Jonathan Church
{{short description|British stage director (born 1967)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jonathan Church
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| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1967}}
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| employer = {{hlist|Jonathan Church Theatre Productions|Bath Theatre Royal}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Theatre director|artistic director}}
| years_active = 1991–present
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| website = {{URL|jctproduction.com}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2018}}
Jonathan Church, CBE (born 1967{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}), is a British stage director.
Church was the artistic director of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre (2001–2005) and Chichester Festival Theatre (2006–2016).{{cite news|url= http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article2981420.ece |archive-url= https://archive.today/20110615120323/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article2981420.ece |url-status= dead |archive-date= 15 June 2011 |title=God bless the bourgeoisie|date= 3 December 2007 |last=Logan | first=Brian |work=The Times | location = London |accessdate=8 July 2010}}
In August 2015, Sydney Theatre Company announced that he would be succeeding Andrew Upton as their artistic director.{{cite web |url=https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/new-artistic-director |title=STC appoints Jonathan Church as artistic director |date=25 August 2015 |work=STC website}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Career
At Birmingham, Church directed the first revival of the David Hare trilogy Absence of War, Murmuring Judges, and Racing Demon).[https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2003/apr/23/theatre.artsfeatures Modern Classics] The Guardian, 23 April 2003 Productions he has directed at Chichester include The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby,[https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/theatre/return-of-a-stage-legend-7387617.html Return of a stage legend] The Evening Standard, 24 July 2006 the first major revival since its RSC premiere in 1980, and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.[https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/jul/12/resistable-rise-arturo-ui-review The resistible rise of Arturo Ui] The Guardian, 12 July 2012[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/regional-shows/9395118/The-Resistible-Rise-of-Arturo-Ui-Minerva-Studio-Chichester-review.html The resistible rise of Arturo Ui, Minerva Studio, Chichester, review] The Telegraph, 12 July 2012 The Telegraph has credited Church with reviving the fortunes of both the Salisbury Playhouse and the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.[https://web.archive.org/web/20150615030727/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/charles-spencer/4785677/Charles-Spencer-Lady-Macbeth-at-Chichester.html Charles Spencer: Lady Macbeth at Chichester] The Telegraph, 23 February 2009
In 2006, Church moved to Chichester and was praised for saving the Chichester Festival Theatre from closure by almost doubling audience numbers and overseeing a £22m redevelopment to the theatre. A number of Chichester productions during his tenure, including Sweeney Todd and South Downs, have subsequently gone on to the West End.[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/the-irresistible-rise-of-jonathan-church-7901765.html The irresistible rise of Jonathan Church] The Independent, 1 July 2012 Church's production of Singin' in the Rain opened at the Palace Theatre in 2012.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-features/9082479/Singin-in-the-Rain-comes-to-Londons-West-End-well-make-a-splash.html Singin' in the Rain comes to London's West End: we'll make a splash] The Telegraph, 15 February 2012
Church and the executive director of CFT, Alan Finch, both announced in March 2015 that they would stand down from their positions at the end of September 2016, in order to make way for "new ideas and new energies".{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-32129734 |title=Chichester Festival Theatre bosses to stand down |work=BBC News |date=31 March 2015}} In June 2015, they were received into the Order of the British Empire as Commander, for their services to the Festival Theatre.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jun/12/queens-birthday-honours-list-2015-gcb-dbe-cbe |title=Queen's birthday honours list 2015: GCB, DBE and CBE |date=12 June 2015 |work=The Guardian}}
At the end of 2015, Church replaced Andrew Upton as artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company.{{cite news|last1=Blake|first1=Elissa|title=New artistic director replaces Andrew Upton at Sydney Theatre Company|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/theatre/new-artistic-director-replaces-andrew-upton-at-sydney-theatre-company-20151214-glmqdp.html|accessdate=21 December 2015|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=19 December 2015}}
Personal life
Church is the son of Tony Church, former broadcaster with BBC Radio Nottingham and previously chief technician at Nottingham Playhouse, and the actress Marielaine Douglas.{{cite news |url=http://www.nottinghampost.com/big-heart-cared-pupils/story-22896550-detail/story.html |title='Marielaine Church had a big heart and cared about her pupils' |work=Nottingham Post |date=9 September 2014 |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150615152602/http://www.nottinghampost.com/big-heart-cared-pupils/story-22896550-detail/story.html |archive-date=15 June 2015 |url-status=dead }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130301093027/http://www.cft.org.uk/jonathanchurch Jonathan Church biography, Chichester Festival Theatre website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Church, Jonathan}}
Category:British theatre directors