The Young Vic
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The Young Vic is a theatre in The Cut, located in the South Bank area of central London. It specialises in giving opportunities to young actors and directors. The theatre is publicly subsidised and has a high artistic reputation. Playwright David Lan has been the theatre's artistic director since 2000.
The Young Vic's name derives from the nearby Old Vic, one of the most celebrated of London's theatres and the first home of the National Theatre. In the period after World War II a "Young Vic Company" was formed as an offshoot of the "Old Vic Theatre School" for the purpose of performing classic plays for audiences aged nine to fifteen. This was later discontinued, but in 1970 the present "Young Vic Company" was established. In the words of Laurence Olivier, then director of the National Theatre, "Here we think to develop plays for young audiences, an experimental workshop for authors, actors and producers. The aim was to create an accessible theatre which offered high quality at low cost, in an informal environment. The aim was to appeal to young audiences, but this time not specifically to children. A venue was constructed out of a former butcher's shop and a neighbouring bomb-site. It was intended to last for five years, but has become permanent. The auditorium has a capacity of around 500 but this can vary depending on the configuration of the stage for each production, and a thrust stage. The audience sits on unreserved bench seating very close to the actors. There is also a studio space with capacity for around 90 people.
In 2003, the Young Vic launched a campaign to raise £12.5 million for a major reconstruction of its building and closed in 2004 for work to start. Designed by architects Haworth Tompkins - also know for their refurbishment of the Royal Court Theatre, Regent's Park Open-Air Theatre, and two temporary venues for the Almeida - the refurbisment was completed in October, 2006. The auditorium has been left intact, but refurbished and technically enhanced. The butcher's shop has also been retained as the main entrance to the building and also the box office. The remainder of the 1970's structure has been rebuilt to provide new foyers, dressing rooms, two studio theatres, and workshop spaces. An award of £5 million was received from the Arts Council of England.
The Young Vic primarily performs classic plays, but often in innovative productions. Well-known actors who have worked at the Young Vic include Vanessa Redgrave, Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, Timothy Dalton, Ian McKellen, Willard White, Clive Owen, and Jude Law. Quintessential rock band The Who held a concert at the Young Vic in order to rehearse what would become their masterpiece album, Who's Next.
The Young Vic re-opened on 11 October 2006, with a production of the community opera Tobias and the Angel; this included music by Jonathan Dove and a libretto by David Lan.
