Rufus Norris is a multi-award-winning theatre director who came to prominence in 2001 with his production of Afore Night Came at the Young Vic, for which he won the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Newcomer.
In 2004 he won his second Evening Standard Award and the Critics Circle Award for his production of Festen. Since then, Rufus has directed a host of critically acclaimed shows, among them an adaptation of DBC Pierre’s Booker Prize-winning novel Vernon God Little at the Young Vic, and a West End revival of Cabaret, which won 2 Oliviers.
Rufus’ 2008 Broadway production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, starring Laura Linney and Ben Daniels, won five Tony Award nominations, including Best Revival. His production of London Road in 2011 at the National Theatre, won the Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical. In May 2013 Rufus directed the opening production at the Shed space at the National, Table by Tanya Ronder.
In 2009, Rufus made his screen debut with the short film King Bastard, written by Tanya Ronder and produced by BBC Films. His debut feature Broken opened Critics Week at Cannes Film Festival in 2012 and went on to win Best Film at the British Independent Film Awards. Rufus’ second feature is the screen adaptation of London Road for Cuba Pictures and BBC Films.
Rufus is the current Artistic Director of the National Theatre, having taken on the role in April 2015.