Gbolahan Obisesan

Obisesan was born in Nigeria and moved to the UK when he was 9 years old.[1] 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.[2]

Obisesan has served as a writer, actor and director.[3] He won the Jerwood Directors Award from the Young Vic for Sus in 2010.[3] In 2011 Obisesan's play Mad About the Boy won the Fringe First for best play.[4] It was published by Nick Hern Books.[5] He directed four plays for epic 66 books at the Bush Theatre.[6] It went on to tour the Unicorn Theatre, Royal Court Theatre and Bush Theatre.[4] He was the only British writer for Rufus Norris's Feast at the Royal Court Theatre in 2013.[7] Obisesan adapted Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman for the Bristol Old Vic in 2013.[8] The production was taken to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it was described as "theatre made by young people, about young people, for everybody".[8] He wrote and directed How Nigeria Became: A Story, and A Spear That Didn't Work, which ran at the Unicorn Theatre in 2014.[9] The play commemorated the centenary of Nigeria and was nominated as one of the Best Productions for Young People in the OffWestEnd Theatre Awards.[9][10] He was made the Young Vic Genesis Fellow in 2015.[11][12]

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.[13][14] In 2017 it was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre.[15] His latest production, The Fishermen is an adaption of the novel by Chigozie Obioma.[16] It debuted at HOME theatre in Manchester, UK, in 2018.[17]