Out of Join Welcomes New Chair, Unveils 2015 Programme

Out of Joint has announced that Iain Gillie is to become the new Chairman of the acclaimed company, as they prepare to present an exciting and diverse brace of world premieres for the new year, under the artistic directorship of Max Stafford-Clark. Vicky Graham, whose recent productions include Breeders at the St. James Theatre, has joined the company as the new in-house producer.

Max Stafford-Clark said "2015 will show Out of Joint emulating its successes of 2014 with two plays, both commissioned by the company and both the fruit of typically extensive research and development work. It is also a period of renewal for the management of this iridescent company with Iain becoming our Chair, and Vicky joining as Producer. We welcome them both".

Iain Gillie said: "It's a real honour to be appointed Chair of Out of Joint. I've had a close association with the company since its first production in the early 90s and here we are with a future as exciting as it was over 20 years ago. The productions we have planned for 2015 and beyond promise to be vital, stimulating theatre. We have great, loyal partners and a passionate and knowledgeable Board, and we're delighted that Vicky has joined us: it's a wonderful appointment and I'm sure we can look forwarding to forging new partnerships and associations in the coming year."

Vicky Graham said: "It is a great privilege to be joining Out of Joint as Producer, and to be working with Max and the Board to ensure that the company continues to develop, produce and tour new work of the highest quality for the widest possible audiences. On a personal level, I share Out of Joint's commitment to new writing, co-producing and touring, and look forward to two excellent new commissions in 2015, and to developing new talent and partnerships for the future."

Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage will mark the company's first co-production with National Theatre Wales and Arcola Theatre. A new, verbatim play by Robin Soans and directed by Max Stafford-Clark, which will tour Wales and England in Spring 2015, Crouch Touch Pause Engage is the story of two Welsh names bruised, but not beaten, by media speculation; Gareth "Alfie" Thomas, 100 caps for Wales, once its captain, now the world's most prominent gay sportsman; and his hometown, Bridgend.

In the Autumn, Out of Joint will premiere Rebecca Lenkiewicz' play Jane Wenham or The Witch of Walkern, about Britain's last successful witch prosecution. Set in the village of Walkern in Hertfordshire, the play was researched thanks to the support and involvement of the University of Hertfordshire - one of Out of Joint's Associate Universities. The tour will include two weeks of rural touring in partnership with Eastern Angles.

Out of Joint will also celebrate 20 years of theatre-making with a fundraising gala event at the Arcola Theatre on Sunday 14 June, featuring special performances of scenes from plays premiered by the company. This follows the success of their inaugural fundraising gala eventlast year, a reading of Thomas Kilroy's Irish version of The Seagull with a cast including Sir Ian McKellen.

This follows the company's work in 2014:

Ciphers - In January, Dawn King's spy drama directed by Blanche McIntyre, came to the Bush Theatre for a sell-out run following its 2013 tour.

This May Hurt A Bit - Stella Feehily's play about the NHS, toured in the Spring, including a packed-out fortnight at our co-producing venue, Octagon Theatre Bolton. Karl Sydow produced its London run at the St. James Theatre. We also performed the play in the Houses of Parliament, and to an audience of medics at Guy's Hospital. Indeed a lot of people involved in healthcare and campaigning saw the show around the country prompting enlightening post-show events and in Bristol a series of panel discussions about the show. Amateur groups are already making preparations to stage revivals of the play, which was extensively researched in a workshop period at the National Theatre Studio.

Again with Karl Sydow as a producer, the acclaimed 2012/13 production of Our Country's Good was revived for 6 week runs at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, as well as 6 further weeks of touring in the UK.

Pitcairn - by Richard Bean, this production opened in Chichester in the summer before a run at Shakespeare's Globe and a tour. The play was an ambitious telling of what happened after the mutiny on The Bounty when Fletcher Christian tried to found a new society free of hierarchy on a remote island.

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