King's Head Theatre Selects New Artistic Director of The Hope Theatre

One year after opening the new 50-seat venue above the The Hope & Anchor Pub, it was announced today by Adam Spreadbury-Maher, Artistic Director, that the King's Head Theatre has appointed Matthew Parker to take on the venue as the new Artistic Director from October 2014.

The Hope Theatre opened in November 2013 with a promise to pay all actors, stage management and box office staff the National Minimum Wage, in an in-house agreement with the performers' union Equity. In its first 12 months, the theatre has seen a production transfer to the West End (Ushers to the Charing Cross Theatre) and been home to 10 new plays, several supported by grant funding from Arts Council England. Artistic Director Adam Spreadbury-Maher was named in this year's Stage 100 for the implementation for the new Equity agreement, a first for a start-up pub theatre which receives no regular funding.

Spreadbury-Maher commented, "We have had a fantastic first year at The Hope, we have created a season of important new work and have demonstrated that our experiment in paying all who work on the fringe can work. Having been founded as a new writing studio space for the King's Head, it is now time for The Hope to create its own independent identity with it's own independent Artistic Director who can devote their full attention to the theatre for the next stage of the journey, and we've found that new leader in Matthew. He's an exciting artist with an impressive set of plans for the theatre and I'm certain great things are to come".

About his appointment as the new Artistic Director of The Hope Theatre, Matthew Parker said, "I am thrilled at this fantastic opportunity. Adam and the whole King's Head Theatre team have done an amazing job in establishing The Hope Theatre as part of Islington's thriving theatre scene and London's wider theatrical map and I look forward to working with exciting and innovative theatre companies and professionals in 2014 and beyond."

Matthew Parker is Artistic Director of DogOrange, Joint Artistic Director of First Draft Theatre and Associate Director at the Jack Studio. He trained on the Postgraduate Directing Course at Drama Studio London. He has recently opened a new adaptation of The Cherry Orchard by Writer's Guild award winner Brendan Murray at The Brockley Jack Studio. Other directing includes: For DogOrange: A Scent of Flowers, A Woman Alone (Jack Studio), Ward No.6 (C Venues, transferred to Camden People's Theatre) and Mary Rose (Jack Studio; transferred to Riverside Studios). Brainville At Night (Old Red Lion), Botticelli's Angel's (Jack Studio: Write Now 5), The Possibilities (Tristan Bates), the 21st anniversary revival of Two (Dispense Theatre), The Late Edwina Black (Sheringham Summer Rep), Permission (Courtyard Theatre), The Killing of Sister George (Etcetera Theatre/UK Tour). His adaptation of Chekhov's short story Ward No.6 gained a Best Ensemble nomination at The Stage Awards and Time Out Critic's Choice. www.matthewparker.net

Adam Spreadbury-Maher remains Artistic Director of the King's Head Theatre.

For further details please email press@kingsheadtheatre.com

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