Rupert Goold has been announced as the new Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre Company.
Goold takes over at the 325-seat theatre in Islington, north London, after a career that has so far included stints as Associate Director at the Royal Shakespeare Company and as Artistic Director of Northampton Theatres. He leaves Headlong Theatre where he has been Artistic Director since 2005.
Goold has also worked as a freelance director and has received Olivier Awards, Critics' Circle Awards and Evening Standard Awards for Best Director.
He will take up his new post in August with the first production under his Artistic Directorship to be staged in January next year. Already no stranger to the Almeida, Goold will also be directing the world première of American Psycho in December and the world première of Lucy Kirkwood’s Chimerica in the summer is a Headlong Almeida co-production.
Goold says of his appointment: "After eight wonderful years at Headlong I'm thrilled to be joining the Almeida, with our collaborations on Chimerica and American Psycho this year it feels the perfect timing."
Outgoing Artistic Director, Michael Attenborough, is "…truly thrilled to be passing the theatre on to, not only a bold and brilliant director, but someone who takes equal delight in the promotion of other artists and the same ambitious, progressive programming for which the Almeida has always been known."