Gbolahan Obisesan


Gbolahan Obisesan is an award-winning British Nigerian writer and director. He has served as a Genesis Fellow and Associate Director at the Young Vic.

Early life

Obisesan was born in Nigeria and moved to the UK when he was 9 years old. He attended Southwark College, where he earned a BTech in Communication in 2000. He completed his Bachelor's degree at London Guildhall University and was involved with the National Youth Theatre.

Career

Obisesan has served as a writer, actor and director. He won the Jerwood Directors Award from the Young Vic for Sus in 2010. In 2011 Obisesan's play Mad About the Boy won the Fringe First for best play. It was published by Nick Hern Books. He directed four plays for epic 66 books at the Bush Theatre. It went on to tour the Unicorn Theatre, Royal Court Theatre and Bush Theatre. He was the only British writer for Rufus Norris's Feast at the Royal Court Theatre in 2013. Obisesan adapted Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman for the Bristol Old Vic in 2013. The production was taken to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it was described as "theatre made by young people, about young people, for everybody". He wrote and directed How Nigeria Became: A Story, and A Spear That Didn't Work, which ran at the Unicorn Theatre in 2014. The play commemorated the centenary of Nigeria and was nominated as one of the Best Productions for Young People in the OffWestEnd Theatre Awards. He was made the Young Vic Genesis Fellow in 2015.
In 2016 Obisesan directed Charlene James's Cuttin', which premiered at the Young Vic before touring to Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, Crucible Theatre and London's Yard Theatre. In 2017 it was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre. His latest production, The Fishermen is an adaption of the novel by Chigozie Obioma. It debuted at HOME theatre in Manchester, UK, in 2018.

Directing and writing

2018 The Fishermen
2016 Cuttin'it by Charlene James
2016 Zaida and Aadam at the Bush Theatre
2015 Re:Exhibit at the Bush Theatre
2014 Off the Page at the Royal Court Theatre
2014 How Nigeria Became: A Story, and A Spear That Didn't Work at the Unicorn Theatre
2014 We are Proud to Present at the Bush Theatre
2013 Pigeon English at the Bristol Old Vic
2013 Feast at the Royal Court Theatre
2011 Mad About the Boy for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2011 Sus at the Young Vic