If the most powerful position in the English-speaking theater world is chairman of the board of the Shubert Organization (currently held by Philip J. Smith), then I’d say the top job at the National Theatre of Great Britain is a close second.
National productions travel the world, with quite a few ending up on Broadway. Under Nicholas Hytner’s regime, both “The History Boys” and “War Horse” won the Tony for Best Play. Last year, James Corden, star of the National’s “One Man, Two Guvnors,” won the Tony for Best Actor in a Play.
Hytner is stepping down on March 15 after 10 years. So who will be his successor?
An announcement will reportedly be made at the end of the week. But here’s the skinny from some highly placed sources in artistic and political circles in London.
The name that pops up most often is Rufus Norris, the director of several acclaimed London productions. One of his best, “London Road,” was a spellbinding opera about the neighbors of a real-life serial killer known as the Suffolk Strangler.
Norris has directed just two shows on Broadway — “Festen” (compelling in London, a dud in New York) and “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” (strangely wan). But he’s held in high regard in England and is said to be hungry for the job. He’s playing it cool, though, since it’s considered unseemly to campaign for it. If he gets it, his No. 2 will be Dominic Cooke, a director and writer who once ran the Royal Court Theatre.
Another candidate is David Lan, about whom I know very little. He ran the Young Vic for a while, but for the life of me I can’t remember any of his productions. What makes him a contender is his friendship with Stephen Daldry, the first-rate director of “Billy Elliot” and the movie “The Hours.” I hear that if Lan is appointed, Daldry has pledged to join the National as an associate director and will stage several productions for the theater.
Hot-shot young director Rupert Goold is also in the running. He has remarkable hair — very bouffant-y — and he won acclaim for his “Macbeth” on Broadway starring Patrick Stewart. But his production of “Enron” turned out to be exactly like the company of the title: a bust.
Goold recently took over the Almeida Theatre, so if the National wants him, they’ll have to buy out his contract.
A possible spoiler could be Jonathan Church, who gets high marks for turning the Chichester Festival Theatre into a powerhouse. A number of its productions have transferred to the West End.
Church has no profile over here, but if he nabs the National slot, he’ll soon be making the rounds of the Broadway elite.