Gbolahan Obisesan

Obisesan was born in Nigeria and moved to the UK when he was 9 years old.^[2][3] He grew up in Bermondsey and New Cross.^[3] He attended Southwark College, where he earned a Distinction in Communication & Visual Design in 2000. He later completed a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Visual Studies at London Guildhall University and was involved with the National Youth Theatre.^[4]

Obisesan has served as a writer, actor and director.^[5] He won the Jerwood Directors Award from the Young Vic for Sus in 2010.^[5] In 2011 Obisesan's play Mad About the Boy won the Fringe First for best play.^[6] It was published by Nick Hern Books.^[7] He directed four plays for epic 66 books at the Bush Theatre.^[8] It went on to tour the Unicorn Theatre, Royal Court Theatre and Bush Theatre.^[6] He was the only British writer for Rufus Norris's Feast at the Royal Court Theatre in 2013.^[9] Obisesan adapted Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman for the Bristol Old Vic in 2013.^[10] The production was taken to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it was described as "theatre made by young people, about young people, for everybody".^[10] He wrote and directed How Nigeria Became: A Story, and A Spear That Didn't Work, which ran at the Unicorn Theatre in 2014.^[11] The play commemorated the centenary of Nigeria and was nominated as one of the Best Productions for Young People in the OffWestEnd Theatre Awards.^[11][12] He was made the Young Vic Genesis Fellow in 2015.^[13][14]

In 2016 Obisesan directed Charlene James's Cuttin'it, which premiered at the Young Vic before touring to Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, Crucible Theatre and London's Yard Theatre^[15][16] In 2017 it was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre.^[17] His latest production, The Fishermen is an adaption of the novel by Chigozie Obioma.^[18] It debuted at HOME theatre in Manchester, UK, in 2018.^[19]

Obisesan was made artistic director at the Brixton House (formerly Ovalhouse) theatre in January 2020 and left in January 2023.^[20][21][22] In the wake of the George Floyd murder and the associated protests, Obisesan called for British theatre to become more inclusive.^[23] At the time, less than 5% of London theatre employees were black and minority ethnic, whilst the population of London are 40%.^[23] In an interview with The Guardian, Obisesan said, “perpetuating whiteness across institutions and organisations can no longer be the norm,”.^[24]

• 2011 Sus at the Young Vic^[25]
• 2011 Mad About the Boy for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe^[26][6]
• 2013 Feast at the Royal Court Theatre^[27]
• 2013 Pigeon English at the Bristol Old Vic^[10]
• 2014 We are Proud to Present at the Bush Theatre^[28] (directed)
• 2014 How Nigeria Became: A Story, and A Spear That Didn't Work at the Unicorn Theatre^[11]
• 2014 Off the Page at the Royal Court Theatre^[27] (directed)
• 2015 Re:Exhibit at the Bush Theatre^[29]
• 2016 Zaida and Aadam at the Bush Theatre^[28]
• 2016 Cuttin'it by Charlene James^[30][31] (directed)
• 2018 The Fishermen^[19][32]
• 2019 SS Mendi: Dancing the Death Drill (directed)^[3][33]
• 2019 Random (directed)^[3]
• 2019 Yvette (directed)^[3]
• 2019 The Last King of Scotland (directed)^[3]
• 2020 The Mountaintop^[24]