Kwame Kwei-Armah

Writer / Director / Actor

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Biography

Kwame Kwei-Armah is a British actor, playwright, director and broadcaster. In 2018 he was made Artistic Director of the Young Vic Theatre, where he has directed Twelfth Night, Tree, The Collaboration and Benethea’s Place among others. 

From 2011 to 2018 he was previously the Artistic Director of Baltimore Center Stage where he directed: Jazz, Marley, One Night in Miami, Amadeus, Dance of the Holy Ghosts, The Mountaintop; An Enemy of the People, The Whipping Man and Things of Dry Hours. 

Other work as a director includes: Twelfth Night, Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing, Detroit’67 (Public Theatre, New York), The Liquid Plain (Signature Theatre, New York and Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Porgy and Bess (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra) the Olivier Nominated One night in Miami for Best New Play 2016 (Donmar Warehouse) and One Love (Birmingham Repertory Theatre). 

As a playwright his credits include Tree (Manchester International Festival, Young Vic), One Love (Birmingham Repertory Theatre), Beneatha’s Place (Baltimore Center Stage and the Young Vic Theatre), Elmina’s Kitchen, Fix Up, Statement of Regret (National Theatre) Let There Be Love and Seize the Day (Tricycle Theatre). 

Kwame was Artistic Director for the Festival of Black arts and Culture, Senegal, in 2010. He conceived and directed the opening ceremony at Senghor National stadium. He was an Associate Director of the Donmar Warehouse and has served on the boards of the National Theatre, Tricycle Theatre, and Theatre Communications Group. Kwame was the Chancellor of the University of the Arts London from 2010 to 2015, and in 2012 was awarded an OBE for Services to Drama.

In 2012, 2013 and 2014 Kwame was named Best Director in City Paper’s Best of Baltimore Awards and in 2015 was nominated for the prestigious Stage Directors and Choreographers Zelda Fichandler Award for Best Regional Artistic Director. In 2016 he was awarded the Urban Visionary Award alongside House Representative Elijah Cummings by the Center for Urban Families for his work in the Baltimore community. In 2019 he was the Chair of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting. Kwame is a patron of Ballet Black and a visiting fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University.

 

Credits

Theatre

Production Company Notes
HERCULES Disney

Book written by Kwame and Robert Horn.

BENEATHA'S PLACE Baltimore Centre Stage/The Young Vic

Writer (Baltimore Centre Stage, World Premiere), and Writer/Director (The Young Vic, European Premiere).

THE COLLABORATION The Young Vic

Director.
Also Directing Feature Film adaptation.

TREE Manchester International Festival/The Young Vic

Director
World Premiere
TWELFTH NIGHT The Young Vic

Director
ONE LOVE: THE BOB MARLEY MUSICAL Birmingham Rep

Director
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI Donmar Warehouse

Director
MARLEY Center Stage Baltimore

Director
World Premiere
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI Center Stage Baltimore

Director
AMADEUS Center Stage Baltimore

Director
DANCE OF THE HOLY GHOSTS Center Stage Baltimore

Director
THE MOUNTAINTOP Center Stage Baltimore

Director
AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE Center Stage Baltimore

Director
THE WHIPPING MAN Center Stage Baltimore

Director
THINGS OF DRY HOURS Center Stage Baltimore

Director
TWELFTH NIGHT Public Theatre New York

Director
COMEDY OF ERRORS Public Theatre New York

Director
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Public Theatre New York

Director
DETROIT '67 Public Theatre New York

Director
World Premiere
THE LIQUID PLAIN Signature Theater New York / Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Director
World Premiere
PORGY & BESS Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Director

Film

Production Company Notes
MISSION HILL Compelling Pictures / Redefine Entertainment / Marina Studios Productions /White Lodge Productions

Director, his second film with Compelling Pictures, and Written by Michael McGrale (“The Following”).
Produced by Compelling Pictures, Peter Craig (“Top Gun: Maverick”), and Jay Giannone.

Mission Hill is based on a real-life homicide case that brought Boston to its knees in 1989. It follows an up-and-coming police officer and a seasoned detective racing against time to bring a suspect in before the city implodes over racial tensions.

