Nicolas Kent

Nicolas Kent (born 26 January 1945) is a British theatre director. His father arrived in Britain in 1936, a Jewish German refugee, and changed his name from Kahn to Kent.

Early life and education

Kent, who was brought up in Hampstead Garden Suburb,

In 1984, he became artistic director of the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, and stood down from the role in 2012.

Under Kent's direction, the Tricycle also presented the London premieres of many Irish plays, such as Stones in His Pockets by Marie Jones, as well as staging productions with an emphasis on Afro-Caribbean experience, such as Mustapha Matura's Playboy of the West Indies, Lara Foot Newton's Karoo Moose and the Not Black and White trilogy (comprising new plays by Kwame Kwei-Armah, Roy Williams and Bola Agbaje). The theatre also saw the premieres of Kat and the Kings, a musical that won two Olivier Awards, and Patrick Barlow's adaptation of John Buchan's The Thirty-Nine Steps.

Kent chose to cease running the Tricycle following a £350,000 cut in the venue's annual artistic subsidy.

Honours In 2012, Kent became the first person to be awarded the freedom of the London Borough of Brent.