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”.
Jonathan’s production of Gypsy continues its critically acclaimed run at the Savoy Theatre and his new production of Mack And Mabel starring Michael Ball is now in pre-production prior to touring.
