The Milwaukee Repertory Theater has chosen a British theater artist to be its next artistic director. Mark Clements, who has been living in Philadelphia and directing at the Walnut Street Theatre, the oldest operating theater in the country, will succeed Joseph Hanreddy in the top artistic job at the Rep. Hanreddy is leaving this spring after 17 years in the position.

Clements, 48, has a long list of stage directing credits in England, including working in the West End, London's equivalent of Broadway. He was artistic director of the Derby Playhouse from 1992 to 2002, and worked with siblings Vanessa and Corin Redgrave as associate artistic director of their Moving Theatre Company from 2002 to 2008.

In this country, Clements has worked in Philadelphia and New York. Off-Broadway, he has directed shows at the Roundabout, Promenade and Lucille Lortel theaters.

The bulk of his work on both sides of the Atlantic has involved contemporary classics and popular plays such as "Of Mice and Men," "Born Yesterday" and "Shirley Valentine," and Clements has had significant experience developing and directing musicals. His restaging of "Les Miserables" in Philadelphia last year attracted considerable attention.

Clements is a London native and British citizen with permanent residence status in the U.S. He will direct a production of the musical "Oliver!" that opens in Philadelphia next month and will then move to Milwaukee.