Stroll along The Cut from the Old Vic in Waterloo and you’ll find the equally fabulous and slightly more hipster sibling, The Young Vic. This week, this youthful member of the South Bank’s vibrant theatre scene turned 50…but while this new kid on the block may now be entering middle-age, its outlook is no less youthful.
In a year that hasn’t exactly been kind to Theatre, it’s wonderful to have something happy to report, so bake a cake, blow out some candles and crack open the fizz – it’s time to celebrate! There’s now a giant projection lighting up the front of the building, celebrating the rich, diverse history of the people and productions who brought illumination to the Young Vic stage over the past half-century. The commission, titled “Unforgotten”, connects with the #BlackLivesMatter debate about the role of statues and asks what new monuments should be elevated. Then there’s The New Tomorrow, a festival of new writing and emerging artists, looking forward to what the next half-century may hold.
The beginning of our 50th year marks a moment of change for everyone, but it is a year I go into with absolute optimism, for We are the New Tide.