Shakespeare's Globe to Welcome New Artistic Director Next Spring

Shakespeare's Globe has announced that Michelle Terry will be its Artistic Director from April 2018.

An Olivier Award-winning actor and writer, Michelle is well-known to the Globe's stage, having starred as Rosalind in As You Like It (2015), as Titania/Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream (2013) and as the Princess of France in Love's Labour's Lost (2007). She also directed Richard III, King John and As You Like It for The Complete Walk (2016), a series of short films created as part of the Globe's celebration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death.

Michelle Terry said: "The work of Shakespeare is for me timeless, mythic, mysterious, vital, profoundly human and unapologetically theatrical. There are no other theatres more perfectly suited to house these plays than the pure and uniquely democratic spaces of The Globe and the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. I am so proud and excited that I will be in the privileged position where I can offer artists the opportunity to come together to reclaim and rediscover not only Shakespeare, but the work of his contemporaries, alongside new work from our current writers. For us to then share those stories with an audience that demands an unparalleled honesty, clarity and bravery, is all a dream come true."

Neil Constable, Chief Executive of Shakespeare's Globe, said: "I am delighted to announce Michelle Terry as the Globe's next Artistic Director. Audiences have loved her sparkling and intelligent performances on our stage over the years - now they will have the opportunity to see her fresh artistic vision come to life as she moves into a new phase of her impressive career. The Board and I congratulate her on her successful application, and very much look forward to working with her from April 2018."

Michelle most recently starred as the eponymous king in Henry V at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, and as Grace in Katie Mitchell's production of Cleansed for the National Theatre. Her other stage credits include Much Ado About Nothing, The Crucible and Love's Labour's Lost (Royal Shakespeare Company), All's Well That Ends Well (National Theatre), Privacy (Donmar Warehouse) and In The Republic of Happiness (Royal Court). She won an Olivier Award for her performance in Tribes at the Royal Court in 2010.

Michelle also wrote and starred in the Sky One series The Café with Ralf Little, created My Mark, the Donmar's ten-year project to chart the political growth of the next voting generation, with Rob Hastie, and most recently co-wrote and performed Becoming: part one with Rosalie Craig at The Donmar Warehouse. She trained at RADA.

The panel formed to recruit the Artistic Director Designate comprised: Neil Constable, Louise Jury, Claire van Kampen, Philip Kirkpatrick, Jamie Parker, Emma Stenning and Jenny Topper.

The Globe season runs from April to October, and this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love. The season opened on 22 April with Romeo and Juliet, followed by the return of Jessica Swale's Nell Gwynn in a co-production with English Touring Theatre. The season continued with Emma Rice's Twelfth Night, and a short run of Kneehigh's acclaimed Tristan & Yseult. Matthew Dunster's Much Ado About Nothing, set in the Mexican revolution of 1911, has most recently opened. The season concludes with King Lear directed by Nancy Meckler and the world premiere of Tristan Bernays' Boudica.

The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse: The candlelit Jacobean theatre at Shakespeare's Globe opened in January 2014. The 2017 winter season in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is entitled 'The Winter Selection'. The season opens with Romantics Anonymous, a new musical directed by Emma Rice, with book written by Emma Rice, lyrics by Christopher Dimond, and music by Michael Kooman, presented by special arrangement with Radio Mouse Entertainment. This will be followed by The Secret Theatre, a new play by Anders Lustgarten, directed by Matthew Dunster, and Apocalypse Meow: Crisis is Born, an alternative Christmas show from postpost-modern cabaret sensation Meow Meow. The new year brings a new production of All's Well That Ends Well, directed by Caroline Byrne, and The Captive Queen, a reimagining of John Dryden's Restoration drama Aurengzebe, directed by Barrie Rutter and co-produced with Northern Broadsides. The winter season closes with Vivaldi's The Four Seasons - a reimagining, created by Gyre & Gimble and recomposed by Max Richter, and the return of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Matchgirl and Other Happier Tales, adapted and directed by Emma Rice, in coproduction with Bristol Old Vic.

Globe Education: One of the largest arts education departments in the UK; each year, over 100,000 people of all ages and nationalities participate in its public events, workshops and courses. Globe Education also runs extensive outreach programmes for students and teachers in the Southwark community, nationally and internationally.

Globe Exhibition & Tour: Open to the public all year round, the Globe Exhibition and Tour explores the life of Shakespeare, the London where he lived, and the theatre for which he wrote.

Globe Player: An online platform offering full-length HD films of over 50 Shakespeare productions at the Globe to rent or buy.

Globe On Screen: Shakespeare's Globe and CinemaLive have announced the first live cinema broadcast from the Globe. King Lear, starring Kevin McNally, will be broadcast live in over 300 cinemas across the UK & Ireland on 21st September at 7.30pm.

Globe Shop: Stocks a variety of products, including theatre season-specific merchandise. All profits go towards supporting our educational mission.

The Swan Bar and Restaurant and the Foyer Café Bar: Open all year round, for reservations and more information please call 020 7928 9444 or visit loveswan.co.uk

The Shakespeare Globe Trust: Registered UK charity No. 266916. Shakespeare's Globe receives no regular public subsidy.

For more information, visit www.shakespearesglobe.com.