Stage Directors UK Names Vicky Featherstone as First President

Vicky Featherstone has been named first president of Stage Directors UK. The former artistic director of London’s Royal Court joins as the union also appoints Debbie Hannan and Justin Audibert as new co-chairs of its council, replacing Pooja Ghai and Matthew Dunster.

Featherstone said: “It is an honour to become president of Stage Directors UK and to work alongside an inspiring community of directors shaping the future of our theatre. Thanks to the past chairs, council members and the many directors whose painstaking commitment has built us into a union, we are brilliantly placed for the next stage of the journey.”

She added: “With this new team in place, we are braced to listen to and advocate for directors at all stages, ensuring the critical role we play at the heart of making theatre is properly valued, understood and supported. I’m excited to see how this movement for change will impact on our industry.”

Hannan said she was “delighted to join as co-chair for this next chapter, to be a voice for freelance directors and their needs, and to be part of the concrete, meaningful change they are going to bring about”.

“Directors are problem solvers by nature and, united, we will shift things for the better,” she added.

Audibert said the organisation wanted a “more equitable workplace that ensures directors get a fair deal for their invaluable impact in our industry”.

“I am looking forward to working with the entire SDUK community to ensure that directors at all stages of their career get the support and championing that they need,” he said.

The appointments follow Katie Langridge being appointed general secretary of SDUK at the end of 2025.

The rest of the SDUK council comprises Al Miller, Ebe Bamgboye, Elin Schofield, Francesca Goodridge, Joe Gilmour, John Tiffany, Josh Parr, Mingyu Lin, Natasha Haws, Simon Harvey and Steven Hoggett.