It’s been announced that Roxanna Silbert, current artistic director of Birmingham Rep, will become artistic director and joint chief executive of Hampstead Theatre.

Silbert assumes the role from Edward Hall, who has ran the venue since 2010 with Greg Ripley-Duggan, in Spring 2019. Her first season will open to coincide with the venue’s 60th Birthday celebrations in September. Ripley-Duggan will continue in his role of co-chief executive alongside Silbert.

Silbert has been artistic director of Birmingham Rep since 2012, with previous jobs including artistic director of Paines Plough Theatre Company and associate director at the RSC. She returns to Hampstead where her she had her start as a script reader.

Silbert commented: ‘Hampstead Theatre is where I fell in love with new plays. When I first arrived in London from a city with no producing theatre and a school with no drama department, I had very little experience of theatre. I saw every production there for the first five years of my London life, usually more than once. We need new theatre now more than ever to inspire audiences wrestling and celebrating a world that is moving at breakneck speed. I’m honoured and excited to build on Edward Hall and Greg Ripley Duggan’s phenomenal success and to join the Hampstead team as we look forward to the future of this unique company’.

David Tyler, the Chairman of Hampstead Theatre said: ‘I am delighted that the exceptionally talented Roxana Silbert has agreed to join us as Artistic Director. Her creativity, ambition and incredible gift for storytelling make her the right person to build on the achievements of the past few years and take Hampstead into an exciting new era. I am sure that Roxana’s partnership with Greg Ripley-Duggan will be as successful as that between Greg and Edward Hall over the last nine years’.

Her current projects include EDMOND DE BERGERAC at Birmingham Rep in March 2019, and the European premiere of A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS in June 2019, also at the Rep. Meanwhile, Hampstead announced three new premieres for 2019 last week.