Sir Rufus John Norris (born 16 January 1965) is a British theatre and film director, who was the artistic director and chief executive of the National Theatre from 2015 to 2025. He received the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 2025 for his services to theatre.

Life and career

Norris grew up in Africa and Malaysia, attended North Bromsgrove High School and Kidderminster College of Further Education, and later trained as an actor at

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central Lond ...

before turning to directing. In 2001 he won the

Evening Standard Award The ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Awards, established in 1955, are the oldest theatrical awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. They are presented annually for outstanding achievements in London Theatre, and are organised by the ''Evening Standa ...

for Outstanding Newcomer for his production of

David Rudkin James David Rudkin (born 29 June 1936) is an England, English playwright. Early life Rudkin was born in London. Coming from a family of strict evangelical Christians, he was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham and read Mods and Great ...

's ''

Afore Night Come ''Afore Night Come'' is a 1962 British Play (theatre), play written by David Rudkin, first staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The subject matter of the play meant that any production in a public theatre would probably have been vetoed by the ...

'' at the

Young Vic The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Nadia Fall has been artistic director since 2025, succeeding ...

. In 2004, Norris won another Evening Standard Award, a Critic's Circle Award and an

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Aw ...

nomination for Best Director, for his production of '' Festen''. In 2006 he made his National Theatre debut directing ''Market Boy'' by David Eldridge. From 2002 to 2007 Norris was an Associate Director at the Young Vic, where his productions have included ''Feast'' by Yunior Garcia Aguilera, Rotimi Babatunde, Marcos Barbosa, Tanya Barfield and Gbolahan Obisesan (2013), '' Vernon God Little'' by DBC Pierre (2007), adapted by Tanya Ronder (2009 and 2011), ''

Hergé's Adventures of Tintin ''Hergé's Adventures of Tintin'' () is the first animated television series based on Hergé's popular comic book series, ''The Adventures of Tintin''. The series was produced by Belvision Studios and first aired in 1957. After two books were ...

'', which Norris adapted, with David Greig (

Barbican A barbican (from ) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Europe Medieval Europeans typically b ...

, 2005; UK tour & West End, 2007) and his own adaptation of ''Sleeping Beauty'' (Young Vic, 2002; Barbican, 2004, UK & international tour). His production of the

Kander and Ebb Kander and Ebb were a highly successful American songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander (born March 18, 1927) and lyricist Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004). Known primarily for their stage musical theatre, musicals, whi ...

musical ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

'', produced by

Bill Kenwright William Kenwright (4 September 1945 – 23 October 2023) was an English theatre and film producer. He was also the chairman of Everton Football Club for nearly two decades, from 2004 until his death in 2023. Early life Kenwright was born in ...

, ran at the Lyric Theatre in London's West End from 2006 to 2008. The production toured in 2008 and 2009 before being revived at the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy ...

in 2012, followed by another UK tour. Another UK tour began in 2017. In 2009, Norris's first film ''King Bastard'', written by his wife Tanya Ronder, was produced by

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Films. In the same year, he directed the National Theatre's production of

Wole Soyinka Wole Soyinka , (born 13 July 1934) is a Nigerian author, best known as a playwright and poet. He has written three novels, ten collections of short stories, seven poetry collections, twenty five plays and five memoirs. He also wrote two transla ...

's '' Death and the King's Horseman'', which played in the Olivier Theatre. He created the 2011 production '' Dr Dee'' for the

Manchester International Festival The Manchester International Festival is a biennial international arts festival, with a specific focus on original new work, held in the English city of Manchester and run by Factory International. The festival is a biennial event, first takin ...

, in collaboration with musician

Damon Albarn Damon Albarn (, ; born 23 March 1968) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman, main vocalist, and lyricist of the rock band Blur (band), Blur and the co-creator and primary musical con ...

, which was subsequently performed at ENO in 2012. In 2010 he directed

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

's ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...

