David Lan

David Lan was born in Cape Town where he trained as an actor before moving to London in 1972.

Early plays include Painting a Wall (Almost Free Theatre 1974), Bird Child (Theatre Upstairs 1974), The Winter Dancers (Theatre Upstairs 1977), Red Earth (ICA 1978) and Sergeant Ola (Royal Court 1979).

He trained as a Social Anthropologist at the LSE, being awarded a PhD for a thesis on religion and politics in 1984.  In 1985 he published what is regarded as a classic of modern social anthropology Guns and Rain: Guerrillas and Spirit Mediums in Zimbabwe. It is taught at universities throughout the world.

He has written a number of prize-winning films and drama documentaries for BBC TV set in various African countries including The Sunday Judge - Mozambique (1985), Dark City – South Africa (1990) and Welcome Home Comrades – Namibia (1990). He has also produced and directed two documentaries for the BBC Omnibus series: Artist Unknown (1995) made for the Africa ‘95 exhibition at the Royal Academy and Royal Court Diaries (1996) about the redevelopment of the Royal Court Theatre.

Later plays include Flight (RSC, 1986), A Mouthful of Birds (with Caryl Churchill, Joint Stock / Royal Court, 1986), Desire (Almeida 1990), Charley Tango (BBC Radio 1995) and The Ends of the Earth (Royal National Theatre, 1996).

In 1995 and 1996 he was writer-in-residence at the Royal Court Theatre where he worked closely with a number of younger writers and directors. [‘In our debates about which plays to programme, his counsel was pivotal.  His commitment to the intense – and often arduous – process of working with young writers on successive drafts of their plays established new models.  Many of the Court’s successes in those years owe a debt of gratitude to his dramaturgical skills.’ Stephen Daldry]

He has written two opera libretti, Tobias and the Angel [music by Jonathan Dove 1999] and Ion (after Euripides) [music by Param Vir 2000, new version 2003], which were first performed at successive Almeida Opera Festivals as well as English versions of plays by Euripides and Verga for the RSC and the Almeida and Joshua Sobol’s Ghetto for the RNT.  His version of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya was directed by Katie Mitchell at the Young Vic [1998] and his version of The Cherry Orchard by Trevor Nunn at the RNT [2000].

For the theatre, he directed Pericles (RNT Studio), The Glass Menagerie (Watford) and ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore starring Jude Law and Eve Best (Young Vic). 

In 2000 he was appointed the Artistic Director of the Young Vic, he remained there until January 2018. During his tenure, Lan directed Julius Caesar (2000), A Raisin in the Sun (2001), Doctor Faustus with Jude Law (2002) The Daughter-in-Law (2002), The Skin of Our Teeth (2004), As You Like It (west end 2005), The Soldiers’ Fortune (2007).

He established the Genesis Directors Project, the Jerwood Directors Award and the Young Vic Award and received an Olivier Award for the entire 2004 season. He led the two-year thirty-one city 'Walkabout' season and the £14 million rebuild of the Young Vic which opened to acclaim in 2006, was named RIBA London Building of The Year and was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize.