‘Business as usual’ for the National Theatre as boss quits after just six months

 
Quitting: Tessa Ross is leaving her role (Picture: Graham Jepson)

The husband of National Theatre chief executive Tessa Ross today insisted it was “business as usual” despite her shock resignation less than six months into the job.

Artistic director Rufus Norris will take complete control after Ms Ross announced she was stepping down.

He will lead with a structure emulating that of his predecessor, Sir Nicholas Hytner, and following the theatre convention that the artistic director has the top role. Ms Ross, formerly one of the most powerful women in British movies running Film4 where she backed Slumdog Millionaire and 12 Years a Slave, said she would continue to work for the National as a consultant “with great pleasure”.

But she said she felt the new leadership structure with a separate role of chief executive was “not right for the NT at this time”. Her husband, Mark Scantlebury, told the Standard there was no bad blood with her employers and said she was currently in the US on theatre business.

In charge: the National Theatre’s artistic director Rufus Norris opens his first season next week (Picture: Alex Lentati)
ALEX LENTATI

He added: “She’s good, she’s there on National Theatre work at the moment actually. It was a planned visit. It’s business as usual and it’s good and her relationship with the theatre is very amicable.”

Ms Ross had been given a bigger role than Nick Starr, who had worked with Sir Nicholas as executive director, partly in recognition of her experience. Her move to the theatre was seen as a coup and useful support for Mr Norris, who had not previously run a venue.

Sources stressed her decision was amicable — although the chief executive role could have been limiting after her creative work at Channel 4. Lisa Burger, part of the National’s executive team for the last decade, has now been named as executive director.

Ms Ross, in the post only since November, will leave before the opening of Mr Norris’ first season next week with Caryl Churchill’s Light Shining in Buckinghamshire.

This will be followed by Everyman, in a new adaptation by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, in which he will direct Chiwetel Ejiofor.

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