THE COLLABORATION Muse of Fire Productions/Compelling Pictures

Director (Feature Film Debut).
Written by Anthony McCarten (“Bohemian Rhapsody”, “The Two Popes”) and Produced by MacCarten and Denis O’Sullivan.
The Collaboration explores the extraordinary creative partnership and friendship between two artists in the 1980s, and how their contrasting beliefs became the propulsion for their work together.
BONER Jackson Pictures / 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks

Co-Writer with Spike Lee, Director. Produced by Matt Jackson (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”).
A musical about how the Viagra drug was developed within Pfizer.

MARKED MAN Mark Gordon Pictures / Jackson Pictures

Writer.
Directed by Andrew Dosunmu and Developed by Esther Douglas with the support of the BFI Film Fund.
I COULD NEVER BE YOUR WOMAN Alan Latham
FADE TO BLACK Fragile Films
THE THREE KINGS Wandering Star Films
MY WEST Pacific Pictures
CUT THROAT ISLAND

Television

Production Company Notes
FASH Happy Prince (an ITVS label) for ITV

Writer.
FASH is the poignant, compelling and heart-breaking story of two complex and conflicted brothers, Justin and John Fashanu, and a fearlessly uncompromising exploration of the institutional prejudices which tore them apart
SKINS E4
HORNE & CORDEN Tiger Aspect
LEWIS ITV
HOTEL BABYLON carnical TV
ROBIN HOOD BBC
CASUALTY BBC
P.D. JAMES - AN UNSUITABLEJOB FOR A WOMAN BBC
INFINITY DINER
THE KNOCK LWT
EXPERT WITNESS LWT
CASUALTY BBC
BETWEEN THE LINES BBC
SKIN LWT
THE BILL Thames
FILE ON JILL HATCH ABC/BBC
ALICE IN WONDERLAND Channel Four
LYTTONS DIARY Thames
LATCHKEY KIDS Thames
BIRTH OF A NATION Channel Four
CROSSING THE BORDER BBC
ESCAPE FROM KAMPALA BBC
RAGTIME Channel Four

Other

Production Company Notes
MOZART & SALIERI Crucible, Sheffield
BLUES BROTHER, SOUL SISTER Bristol Old Vic
STATE OF PLAY Royal Exchange, Manchester
BIG NOSE Belgrade Theatre Coventry

Co-written by Chris Monks
BLUES BROTHER, SOUL SISTER Theatre Royal Bristol Old Vic
STATEMENT OF REGRET Royal National Theatre
BLUES BROTHER, SOUL SISTER II Theatre Royal Bristol Old Vic
BLUES IN THE NIGHT Salisbury Playhouse
STREETWISE Temba Theatre Company
CARMEN JONES Old Vic, London
THE GODS ARE NOT TO BLAME Talawa Theatre Company
THINGS OF DRY HOURS Centrestage, Baltimore
CARMEN JONES Crucible, Sheffield
CHOO CHOO CHA BOOGIE Octagon Theatre, Bolton
CLASS K Royal Exchange, Manchester
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Nottingham Playhouse
THISTLEWOOD Commissioned by BBC FILMS
CRICKET AT CAMP DAVID Octagon Theatre, Bolton
TRIBUTE TO THE BLUESBROTHERS Whitehall, London
TRIXIE'S CAFE Derby playhouse
ELEGIES Criterion
UMOJA Zons Tours
ELMINA'S KITCHEN Garrick Theatre/Birmingham Rep/ RNT
ELMINA'S KITCHEN International tours / Garrick Theatre, West End
ELMINA'S KITCHEN Royal National Theatre & televised for the BBC
WILLIAM WILBERFORCE Westminster Productions
WOZA ALBERT Pocket Theatre, Cumbria
FAMILIAR GROUNDS Theatre Crease
WALTER TULL: FORGOTTEN HERO BBC
A BITTER HERB Theatre Royal Bristol Old Vic
FIRST IMPRESSIONS Perspective Theatre Company
AMADEUS Crucible, Sheffield
FIX-UP Royal National Theatre
FRANKIES FRIENDS Derby Playhouse
MUGABE - THE EARLY YEARS BBC Radio 4
HENRY IV PART II Indian Tour
HOLD ON Durham Theatre Royal
HOLD ON National Tour
HUCKLEBEERY FINN Oxford Stage Company
LET THERE BE LOVE Tricycle Theatre
LET THERE BE LOVE Tricycle Theatre
MAID MARION AND HER MERRY MEN - THE MUSICAL Bristol Old Vic
MAMA DECEMBER Temba Theatre Company
MOLL FLANDERS Derby Playhouse
NEW DAY Royal National Theatre