'', also for ENO. Norris was made an associate director at the National Theatre in 2011. His production of '' London Road'' by

Alecky Blythe Alecky Blythe, born 1976, is a British playwright and screenwriter. She has written several plays, including the acclaimed 2011 musical ''London Road (musical), London Road''. Her first play ''Come Out Eli'' won a Time Out Award. ''The Girlfriend ...

and Adam Cork opened at the Cottesloe in 2011, before transferring to the Olivier in 2012, winning the Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical. His 2012 film '' Broken'' premiered at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

and received the Golden Eye Award for best international film at the Zurich Film Festival. At the 2012

British Independent Film Awards The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) is an organisation that celebrates, supports, and promotes British independent cinema and film-making talent in the United Kingdom. Nominations for the annual awards ceremony are announced in early Nov ...

it won the award for Best British Independent Film. In 2013 his production of Tanya Ronder's play ''Table'' launched the new space, The Shed, at the National Theatre. He subsequently directed James Baldwin's '' The Amen Corner'' at the National Theatre.

Director of the National Theatre

In March 2015, Norris replaced Nicholas Hytner as artistic director of the National Theatre. During his first season, he directed the medieval play ''

Everyman The everyman is a stock character of fiction. An ordinary and humble character, the everyman is generally a protagonist whose benign conduct fosters the audience's identification with them. Origin and history The term ''everyman'' was used ...

'' in a new adaptation by

Carol Ann Duffy Dame Carol Ann Duffy (born 23 December 1955) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Poet Laureate in May 2009, and her term expired in 2019. She wa ...

starring Chiwetel Ejiofor in the title role and for the Christmas season, the premiere of a new musical, '' Wonder. Land'' (following a run in summer of 2015 at the

and before a run at the Théâtre du Châtelet in summer of 2016) with music by

and lyrics and book by

Moira Buffini Moira Buffini (born 29 May 1965) is an English dramatist, director, and actor. Early life Buffini was born in Cheshire to Irish parents, and attended St Mary's College at Rhos-on-Sea in Wales as a day girl. She studied English and Drama at Gold ...

, inspired by

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...

's novels ''

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...

'' and ''

Through the Looking-Glass ''Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There'' is a novel published in December 1871 by Lewis Carroll, the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a mathematics lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford, Christ Church, University of Oxford. I ...

''. In summer 2016 he directed

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

and

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (; ; March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for hi ...

's ''

The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a 1928 German "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, '' The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François V ...

'', in a new adaptation by Simon Stephens and starring Rory Kinnear as Macheath. In spring 2017 he directed ''My Country; a work in progress'' by Carol Ann Duffy, using the words of people across the UK regarding

Brexit Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...

, which was followed by a UK tour. In the Dorfman Auditorium in July 2017 he directed a new play ''Mosquitoes'' by Lucy Kirkwood, starring

Olivia Colman Sarah Caroline Sinclair ( Colman; born 30 January 1974), known professionally as Olivia Colman, is an English actress. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, four BAFTA Awards, two Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Award ...

and Olivia Williams. In 2018 he directed his first

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

play in 25 years, ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

,'' with a cast including Rory Kinnear as Macbeth and Anne-Marie Duff as Lady Macbeth. In 2019, Norris directed

Helen Edmundson Helen Edmundson (born 1964) is a British playwright, screenwriter and producer. She has won awards and critical acclaim both for her original writing and for her adaptations of various literary classics for the stage and screen. Early life Edmu ...

's adaptation of Andrea Levy's book ''Small Island'' in the Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre''.'' The critically acclaimed production was broadcast to cinemas worldwide by

National Theatre Live National Theatre Live is an initiative operated by the Royal National Theatre in London. It broadcasts live, by satellite, performances of their productions (and those of other theatres) to cinemas and arts centres around the world. About I gre ...

. Following its initial sold-out run, ''Small Island'' was scheduled to return to the Olivier Theatre in late 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic delayed its return until spring 2022. ''Small Island'' was also shown as part of the free National Theatre at Home steaming programme during the UK 2020 Covid-19 lockdown. ''Hex'' opened in December 2021 but the production was curtailed in January 2022 due to a resurgence of Covid-19. It was restaged at the end of 2022 and ran into January 2023. The critical reaction was favourable, In June 2023, Norris announced that he would be stepping down from his position in spring 2025. In March 2025, Norris was awarded the Society of London Theatre Special Award.

Honorary Degree

In November 2023, Norris received the honorary degree, Doctor of Letters (DLitt), from the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

Views

On 16 August 2018, he condemned the destruction of the Said al-Mishal Cultural Centre in Gaza, which was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes on 11 August 2018.

Work

Theatre productions

Filmography

*2009 ''King Bastard'' *2012 '' Broken'' *2015 '' London Road''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Norris, Rufus 1965 births Living people British theatre directors British film directors Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Knights Bachelor