The Stage

Return to tradition for Church’s Chichester

Published Tuesday 21 February 2006 at 13:25 by Alistair Smith

Jonathan Church has unveiled his first season as artistic director of Chichester Festival Theatre, including work by Rodger’s and Hammerstein, Noel Coward and Terrence Rattigan.

In a season which marks a return to a more traditional line up, Penelope Keith will open the programme on May 5 in a new comedy by Richard Everett - Entertaining Angels. This will be followed by a revival of Carousel, with choreography by Javier De Frutos, and a new adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby by David Edgar.

Completing the season in the Festival Theatre will be the first major British revival in 20 years of Pravda by Howard Brenton and David Hare. Church will direct Pravda and co-direct Nicholas Nickleby with Philip Franks.

Meanwhile, in the Minerva Theatre - Chichester’s smaller performance space - the programme will open in June with a production of Rattigan’s In Praise of Love, followed by Tonight at 8.30 - a series of one-act plays by Coward. The Father by August Strindberg will then be the final production.

Church explained: “We are delighted to announce such a packed and diverse season and to be working with such talented artists and creative teams. We very much hope that our revised model of programming this summer will appeal to our local, regional and national audiences and we will be announcing further cast and creative teams over the coming months.”