- You have been called by the New York Times critic Ben Brantley a “maximalist minimalist” – does he have that right?I can't improve on that—Interview with The Guardian
Ivo van Hove (born 1958) is a Belgian theatre director, known for bringing Avant Garde and experimental approaches to mainstream Broadway and Off-Broadway shows.
Born in Heist-op-den-Berg, he started out directing his own plays in his native Belgium in the 80s, eventually serving as artistic director of companies such as KT, Akt-Vertical, De Tijd, and eventually Toneelgroep Amsterdam, the largest repertory company in The Netherlands, a role he continues to serve to this day.
He also regularly directs shows in New York City and London, such as Scenes From A Marriage and The Little Foxes at the New York Theatre Workshop and a recent revival of A View from the Bridge at the Old Vic.
He has a very distinctive, sometimes divisive style that combines minimalist scenery with expressionist spectacle, sometimes utilizing modern technology such as video screens to enhance his shows. Most recently, he staged a Broadway revival of West Side Story, the first to use new, modern choreography rather than the original choreography designed by Jerome Robbins. He is also currently developing a stage adaptation of The Shining.
Ivo van Hove won a Tony Award for Best Director for his revival of A View from the Bridge and was nominated for another for Network.
Notable Theatre Productions
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1998)
- RENT (2000)
- The Little Foxes (2010)
- Scenes From A Marriage (2014)
- A View from the Bridge (2015)
- Lazarus (2015)
- The Crucible (2016)
- Network (2018)
- All About Eve (2019)
- West Side Story (2020)
