The U.K.’s Chichester Festival Theatre topper Jonathan Church will take over at the Sydney Theatre Company when Andrew Upton steps down in September.
Upton and his wife, Cate Blanchett, were co-artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company from 2008 to 2012. Upton is now the sole artistic director. Under their leadership, road productions of “Uncle Vanya,” “Hedda Gabler” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” toured overseas with Blanchett starring.
Church is credited with turning around the Chichester Festival Theatre from where such shows as “Sweeney Todd,” “Enron” and “South Downs” made their way to London’s West End.
Church and Chichester exec director Alan Finch announced their exit in March. Church will start working on the 2017 season of STC.
“After a period being led by an actress and a writer, I think it’s important to have a theater director once more at the helm,” Upton said in a statement. “I look forward to fresh perspectives on the international theater canon and a continuation of STC’s championing of local theater makers and stories, including on the international stage.”
