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Executive Director William Village announces departure
15
Oct
Published: 15 October 2020
Executive Director and Joint Chief Executive, William Village, is to leave Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in April 2021 to take up his new role as Chief Executive of Delfont Mackintosh Theatres.
Having joined the theatre in 2003 as General Manager, William became Executive Director in 2006 and Joint Chief Executive alongside Timothy Sheader in 2007. Together they have produced 47 shows garnering 7 Olivier, 7 WhatsOnStage and 4 Evening Standard Awards. Their productions have transferred to the West End and the United States alongside numerous UK tours. In 2017, the theatre was named London Theatre of the Year in The Stage Awards and, in 2020, was one of the first to re-open amidst the coronavirus pandemic to critical and box office acclaim.
During William’s tenure, the theatre has significantly expanded its activities including producing away from Regent’s Park at the Barbican and on tour, taking the bars and restaurants in-house, and completing several multi-million pound capital projects (largely funded by the theatre’s reserves), redeveloping and improving both front-of-house and backstage and, in 2019, adding a suite of new rehearsal studios.
“Over the past 17 years William's commitment, skill and incomparable leadership has enabled Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre to more than deliver on its wide ambitions and charitable objectives whilst also achieving commercial success as a major producing theatre. On behalf of the Trustees, I would like to express our enormous gratitude to William and wish him every success for the future.” (Stuart Griffiths OBE, Chair)
On 2 February 2021 it was announced that James Pidgeon would succeed William as Executive Director and Joint Chief Executive.
