Chichester Festival Theatre Opens

1962

Chichester Festival Theatre opened on 5 July 1962 with a production of The Chances by John Fletcher, directed by Laurence Olivier. The theatre was the brainchild of Leslie Evershed-Martin, a local optician who campaigned tirelessly to bring a major theatre to the city. The architect, Philip Powell of Powell and Moya, designed a distinctive hexagonal auditorium with a thrust stage, seating 1,300 in a configuration that placed no audience member more than 65 feet from the stage. Olivier served as the first artistic director, and his inaugural season established the theatre's reputation immediately. The company he assembled included many of the leading actors of the era. The Festival Theatre's success led directly to the creation of the National Theatre in London, with Olivier and much of the Chichester company transferring to the South Bank. The theatre operates a summer season of productions from April to November, typically staging six to eight productions per year. A smaller studio space, the Minerva Theatre, was added in 1989, providing a more intimate venue for new writing and experimental work. The theatre has been led by a succession of distinguished artistic directors and has premiered work that has transferred to the West End and Broadway. It draws audiences from across the south of England and is the city's most significant cultural institution after the cathedral. The theatre sits in Oaklands Park, west of the city centre, surrounded by playing fields and gardens.