Kwame Kwei-Armah

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Acting

Download CV

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.

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

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

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

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