Chichester's Jonathan Church to Launch Indie Production Company

Following on from the announcement of his departure from Chichester Festival Theatre after the 2016 Season, Jonathan Church today announces that he will be establishing a new, independent production company, Jonathan Church Productions Limited (JCPL), as a platform to continue the development of both his producing and directing output in the future.

Jonathan's new company is being supported by Delfont Mackintosh Theatres (DMT) who, as well as becoming a minority shareholder in the Company, will be providing JCPL with a development fund to enable Jonathan to create new work for West End theatres and beyond.

Jonathan intends to build on the commercial and artistic success of his tenure at Chichester - whose latest London transfer is the acclaimed new production of Gypsy - by creating artistically ambitious work in the West End, on tour across the UK and internationally. He will also continue the exploration of his directing career in tandem with his work as a producer, and aims to develop further creative relationships in the commercial sector.

Jonathan said: "I have spent the last 20 years producing work for the subsidised theatre, and I am extremely excited by this opportunity to continue to develop my producing and directing in the commercial arena. I have always believed that the commercial sector is equally capable of producing work of the highest artistic standard - often in collaboration with subsidised venues, and I very much hope to maintain an artistically driven agenda in this new forum.

I am equally excited that this new venture has been encouraged in partnership with Cameron Mackintosh's Theatre Group. Over the last 10 years several key productions from Chichester have been championed by Cameron and housed in Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, including Enron, Macbeth and Private Lives, and our recent co-production of Barnum which is currently on tour".

Cameron Mackintosh said: "Having known Jonathan for many years, since he was running the Salisbury Playhouse. I have been thrilled to see the extraordinary success that he, and his Executive Director Alan Finch, have made of Chichester Festival Theatre over the last decade. When I heard that Jonathan was thinking of his next adventure, I was delighted that Jonathan wanted to continue his work as an independent producer/director, and I am very happy to support his ambition through DMT. In recent years my theatre company has developed close relationships with other West End producers including Michael Grandage, David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers. I have no doubt Jonathan will continue to create exciting new work, not only for my theatres but the West End and the country as a whole".

Born and educated in Nottingham, Jonathan trained as Assistant Director at the Nottingham Playhouse. Other posts include Associate Director of Derby Playhouse (1994-1995), Artistic Director of Salisbury Playhouse (1995-1999) Associate Director of Hampstead Theatre (1999-2001) and Artistic Director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre (2001-2006).

As Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre Jonathan has directed: Taken at Midnight, Amadeus, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Singin' in the Rain, The Critic/The Real Inspector Hound ( co-directed with Sean Foley), The Grapes of Wrath, The Circle, Hobson's Choice, Pravda, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (co-directed with Philip Franks), and is about to direct Mack and Mabel starring Michael Ball.

West End Productions include Taken at Midnight (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Singin' in the Rain (Palace Theatre), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Duchess Theatre), Of Mice and Men (Savoy Theatre and The Old Vic), The Witches (Wyndhams Theatre), A Busy Day (Lyric Theatre), The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (Gielgud Theatre).

National touring productions include Singin' in the Rain, The Grapes of Wrath, The Crucible, The Witches, Of Mice and Men, The Diary of Anne Frank, Hobson's Choice, God and Stephen Hawking, Romeo and Juliet, The Circle and Master Class.

International Productions include: Singin' in the Rain (Tokyo, Australia, New Zealand), The Last Confession (Toronto, Los Angeles, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney), The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (Princess of Wales Theatre Toronto).

Recent West End transfers from Chichester (as originating producer) include: Gypsy directed by Jonathan Kent (Savoy Theatre), Stevie directed by Chris Morahan (Hampstead Theatre), The Pajama Game directed by Richard Eyre (Shaftsbury Theatre), Private Lives directed by Jonathan Kent (Gielgud Theatre), Kiss Me Kate directed by Trevor Nunn (Old Vic), Sweeney Todd directed by Jonathan Kent (Adelphi Theatre), Love Story directed by Rachel Kavanagh (Duchess Theatre), ENRON directed by Rupert Goold (Coward Theatre BAM and Broadway), Macbeth directed by Rupert Goold (Gielgud Theatre and Broadway) and King Lear directed by Angus Jackson (Chichester and BAM).