Chichester Festival Theatre facts for kids
The Festival Theatre in March 2010.
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 Chichester Festival Theatre
Location in Chichester city centre
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| Address | Oaklands Park Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6AP England |
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| Coordinates | 50°50′35″N 0°46′39″W / 50.843048°N 0.777390°W |
| Designation | Grade II* listed |
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| Construction | |
| Opened | 1962 |
| Architect | Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya |
The Chichester Festival Theatre is a famous theatre located in Oaklands Park in Chichester, West Sussex, England. It's also a special building, protected because of its history and design. This theatre was designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya. It was opened in 1962 by its founder, Leslie Evershed-Martin.
Later, in 1989, a smaller and more cozy theatre called the Minerva Theatre was built nearby. Both theatres are important places for plays and performances.
A very famous actor, Sir Laurence Olivier, was the first Artistic Director of the Chichester Festival Theatre. It was here that the first company for the Royal National Theatre was created. Many plays that started at Chichester later moved to the National Theatre's home in London, the Old Vic.
The first plays performed in 1962 included The Chances, The Broken Heart, and Uncle Vanya. Many well-known actors performed in that first season, like Lewis Casson, Fay Compton, Joan Greenwood, Rosemary Harris, Kathleen Harrison, Keith Michell, André Morell, John Neville, Laurence Olivier, Joan Plowright, Michael Redgrave, Athene Seyler, Sybil Thorndike, and Peter Woodthorpe.
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What Happens at the Theatre?
The main theatre season, called the Festival Season, usually runs from April to October. During this time, you can see all sorts of shows. These include classic plays, new plays, and exciting musicals. Around 230,000 people come to watch these shows each year!
Many plays that start at Chichester become so popular that they move to London. Some even go on tours around the country or to other parts of the world.
The theatre also offers many extra activities to make your visit even more fun. These include special performances, music shows, family days, tours behind the scenes, and interesting talks.
During the colder winter months, the theatre brings in touring shows. They also put on a special Christmas show, often performed by the Chichester Festival Youth Theatre.
Learning and Youth Theatre
The Chichester Festival Theatre has a big and active program for learning and participation. It's for people of all ages! Its Youth Theatre is one of the largest in the country. It has more than 800 young members who get to learn about acting and put on shows.
How the Theatre is Run
The Theatre is a registered charity. This means it's a non-profit organization that aims to do good for the community. Mark Foster is the chairman.
Since April 2023, Justin Audibert has been the artistic director. He works with Kathy Bourne, the Executive Director, to lead the theatre.
History of the Theatre
The idea for the Chichester Festival Theatre came from Leslie Evershed-Martin. He noticed that Chichester was similar to a Canadian city called Stratford, Ontario, which had its own successful theatre festival. He thought Chichester could do the same!
Evershed-Martin reached out to the famous actor Laurence Olivier. He offered Olivier the job of directing the new theatre. Olivier led the theatre until 1966. After him, John Clements took over.
Artistic Directors Through the Years
Many talented people have been in charge of the theatre's artistic vision over the years:
- Sir Laurence Olivier (1962–1965)
- Sir John Clements (1966–1973)
- Keith Michell (1974–1977)
- Peter Dews (1978–1980)
- Patrick Garland (1981–1984)
- John Gale (1985–1989)
- Michael Rudman (1990)
- Patrick Garland (1991–1994)
- Sir Derek Jacobi and Duncan Weldon (producer) (1995–1997)
- Andrew Welch (1998–2002)
- Martin Duncan, Ruth Mackenzie and Steven Pimlott (2003–2005)
- Jonathan Church (2006–2016)
- Daniel Evans (2016-2023)
- Justin Audibert (2023-now)
See Also
- Chichester Festival production history
