Perth Theatre’s Artistic Director to step down

Perth Theatre Artistic Director LU KEMP will step down in April 2023, following seven years in post. 

Kemp joined Perth Theatre in 2016, succeeding RACHEL O’RIORDAN. 

At the beginning of her tenure, Kemp oversaw the venue’s reopening following a three-year, £14.5m redevelopment. 

Faced with leading the theatre through the pandemic, Kemp launched the theatre’s Gig on a Truck initiative: a series of outdoor performances taking place in care home car parks, gardens and eventually village halls in local communities during 2020 and 2021. 

Kemp’s directorial credits include productions such as David Harrower’s Knives in Hens, William Shakespeare’s Richard III and Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Her production of Oliver Emmanuel’s I Am Tiger won Best Production for Children and Young People at this year’s Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland. 

Perth Theatre said Kemp is moving on to pursue new projects and opportunities.  

“I’ve been lucky to work with an amazing group of people at Perth Theatre, including the talented and dedicated creative and production teams. I applaud them for their dedication and commitment to making it happen and placing audiences at the centre of everything they do,” Kemp said. 

NICK WILLIAMS, Chief Executive of Horsecross Arts, the operator of both Perth Theatre and Perth Concert Hall, said: “Lu spearheaded the successful reopening of the restored and redeveloped theatre and has brought her passion for engaging with audiences, communities and artists to everything that she has done.”