After several months filling in, the directorial firebrand has been appointed the company’s new artistic head.

Sydney Theatre Company announced today that Kip Williams has been appointed as the company’s new Artistic Director. Williams has been keeping the position warm as Interim Artistic Director since August, following the controversial departure of British director Jonathan Church in May after only nine months in the job.

“Through our deliberations, we always returned to the notion of STC being an artist-led company with a distinctive heritage and voice,” said STC Chairman Ian Narev. “We believe Kip consistently makes some of the most exciting theatre in Australia, and many others in the industry share that view. Kip is a visionary artist who spoke to us about his love for the Company, and his practical vision for how it can use its strong foundations to reach even higher artistic standards for audiences, artists, staff and the community. The esteem in which he is held by colleagues, from the country’s leading artists to those just starting out, is clear. All of us on the board were unanimous that Kip was the standout choice as Artistic Director.”

^{Sydney Theatre Company’s new Artistic Director, Kip Williams, photo © James Green}

Despite stepping into the role on a temporary basis earlier in the year, there were no guarantees Williams would be appointed. “The board made it very clear with me when I was appointed Interim that it was neither an advantage or disadvantage should I apply for the job proper,” he told Limelight. “It’s been a very in-depth process.”

Williams has worked with STC since 2011 when former AD Andrew Upton invited him to be Assistant Director on his production of The White Guard. “The company has given me a huge amount of opportunity from a very young age,” Williams said. “I was 25 when they gave me my first show – and that was stepping in to conceive and then direct Under Milk Wood with about five weeks notice. I was working with Jack Thompson, who was in his 70s at the time and hadn’t been on stage for 40 years. That was very much a baptism-of-fire and an in-at-the-deep-end moment and ultimately one of my most cherished experiences in the theatre. I was very proud of the work that emerged from it.”

In January 2013 Williams was invited – along with Sarah Giles and Sarah Goodes – to become a Resident Director at STC, a post he held until taking up the role of Interim Artistic Director in August this year. “During my time in the company I’ve been given a huge amount of opportunity quite early on. I’ve had a lot of faith put in me from the leaders inside the company. I’m very fortunate in that sense, to have been able to grow and develop in the way that the company has allowed me to.”

^{Paula Arundell as Tatiana in Kip Williams’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream, photo © Brett Boardman}

Known for his bold vision, Williams’ first outing as Interim Artistic Director was his dark production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a reading that explored the more tragic and terrifying elements of the comedy. So what does Williams hope to achieve during his tenure as Artistic Director? “I’d love to build upon the momentum of productions like The Secret River and see big new Australian works being programmed in our big spaces like the Roslyn Packer Theatre,” he said. “If I could look back at the end of my Artistic Directorship and say that during my time a good number of works were contributed to the Australian canon I think that would be a great achievement. I think part of my responsibility is to develop the next generation as well as support the current community. I’d love to be able to look back and say I was leading the company at a time when we really supported female theatre makers – women directors, writers, actors, practitioners – as well as theatre makers from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.”

^{Kip Williams, photo © Hon Boey}

Williams’ appointment has drawn praise from a number of former STC Artistic Directors. “The board has made an excellent choice,” said former Artistic Director Andrew Upton, who led the company from 2008 to 2015. “Kip is the sort of unique talent that is rare to find. Confident in his own creative voice and a terrific collaborator, he has an incredible track record already and is on the cusp of a magnificent career.” Cate Blanchett, who was co-artistic director from 2008 to 2012 said: “This is wonderful news, not only for STC but for the whole theatre community. Kip’s appointment marks an exciting new chapter.”

For Williams this appointment marks the next big step in a meteorically rising career. “It feels fantastic,” he said, “incredibly humbling and thrilling in equal parts.”