Gbolahan Obisesan
Gbolahan Obisesan is a British Nigerian writer and director. He is the Artistic Director at Brixton House theatre. He has served as a Genesis Fellow and Associate Director at the Young Vic. Early life. Obisesan was born in Nigeria and moved to the UK when he was 9 years old. He grew up in Bermondsey and New Cross. He attended Southwark College, where he earned a BTech in Communication in 2000. He completed his Bachelor's degree at London Guildhall University and was involved with the National Youth Theatre. Career. Obisesan has served as a writer, actor and  director. He won the Jerwood Directors Award from the Young Vic for Sus in 2010. In 2011 Obisesan's play "Mad About the Boy" won the Fringe First for best play. It was published by Nick Hern Books. He directed four plays for "epic 66 books" at the Bush Theatre. It went on to tour the Unicorn Theatre, Royal Court Theatre and Bush Theatre. He was the only British writer for Rufus Norris's Feast at the Royal Court Theatre in 2013. Obisesan adapted Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman for the Bristol Old Vic in 2013. The production was taken  to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it was described as "theatre made by young people, about young people, for everybody". He wrote and directed "How Nigeria Became: A Story, and A Spear That Didn't Work," which ran at the Unicorn Theatre in 2014. The play commemorated the centenary of Nigeria and was nominated as one of the "Best Productions for Young People" in the OffWestEnd Theatre Awards. He was made the Young Vic Genesis Fellow in 2015. In 2016 Obisesan directed Charlene James's Cuttin', which premiered at the Young Vic before touring to Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Royal Court  Theatre, Crucible Theatre and London's Yard Theatre. In 2017 it was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre. His latest production"," "The Fishermen" is an adaption of the novel by Chigozie Obioma. It debuted at HOME theatre in Manchester, UK, in 2018. Obisesan was made artistic director at the Brixton House (formerly Ovalhouse) theatre in 2020. In the wake of the George Floyd murder and the associated protests, Obisesan called for British theatre to become more inclusive. At the time, less than 5% of London theatre employees were black and minority ethnic, whilst the  population of London are 40%. In an interview with The Guardian, Obisesan said, “perpetuating whiteness across institutions and organisations can no longer be the norm,”.