Gbolahan Obisesan

Obisesan was born in Nigeria and moved to the UK when he was 9 years old.[1][2] He grew up in Bermondsey and New Cross.[2] 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.[3]

Obisesan has served as a writer, actor and director.[4] He won the Jerwood Directors Award from the Young Vic for Sus in 2010.[4] In 2011 Obisesan's play Mad About the Boy won the Fringe First for best play.[5] It was published by Nick Hern Books.[6] He directed four plays for epic 66 books at the Bush Theatre.[7] It went on to tour the Unicorn Theatre, Royal Court Theatre and Bush Theatre.[5] He was the only British writer for Rufus Norris's Feast at the Royal Court Theatre in 2013.[8] Obisesan adapted Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman for the Bristol Old Vic in 2013.[9] The production was taken to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it was described as "theatre made by young people, about young people, for everybody".[9] He wrote and directed How Nigeria Became: A Story, and A Spear That Didn't Work, which ran at the Unicorn Theatre in 2014.[10] The play commemorated the centenary of Nigeria and was nominated as one of the Best Productions for Young People in the OffWestEnd Theatre Awards.[10][11] He was made the Young Vic Genesis Fellow in 2015.[12][13]

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[14][15] In 2017 it was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre.[16] His latest production, The Fishermen is an adaption of the novel by Chigozie Obioma.[17] It debuted at HOME theatre in Manchester, UK, in 2018.[18]

Obisesan was made artistic director at the Brixton House (formerly Ovalhouse) theatre in January 2020 and left in January 2023.[19][20][21] In the wake of the George Floyd murder and the associated protests, Obisesan called for British theatre to become more inclusive.[22] At the time, less than 5% of London theatre employees were black and minority ethnic, whilst the population of London are 40%.[22] In an interview with The Guardian, Obisesan said, “perpetuating whiteness across institutions and organisations can no longer be the norm,”.[23]