Theatre needs risk-takers like Kwame Kwei-Armah whose Young Vic has been dynamite | Arifa Akbar

The first African Caribbean figure to lead a major British theatre has announced his departure but his bold approach must remain

Kwame Kwei-Armah’s decision to step down from the helm of the Young Vic is a genuine shock and disappointment. Who anticipated it? Not me. Six years seems like too short a tenure, especially given the enormous hiccup of the pandemic.

An actor, internationalist and former member of the National Theatre board, Kwei-Armah is known for his affable leadership style and charisma. Importantly, he was the first African Caribbean figure to lead a major British theatre. In an overwhelmingly white sector he would doubtless often have been the only Black man among his peers, especially before the diversity drives that followed BLM activism.

Arifa Akbar is the Guardian’s chief theatre critic