Spencer Phillips Appointed Chair of Queen's Theatre Hornchurch

Queen's Theatre Hornchurch's Board of Trustees has appointed Spencer Phillips as its new Chair. With over 20 years' experience in senior leadership, he joins Queen's Theatre Hornchurch at a pivotal time as the theatre searches for a new CEO and looks ahead to its 75th anniversary in 2028.

Spencer Phillips has held senior management roles at Ticketmaster, The Path Entertainment Group, and Andrew Lloyd Webber's LW Theatres, where he played a pivotal role in revitalising the iconic London Palladium, returning landmark events such as Royal Command Performances, The Prince's Trust Awards, and The Evening Standard Theatre Awards. In addition to his work at the Palladium, Spencer worked across the group's prestigious venues, including Theatre Royal Drury Lane, His Majesty's Theatre, The Cambridge Theatre, and The Adelphi Theatre, and on events including the BAFTA Television Awards. Spencer has a longstanding commitment to the culture and charitable sector, as Chair of Showtown, Blackpool's award-winning museum of fun and entertainment, serving on the Executive Committee of the Royal Variety Charity, and chairing the Cheetah Conservation Fund UK and the Royal Variety Charity's Mental Health Committee.

Chair Spencer Phillips said, “I'm genuinely thrilled to be joining Queen's Theatre Hornchurch as Chair. This is a theatre with a proud history of making its own work, right at the heart of its community, and a reputation that reaches far and wide. Having spent more than twenty years working across live entertainment, heritage and the visitor economy, I've seen first-hand what a confident, ambitious local theatre can do for the place it serves: bringing people together, growing new audiences and giving young people a first step into the arts. I'm looking forward to working with the board, the leadership team and the wider community to build on the QTH's strengths and secure its future for the next generation of audiences and artists.”

Interim Co-Chair Sonja Lahiff said, “The Board of Trustees is delighted to have appointed Spencer Phillips as the new Chair of Queen's Theatre Hornchurch. Spencer brings a valuable mix of strategic leadership, governance experience and a genuine passion for the arts and the communities we serve. We are looking forward tremendously to working alongside Spencer as we move towards the theatre's 75th anniversary and the next stage of our exciting journey.”

Queen's Theatre Hornchurch's recruitment for their new CEO will open this week. The new CEO will work with Chair Spencer Phillips, the Board of Trustees and the theatre's wider senior team to drive strategic change and lead the theatre into a new chapter.

Queen's Theatre Hornchurch is a vibrant producing theatre serving Outer East London and South Essex. With a catchment of over one million people, QTH is a vital cultural hub producing and presenting bold, engaging and entertaining work on stage and within local communities, alongside a year-round creative participation programme for people of all ages.

Audiences are guaranteed a warm welcome from this three-year winner of UK Theatre's Most Welcoming Theatre, London Theatre of the Year and a finalist for eight Off West End Theatre Award categories for the public's favourite venue. QTH welcomes over 106,000 audience members each year, with a further 30,700 taking part in their community participation activities.

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