Kwame Kwei-Armah, the outgoing artistic director of the Young Vic, has warned that diversity in the theatre industry will regress if the government does not make urgent interventions to improve the provision of drama and art classes in schools.
The director and dramatist has scripted a new Hercules musical that opens at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London in June 2025, taking over the musical mantle at the theatre from Frozen. It will be his first major project since stepping down from the Young Vic earlier this year.
The show is inspired by the 1997 animated film of the same name from Walt Disney Studios, which was a huge hit with audiences and critics. It stars Luke Brady and is co-written with Robert Horn, directed by Casey Nicholaw and co-choreographed with Tanisha Scott, with music and lyrics by Alan Menken and David Zippel.
According to Kwei-Armah, one of the ways the show has been made relevant for modern audiences is with the inclusion of “lots of funny gags” which “sometimes reference the time we’re living in”. On top of this, he paid tribute to the show’s “effortless diversity”, which he said reflected modern audiences and society.
But he also said such improvements in the industry should not be taken for granted.
“Opportunities for actors from minority backgrounds have improved exponentially,” he said. “Diversity is deeply embedded in all casting decisions. Today, I’d like to say this is a battle won.”
However, cuts to arts education, including drama lessons, pose a danger, he added. “Without a shadow of a doubt this is a trend we need to reduce. We learned during the culture wars that while you think you have a victory today, that doesn’t mean you’re not going to be fighting those battles again.
“If drama and art is not properly provisioned in our schools, we may be having the same debate around class and race again in 10 years’ time. It’s a priority for us all to make sure we communicate with the government that they need to make interventions in this area.”
Theatre leaders have consistently warned of the lack of arts schemes for working-class children as many state schools say they have been forced to cut expensive and less popular lessons to address crippling deficits under the Tory government.
In September, the theatre director Tinuke Craig said such lack of investment would create a cultural landscape that was whiter and posher.
Data released in May revealed an overall decline of 42% in the number of arts GCSE entries and 21% in arts A-level entries since the introduction of the Ebacc system, which excludes all arts subjects, in 2010. In that time, 42% of schools no longer enter any pupils for music GCSE while 41% no longer enter any pupils for drama GCSE.
Labour has launched a curriculum review to put subjects such as music, art and drama back at the heart of learning.
Under Kwei-Armah’s tenure, the Young Vic extended its reputation for dynamic, convention-defying work. He oversaw the UK premiere of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Pulitzer-winning Fairview, which the Guardian’s Michael Billington called “a daring challenge to the white gaze”; Cush Jumbo’s gender-blind Hamlet, and The Second Woman, in which Ruth Wilson repeated a single scene for 24 hours.
With all that now behind him, the director spoke of the differences between working in commercial theatre and the subsidised sector, which he says has become overrun with fear due to years of “chronic underfunding”.
“The arts needs to be funded in line with inflation, but for 14 years it has been in the place it was when austerity was brought in,” he said.
“This means the subsidised sector finds itself having to act like the commercial sector without some of the pulleys and levers. It has to cast big stars in really famous plays, because that’s what gets through to the press, which then gets through to the audience.
“I love working in the commercial environment because at the end of the day, it has one imperative: to succeed. But in the subsidised sector we have multiple imperatives – we have to serve society, we have to look after our community, we have to ensure we’re extending the canon. So it’s unfair that we’re burdened with most of the expectations of the commercial world when we’re underfunded.”
Kwei-Armah also said he hoped Hercules would deliver a much-needed dose of fun to audiences, “which is particularly needed” at this moment in history. “I feel that we’re in a moment in our evolution – because of global events and post-Covid – where audiences crave meaningful entertainment. Art is there not to just challenge us, but to elevate our spirit too.” He added that Hercules’ journey helps us “question our humanity” and our role on Earth. “That feels beautiful to me. It’s a fundamental journey.”
