic. Find out how to join this scheme by clicking here.

The award-winning 2003 season began with a visit from Nodamap, the company run by one of Japan's foremost writer, director and actor Hideki Noda, with his poetic fable Red Demon. This was followed by the critically acclaimed revival of Langston Hughes's rarely-performed Harlem blues musical Simply Heavenly, directed by Josette Bushell-Mingo, a show that was deemed to be a real rediscovery of excellent material. Following this, Young Vic Associate, Director Rufus Norris re-imagined the Spanish Golden Age with Lope De Vega's classic tragi-comedy Peribanez, and internationally renowned director Richard Jones updated the Harold Brighouse classic in Tanika Gupta's version of Hobson's Choice.

In the autumn, the Young Vic welcomed the return of Peter Brook to what he regards as his London home, with his bitter and tender portrayal of adultery and revenge in Le Costume. This was followed by an exhilarating new staging with Iceland's leading young company, Vesturport, and their circus-inspired production of Romeo and Juliet. The season closed with the world premiere of David Almond's award-winning children's classic Skellig, directed by Trevor Nunn. This production was critically acclaimed and was also the most financially successful production in Young Vic history.

David Lan has established the Young Vic as the UK's premiere home for young directors - a home for learning, training, developing and, finally, achieving. 2003 presented work by two talented young directors in the Young Vic studio. Amir Nizar Zuabi directed Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaikin's hauntingly lyrical When the World Was Green. Rising star Josie Rourke brought magic to audiences in the studio with My Dad's A Birdman, a specially commissioned new play for young people by David Almond.

Winning this Olivier Award means that the Young Vic is being, once again, acclaimed as one of the most adventurous theatres in the country. The Olivier Award acknowledges and celebrates the company's commitment to outstanding productions of the world's great plays, and to the support and promotion of the next generation of intrepid and original theatre-makers through its Genesis Directors Project.

Young Vic Box Office: 020 7928 6363 open 10am - 8pm.
Book tickets online at www.youngvic.org

Young Vic Theatre
66 The Cut
London SE1 8LZ

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For further Information, contact:
Harriet Capaldi
Genesis Foundation
Email: admingenesisfoundation [dot] org [dot] uk