Rickson's first professional job as director was at the Royal Court Young People's Theatre in 1990. He was appointed to replace
Stephen Daldry as artistic director of the
Royal Court Theatre in 1998, after three years there as an associate director. He stayed as artistic director until 2006, overseeing the completion of the new theatre in 1999. While there, he directed
Joe Penhall's play
Some Voices,
Jez Butterworth's play
Mojo,
Conor McPherson's play
The Weir, and Butterworth's play
The Night Heron. During the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, Ian presented a podcast series called "What I Love" featuring interviews with actors, writers, comedians, and producers, conducted on the empty stages of some of Britain’s most iconic theatres, shut down due to the pandemic. Guests in the first series included
Kae Tempest,
Chiwetel Ejiofor,
Cush Jumbo,
Ben Whishaw,
Sonia Friedman,
Russell Brand,
Jessie Buckley and
Johnny Flynn. ==Personal life==