Documentaries

Production Company Notes
INSIDE A GUNSHOT WOUND Granada
TRAUMA AFRICA
TRAUMA UK BBC
ON TOUR WITH THE QUEEN Lion TV - 4 x 1hr
SURVIVAL Rockhopper - 8 x 45min films for the BBC

Factual Entertainment

Production Company Notes
GAME RANGER DIARIES Tigress Productions
THE CULTURE SHOW BBC

Biography

Kwame was Writer in Residence at the Bristol Old Vic 1999-2001 where he wrote three plays – A Bitter Herb (Winner Peggy Ramsey award), Blues Brother Soul Sister, and Big Nose.

His triptych of plays set in the habits of the African Caribbean community – Elmina’s Kitchen – Fix Up and Statement of Regret premiered at the National Theatre between 2003- 2007, with Elmina’s Kitchen transferring to the London’s West End, (The First African Caribbean playwright to have had that honour ) Baltimore and Chicago. Amongst other accolades he has won the Evening Standard Charles Wintor Award for Most Promising Playwright, Screen Nation Award for Favourite TV Actor, 100 Black Men of Britain PublicFigure Award, GPA Man of the Year and The RECON Community Leadership award 2007. Kwame has been nominated for a Lawrence Oliver Award and a BAFTA. He received an Honorary Doctorate from The Open University in 2008.

Kwame made his directorial debut at Baltimore’s Centerstage directing the Macarther award winning playwright Naomi Wallace’s Things of Dry Hours in early 2007. He directed the Pultizer nominated playwright Esa Davis’s Ten minute play Dave Chappelle Was Right for the 24hr plays on Broadway and went on to direct his own play – Let There Be Love at the Tricycle Theatre London.

Kwame has appeared on Newsnight Review, The Culture Show, Question Time and Newsnight Review, and is often heard on BBC Radio 4. He has written articles for The Independent, The Telegraph, The Evening Standard, the New Statesmen and The Observer.

Kwame is a trustee of The Roundhouse, The National Theatre and the Tricycle Theatre and LEAP.

As an actor Kwame played Finley Newton in the BBC’s Casualty 1999-2004 has recently been seen in the TV series Hotel Babylon , ITV’s LEWIS and the film Fade to Black.

Kwame is the Artistic Director of the CENTERSTAGE THEATRE in Baltimore, and has relocated to the USA with his family.

Kwame was presented with an OBE in the summer of 2012.

Credits

Television

Production Character Director Company
SKINS Trainer E4
ALICE IN WONDERLAND Mad Hatter Brian Izzard Channel Four
BETWEEN THE LINES Det. Colin Smithson BBC
BIRTH OF A NATION Paul Mike Leigh Channel Four
CASUALTY Lloyd Chris Lovett BBC
CASUALTY Finlay - series regular Various BBC
CROSSING THE BORDER Nelson Roger Tong BBC
ESCAPE FROM KAMPALA Joshua Roy Battersby BBC
EXPERT WITNESS The Gambler/ Robert Mantac Cameron McAlistair LWT
FILE ON JILL HATCH Gary ABC/BBC
GAME RANGER DIARIES Presenter Tigress Productions
HORNE & CORDEN Kathy Burke Tiger Aspect
HOTEL BABYLON Hutch Andy Hay carnical TV
INFINITY DINER Mark Holness
INSIDE A GUNSHOT WOUND Present Granada
LATCHKEY KIDS Duke Binns Horace Ove Thames
LEWIS Lord Adebayou Stewart Orme ITV
LYTTONS DIARY Wesley Thames
ON TOUR WITH THE QUEEN Presenter Various Lion TV - 4 x 1hr
P.D. JAMES - AN UNSUITABLEJOB FOR A WOMAN C.I.D Officer John Strickland BBC
RAGTIME Fix It Bian Izzard Channel Four
ROBIN HOOD De Fourtnoy John McKay BBC
SKIN Narrator LWT
SURVIVAL Narrator Rockhopper - 8 x 45min films for the BBC
THE BILL Thames
THE CULTURE SHOW Anchor Various BBC
THE KNOCK Keith Washington LWT
TRAUMA AFRICA Presenter
TRAUMA UK Presenter BBC

