Peter Glanville to Exit Little Angel Theatre in November

After eight years as Artistic Director of Little Angel, Peter Glanville leaves the theatre in November to take up a new post as Artistic Director of Polka Theatre in Wimbledon.

In his years at the unique Islington venue, Peter Glanville has introduced important work for adults and young people alongside the company's staple work for children. The biennial SUSPENSE LONDON PUPPETRY FESTIVAL, which brings together companies from the UK and abroad across a number of venues, was created by Peter Glanville in 2009 to highlight adult puppetry. SUSPENSE formed one of the important showpieces of the theatre's 50th anniversary season in 2011 and Peter leaves in November at the end of the 2013 SUSPENSE FESTIVAL taking place at Little Angel and eleven other venues.

Peter has also directed numerous critically acclaimed productions for children including Carol Ann Duffy's THE TEAR THIEF (Little Angel /Royal Exchange), the early years opera SKITTERBANG ISLAND (Little Angel / Polka), Michael Rosen's THE MAGICIAN's DAUGHTER (Little Angel / The RSC) and, more recently WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT which plays at Stratford Circus this Christmas.

In October 2013 Peter Glanville's production of MACBETH opens both SUSPENSE and the autumn season, which is entirely aimed at an adult audience. In 2011 Peter directed THE TEMPEST, which was a co-production with the Royal Shakespeare Company and played at both The Swan in Stratford-upon-Avon and at the Little Angel Theatre in Islington to great acclaim.

Peter Glanville has also formed wide ranging partnerships with other theatres and companies. He pioneered Little Angel's INCUBATE and HATCH programmes, which allows companies to work creatively in the theatre space leading to scratch performances, and in 2013 initiated LITTLE ANGEL FIRSTS, with the help of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. Five companies took part in the inaugural FIRSTS which gave them six months of mentoring by all departments at Little Angel leading to full scale professional premieres on its stage. The programme continues for at least two more years.

Peter Glanville said today, "I am very proud of what has been achieved during my tenure as artistic director over the past eight years. In addition to memorable productions with the RSC, Kneehigh and the Royal Exchange, we have developed a comprehensive professional development programme, extended the range of participatory activities for all ages, set up a touring department and created the SUSPENSE Festival. None of this would have been possible without the incredible support I have received from everyone across the company and the sector. I have also had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest puppeteers and puppet maker/designers in the country and I know this will continue to inform and develop my work as a theatre director in future."