Edinburgh's Lyceum hires Mike Griffiths as co-chief executive director

Mike Griffiths has been appointed co-chief executive director at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh.

The post had been vacant since the departure of Alex McGowan to the Glasgow Citizens Theatre early this year.

Griffiths has been interim chief executive at Horsecross Arts in Perth since 2018. Before that he was interim CEO of Eden Court in Inverness.

He will be joining the Lyceum on a part-time basis from May 1 before going full-time from July 1 2019, and will be joint chief executive director alongside artistic director David Greig.

Over a 30-year career in arts administration, Griffiths has worked with organisations including the Traverse Theatre, Glasgow Citizens Theatre, Scottish Opera, Northern Stage and London’s Almeida Theatre.

Greig said: “I worked with Mike during his time at the Traverse when he was at the centre of a drive to take Scottish plays out into the world. Since then Mike has built up deep experience of touring and producing in Scotland, and internationally.

“He’s worked at the top level with the Scottish government and he’s also supported grassroots Scottish theatre companies and projects such as Leith Theatre. Mike knows Edinburgh and its audiences inside out and he cares deeply about the city and its place in the world.”

Griffiths said he wanted to “encourage a broad range of new audiences to see our shows and get involved in our participatory events and projects”.

The Lyceum is currently staging the world premiere of a new musical based on Bill Forsyth’s film Local Hero in co-production with the Old Vic.

Local Hero review at Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh – ‘charming musical version of a much-loved film’