Other

Production Character Director Company
A BITTER HERB Theatre Royal Bristol Old Vic Andy HayWINNER: Peggy Ramsay Bursary (1998)
BIG NOSE Belgrade Theatre CoventryCo-written by Chris Monks
BLUES BROTHER, SOUL SISTER Theatre Royal Bristol Old Vic Andy Hay
BLUES BROTHER, SOUL SISTER II Theatre Royal Bristol Old Vic Andy Hay
ELMINA'S KITCHEN International tours / Garrick Theatre, West End Angus Jackson
ELMINA'S KITCHEN Royal National Theatre & televised for the BBC Angus JacksonWINNER: Evening Standard Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising PlaywrightNominated for an Olivier Award & for a BAFTA (Best New Writer)
FIX-UP Royal National Theatre Angus Jackson
HOLD ON Durham Theatre Royal Andy Hay
HOLD ON National Tour Andy Hay
LET THERE BE LOVE Stageplay Tricycle Theatre Kwame Kwei-Armah
LET THERE BE LOVE Tricycle Theatre Kwame Kwei-Armah
MUGABE - THE EARLY YEARS BBC Radio 4
NEW DAY Royal National Theatre
STATEMENT OF REGRET Royal National Theatre Jeremy Herrin
THINGS OF DRY HOURS Stageplay Centrestage, Baltimore Naomi Wallace
THISTLEWOOD Feature Commissioned by BBC FILMS
WALTER TULL: FORGOTTEN HERO BBC Alrick Riley

Stage

Production Character Director Company
AMADEUS Venticelli Claire Venebles Crucible, Sheffield
BLUES BROTHER, SOUL SISTER Andy Hay Bristol Old Vic
BLUES IN THE NIGHT Man in Saloon Chris Monk Salisbury Playhouse
CARMEN JONES Simon Callow Old Vic, London
CARMEN JONES Steven Pimlott Crucible, Sheffield
CHOO CHOO CHA BOOGIE Sweet Tongue Andy Hay Octagon Theatre, Bolton
CLASS K Josh Braham Murray Royal Exchange, Manchester
CRICKET AT CAMP DAVID Calvin Romy Baskerville Octagon Theatre, Bolton
ELEGIES Doug Bill Russell Criterion
ELMINA'S KITCHEN Deli Angus Jackson Garrick Theatre/Birmingham Rep/ RNT
FAMILIAR GROUNDS General Doggo T-Bone Wilson Theatre Crease
FIRST IMPRESSIONS Charlton Sally Aprahamian Perspective Theatre Company
FRANKIES FRIENDS Frankie Clare Grove Derby Playhouse
HENRY IV PART II Hal Nancy Ruthven Indian Tour
HUCKLEBEERY FINN Jim Stephen Daldry Oxford Stage Company
MAID MARION AND HER MERRY MEN - THE MUSICAL Barrington Andy Hay/ Tony Robins Bristol Old Vic
MAMA DECEMBER John Alby James Temba Theatre Company
MIDNIGHT HOUR Bennie Andy Hay
MOLL FLANDERS Miles Derby Playhouse
MOZART & SALIERI Mozart Stephen Daldry Crucible, Sheffield
STATE OF PLAY Winston Royal Exchange, Manchester
STREETWISE Angel Alby James Temba Theatre Company
THE GODS ARE NOT TO BLAME Chief Balogan Yvonne Brewster Talawa Theatre Company
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Tom Robinson Kenneth Alan Taylor Nottingham Playhouse
TRIBUTE TO THE BLUESBROTHERS David Leland Whitehall, London
TRIXIE'S CAFE Bailey Derby playhouse
UMOJA Guest Performer Rani Dabrai Zons Tours
WILLIAM WILBERFORCE Pitt Westminster Productions
WOZA ALBERT Percy Lawrence Boswell Pocket Theatre, Cumbria

Film

Production Character Director Company
CUT THROAT ISLAND Renny Harlin
FADE TO BLACK Joe Black Oliver Parker Fragile Films
I COULD NEVER BE YOUR WOMAN Amy Heckerling
MY WEST Pacific Pictures
THE THREE KINGS Casper Shaun Mosley Wandering Star Films
Kwame Kwei-Armah
Kwame Kwei-Armah
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