University of Exeter alumnus wins US national award for his direction of ‘Vincent in Brixton’

Clark’s production of 'Vincent in Brixton' swept the national theatre festival at which 600 collegiate theatre departments from across the US compete.

“Vincent in Brixton” was honoured as outstanding production, outstanding performance by an actress, outstanding direction, outstanding scenic design, outstanding costume design and distinguished ensemble at the national Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

“It was just a beautiful jewel of a production that was so beautifully designed, so beautifully directed, so beautifully acted,” said Gregg Henry, artistic director of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. “It’s easy to say that for a program of the size of Utah Valley University that this is extraordinary — and happily rare.”

“When I saw ‘Vincent in Brixton’ last fall I was overwhelmed,” K. Newell Dayley, dean of UVU’s School of the Arts said. “I’ve never seen anything on Broadway that moved me any more than it did. Chris’ direction was just extraordinary. I didn’t want the play to end. Everything worked perfectly.”

‘Vincent in Brixton’, a 2003 play by Nicholas Wright, premiered at London's National Theatre. In 1873, at the age of 20, Vincent Van Gogh rented a room in a suburb of London while he was being groomed for a career as an art dealer in his family's business. This heralded play traces the transforming effects of love, sex and youthful adventure on Van Gogh's still unformed talent, portraying him as he might have been and supposing a poignant affair with his landlady that might have happened.