Jonathan Church | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 1967 (age 58) [1] |
| Occupation | Theatre director |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Employer | JCTP |
| Website | jctproduction |
Jonathan Church CBE (born March 1967) is a British stage director and producer who has been recognised for his role in the revival of British regional theatre. [2] [3] As an artistic director, Church has been credited with reversing the decline of Salisbury Playhouse, Birmingham Rep, and Chichester Festival Theatre, and transforming them into commercially successful theatres. [4] [5]
In 2015, Church was honoured for his decade of service as the artistic director of Chichester Festival Theatre, following his decision to step down from the role. [6] During the same year, Church formed his own production company in partnership with Delfont Mackintosh Theatres and was announced as the new artistic director of Sydney Theatre Company, the first international appointment in the company's history. [7] [8] After nine months, he announced that he would return to the UK to pursue artistic opportunities through his production company. [9]
Between 2017 and 2022, Church was the artistic director for the summer season at Bath Theatre Royal. [10] In 2019, he partnered with Trafalgar Entertainment to launch Jonathan Church Theatre Productions, a new production company with a portfolio spanning the West End, national tours and international productions. [11]
At Birmingham, Church directed the first revival of the David Hare trilogy Absence of War , Murmuring Judges , and Racing Demon ). [12] Productions he has directed at Chichester include The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby , [13] the first major revival since its RSC premiere in 1980, and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui . [14] [15] The Telegraph has credited Church with reviving the fortunes of both the Salisbury Playhouse and the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. [5]
In 2006, Church moved to Chichester and was praised for saving the Chichester Festival Theatre from closure by almost doubling audience numbers and overseeing a £22m redevelopment to the theatre. [16] A number of Chichester productions during his tenure, including Sweeney Todd and South Downs , have subsequently gone on to the West End. [16] Church's production of Singin' in the Rain opened at the Palace Theatre in 2012. [17]
Church and the executive director of CFT, Alan Finch, both announced in March 2015 that they would stand down from their positions at the end of September 2016, in order to make way for "new ideas and new energies". [18] In June 2015, they were received into the Order of the British Empire as Commander, for their services to the Festival Theatre. [19]
At the end of 2015, Church replaced Andrew Upton as artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company. [20]
Church is the son of Tony Church, former broadcaster with BBC Radio Nottingham and previously chief technician at Nottingham Playhouse, and the actress Marielaine Douglas. [21]