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Dateline: 12th October, 2008
Eclipse Director Appointed Dawn Walton has been appointed as the first artistic director of Eclipse Theatre which aims to develop and raise the profile of Black and Asian theatre in the UK. Eclipse, formed in 2001, is managed by a consortium of three theatres: West Yorkshire Playhouse, The New Wolsey, Ipswich and Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Eclipse Theatre is currently hosted by West Yorkshire Playhouse.
Under her leadership Eclipse will continue to produce a high standard of work reflecting the cultural diversity of the UK, and in doing so continue to develop new audiences, in particular those who may not have engaged with theatre before. She will develop Eclipse both artistically and strategically and her first artistic venture will be as director of the latest touring production The Hounding of David Oluwale. This compelling and harrowing documentary drama portrays the life of Nigerian immigrant David Oluwale in a story that shook the city of Leeds in the early 1970s and will premiere at West Yorkshire Playhouse before touring nationwide.
On accepting her appointment as Artistic Director Dawn Walton sad, "Eclipse works with the best artists from the diverse community to produce quality work that attracts a new and diverse audience to mainstream theatre. I am delighted to have been invited to become its Artistic Director and I look forward to working with the partner theatres to lead Eclipse into its exciting future." After beginning her career at the Royal Court, Dawn Walton was awarded the Jerwood Young Directors Award at the Young Vic. Her directing credits include Urban Legend (Liverpool Everyman) 93.2FM, Drag-On, (Royal Court Theatre) Winners, The Blacks (Young Vic). She has established herself as an innovative director of new writing with a particular interest in work by the ‘new voices’ for theatre. Her most recent work Oxford Street by Levi David Addai was a sell-out production at the Royal Court that found further life and a new audience in a disused shop in Elephant and Castle. Her passion for discovering new work for the theatre has led to her developing and delivering a series of playwriting courses. Critical Mass at the Royal Court Theatre was an initiative to discover the next generation of black playwrights. Notable ‘graduates’ include Levi David Addai , Michael Bhim and Bola Agbaje (Gone Too Far! -Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre). West Yorkshire Playhouse will premiere Dawn’s production of The Hounding of David Oluwale from 31st January to 21st February 2009 before touring nationally. Adapted by Nigerian playwright Oladipo Agboluaje’s from Kester Aspden’s critically acclaimed book of the same title, the play tells the story of Leeds down-and-out David Oluwale, examining the shocking details of his life and tragic death. This production will be staged in the 40th anniversary year of his death.
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