Theatre / News
Bristol Old Vic appoints new artistic director and joint CEO
Bristol Old Vic announced today that Nancy Medina has been appointed as the company’s new artistic director.
Medina will take up the role full-time in spring 2023. She will be following Tom Morris, who is stepping down after 12 years in the role.
Responding to her appointment as artistic director, Medina, who is originally from Brooklyn, New York said: “I feel a great sense of awe and excitement to be embarking on a journey that will contribute to the great legacy of leading England’s oldest working theatre.
is needed now More than ever
Nancy Medina directed Bristol Old Vic’s production of The Laramie Project in 2020 – photo: Bristol Old Vic
“I feel gratitude to be joining the amazing team at Bristol Old Vic and to further the outstanding work that Tom and Charlotte [Geeves, executive director at Bristol Old Vic] have initiated for excellence in creativity, innovation, artist development and engagement with the wider city of Bristol.”
Medina has lived in Bristol for 14 years. “It will be a great honour to listen, reflect, and engage with the people of Bristol and together imagine what the future of theatre and the arts can be in this shining city of the South West,” she said.
Morris praised Medina’s appointment as his successor: “This is a brilliant appointment made by an outstanding board through a groundbreaking and incisive process. Nancy is a landmark director at the height of her powers and a visionary creative leader.”
Bernard Donoghue, chair of Bristol Old Vic said he was “delighted” that Medina would be joining Bristol Old Vic as the next artistic director.
He also praised the standard of all applicants: “We were humbled to have had an astonishing calibre of candidates apply for this role, which reflects the strength of Bristol Old Vic, its place in the UK and international theatre, and the legacy and achievements of Tom Morris over the last 12 years.
“Nancy is an inspiring visionary, a highly accomplished and award-winning director, and a passionate advocate for Bristol,” said Morris.
Nancy Medina will replace Tom Morris, who has been artistic director at Bristol Old Vic for 12 years – photo: Geraint Lewis
He added: “Her commitment to our ambitions for Bristol Old Vic to be a producing powerhouse, an important civic space for Bristol and the region, and being an accomplice in the work on social justice, diversity, inclusion and equality is clear in everything she does.”
Sado Jirde, vice chair of Bristol Old Vic also praised Medina’s direction: “She has worked nationally and internationally to produce plays that engage and enthral audiences from all walks of society.
“She is passionate about producing accessible and truthful theatre and we are extremely excited about working with her.
“At a time in which institutions across the country are looking at the challenging legacies of our history, for Bristol Old Vic to appoint a highly talented Black Latinx woman as artistic director provides a real opportunity to effect real change in how we express the multiplicity of British identities, experiences and histories.
“This is a significant moment in the story of the organisation and of Bristol’s cultural sector and Bristol Old Vic is delighted to be at the forefront of this work.
“Through her own rehearsal rooms and the extraordinary achievement of setting up the Bristol School of Acting, she has established an unmatched reputation in combining radical change with artistic excellence. This combination is precious and rare.”
Medina’s recently credits as a director include Moreno (Theatre503), Trouble in Mind (National Theatre), Two Trains Running (Royal & Derngate/ETT), Strange Fruit (Bush Theatre), The Half God of Rainfall (Kiln Theatre/Fuel/Birmingham Rep), and Yellowman (Young Vic).
Her forthcoming production of the world premier of The Darkest Part of the Night by Zodwa Nyoni opens at Kiln Theatre on July 14.
Main photo: Manuel Harlan
Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
