ATG Announces New Theatre Company- Theatre Royal Brighton Productions

Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) has announced a New Theatre Company, Theatre Royal Brighton Productions, which will present classic drama both on tour and in the West End, under the Artistic Direction of Christopher Luscombe, with Associate Directors Maria Aitken and Philip Franks.

Christopher Luscombe says of the new company: “I’m delighted to have this opportunity to create shows for one of my favourite theatres. All actors and directors have a fondness for the Theatre Royal Brighton, and the distinctive magic of both The Playhouse and the city. Brighton has a great tradition for outstanding theatre, and we hope to build on it. I can’t wait to get started.”

Theatre Royal Brighton Productions will present three plays during its first year, beginning in May 2012, with each production opening at the Theatre Royal Brighton before going on a nationwide tour of the country’s best playhouses and then to London. The intention is to deliver the highest quality theatre with the cream of British talent in established, and, on occasion, rarely seen plays.

Artistic Director Christopher Luscombe began his career as an actor, his work including seven years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as appearances at The National Theatre and in the West End. His recent credits as director include The Merry Wives of Windsor at Shakespeare’s Globe, When We Are Married in the West End, which received an Olivier nomination for Best Revival, and the UK Tour of Spamalot for ATG. His acclaimed production of The Madness of George III opens at the Apollo Theatre in January.

Maria Aitken has played leading roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Theatre and the Old Vic, and has starred in more Noël Coward plays on the West End stage than any other actress. She has directed many plays in UK regional theatres and in the West End, including The 39 Steps, which has been running for over five years. She made her Broadway directorial debut with The 39 Steps, earning her a Best Director Tony nomination, and her production of Terence Rattigan’s Man and Boy, starring Frank Langella, is currently running on Broadway to critical acclaim.

Philip Franks is best known for his starring roles in television series The Darling Buds of May and Heartbeat. In theatre, he divides his time equally between acting and directing. His acting credits include Hamlet for the RSC, Journey's End, Noises Off and Art in the West End, and recently Hector in The History Boys directed by Christopher Luscombe. His directing credits include The Cocktail Party (Edinburgh International Festival), Private Lives for The National Theatre, and The Duchess of Malfi (West End). Productions at Chichester include Nicholas Nickleby (also West End and Toronto), Taking Sides and Collaboration (also West End), The Master Builder and The Deep Blue Sea.

Theatre Royal Brighton, with a rich and varied history spanning 200 years, is one of the country’s best loved playhouses. By the end of the nineteenth century, it had established itself as the Actors’ Theatre, where every leading player, including the Kemble and Siddons Families, Sarah Bernhardt, Edmund Kean, David Garrick and Sir Henry Irving, graced the stage. Ibsen premiered a UK production of A Doll’s House here. Through the twentieth century, the theatre grew in stature and national reputation. Rattigan, Coward and Orton plays opened as a try-out date before a West End run. Artists who have created unforgettable performances here include Noël Coward, Judi Dench, Edith Evans, John Gielgud, Alec Guinness, Laurence Olivier, Michael Redgrave, Ralph Richardson, Margaret Rutherford and Paul Scofield.

As part of the ATG Family, which includes Sonia Friedman Productions and First Family Entertainment, Theatre Royal Brighton Productions will extend the tradition of presenting the best and brightest talent working in theatre today to audiences across the United Kingdom.

Theatre Royal Brighton Productions will be produced by Howard Panter, Adam Speers and EvAnna White for Ambassador Theatre Group.

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