Robert Hastie Named as Deputy Artistic Director of the National Theatre

The National Theatre has announced some important updates to its board and leadership team, including Robert Hastie named as Deputy Artistic Director.

Robert Hastie will join The National Theatre from January 2025 as Deputy Artistic Director alongside incoming Director and Co-Chief Executive Indhu Rubasingham.

Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres for eight years, Robert has overseen a period of great success producing landmark productions including, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Life of Pi , and Standing at the Sky’s Edge, the latter winning the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Theatre and Best Musical Production at the UK Theatre Awards, transferring to the Olivier Theatre and currently playing at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. It won the 2023 Olivier Award for Best New Musical. The following year the Olivier for Best New Musical was awarded to Operation Mincemeat, currently playing at the Fortune Theatre and also directed by Robert.

A central pillar of Robert’s tenure at Sheffield Theatres has been the development of new work, and in 2022 the organisation celebrated its 50th anniversary with a trilogy of plays by Chris Bush, Rock / Paper / Scissors which were performed simultaneously in the Crucible, Lyceum and Playhouse in a theatrical first with cast members performing in all three venues. Tom Basden’s new adaptation of Accidental Death of an Anarchist was produced in Sheffield in 2022, transferring to the Lyric Hammersmith and the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Robert was Associate Director of The Donmar Warehouse from 2014 to 2019, where he directed productions including The York Realist and My Night with Reg, which transferred to the Apollo Theatre. Previously an actor, Robert spent a year at The National Theatre in 2009-2010, performing in All’s Well that Ends Well and Nation.

Robert will work closely with Indhu Rubasingham to support and shape the NT’s creative output.