King's Head Theatre Announces Appointment of Fiona English as Executive Director and Benji Sperring as Associate Director

The King's Head Theatre announced today the appointment of two new staff members, the latest step in their exciting expansion as a producer of original, contemporary work and developing new talent. Fiona English, who for the past two years has held the role of Head of Development at The Gate Theatre, will become Executive Director from 27 February and Benji Sperring will be taken on as Associate Director, directing one show a year for the theatre.

This is another exciting step for the King's Head Theatre, whose successes in recent months have included the appointment of James Seabright as new Chair of the Board in October 2016, award-winning smash hit productions of Trainspotting and F*cking Men at The Vaults and critically-acclaimed Strangers In Between and Oliver Reed: Wild Thing currently enjoying sell-out runs.

Before working as Head of Development at The Gate Theatre in Notting Hill, Fiona was in charge of fundraising and communications at Greenbelt Festival, as well as working at The Old Vic Theatre on a major fundraising campaign. 'I'm really excited to join the King's Head Theatre as their Executive Director working with Adam and the team to create a sustainable future for the diverse, ethical produced exceptional fringe theatre that finds its home at the venue. The work produced and programmed by the King's Head Theatre is exciting, passionate and bold and I'm looking forward to building on their vibrant history as we take it into the next chapter of the organisation.'

Benji is the artistic director of Tarquin Productions, currently directing How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying at Wilton's Music Hall with Tarquin Productions and Nicholas Thompson Productions in association with the King's Head Theatre, and has worked as a director and producer on the cult hit Toxic Avenger and acclaimed Shock Treatment, amongst many others. His blend of highly visual theatre with dark, haunting stories has impressed audiences and critics alike, and of his new role at the King's Head Theatre said '"I am brimming with enthusiasm to join this next step at the King's Head as associate director. Musical theatre in the capital is stronger than ever, and there is much hunger out there for new work as well as fresh spins on established classics. Whether it is The King and I on LSD, a new musical about religion, repentance and hardcore pornography, or even the next Hamilton, I am confident the King's Head will be breaking new ground in all sorts of ways. I can't wait to play!"

Adam Spreadbury-Maher, Artistic Director of the King's Head Theatre, said 'I'm delighted to welcome Fiona and Benji to the King's Head Theatre family in 2017. As our new Executive Director, Fiona's appointment marks a significant moment in the growth of our organisation as we lay the foundations for a bright and sustainable future. Benji is undoubtedly one of the rising stars of the musical theatre world. I'm thrilled he'll be joining us as an associate director and can't wait to see where his dazzling imagination takes us next!'

About Benji Sperring

Benji studied Drama and English at the University of Manchester before going on to be the youngest director to train at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He is artistic director of Tarquin Productions (www.tarquinproductions.co.uk), a company that he founded in 2012, which focuses on revivals and adaptations of forgotten works. Benji's blend of highly visual theatre with dark, haunting stories has impressed critics and audiences alike, and he is the recipient of Time Out's Critic's Choice three times.

Benji's credits as Director and Producer include: THE TOXIC AVENGER by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan at the Southwark Playhouse; SHOCK TREATMENT, the world stage premiere of the sequel to The Rocky Horror Show at the King's Head Theatre; THE STRIPPER by Richard O'Brien and Richard Hartley at the St James Theatre; the world première of Ivor Novello's final musical, VALLEY OF SONG at the Finborough Theatre; THE BLIND and THE INTRUDER by Maurice Maeterlinck at the Old Red Lion and transfer to the Tabard Theatre; THE BALD PRIMA DONNA at the Old Red Lion; THE IMMORTAL HOUR by Rutland Boughton at the Finborough Theatre.

Outside Tarquin Productions, Benji has worked as a freelance director for Epsilon Productions, Act First Glance, and on shows at the Manchester Palace Theatre, Manchester Royal Exchange, and Kings Theatre Southsea.

Benji's productions have been nominated for Best Off West Production at the WhatsOnStage awards (Shock Treatment, 2015), eight nominations including Best Musical Production and Best Director for the OffWestEnd Awards (Toxic Avenger, 2016) and nine nominations including Best Musical and Best Director at the Broadwayworld Awards. He is currently directing How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at Wilton's Music Hall, a classic Broadway musical production presented by Nicholas Thompson Productions and Tarquin Productions in association with the King's Head Theatre.

About Fiona English

Fiona has spent the last two years as the Head of Development at the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill during which she was nominated in the inaugural Emcees Arts and Culture Awards for Excellence in Fundraising. She previously headed up fundraising and communications at Greenbelt Festival - an arts, faith and justice festival. Before that, Fiona worked at The Old Vic Theatre on a major fundraising campaign. She has a Masters in Performing Arts and a degree in Theatre Studies from Loughborough University.

In her free time, Fiona is the co-Event Director of Cambridge parkrun and has recently become a trustee of The Mono Box.

About the King's Head Theatre

The King's Head Theatre is London's first and foremost pub theatre and is led by Artistic Director, Adam Spreadbury-Maher. New writing, revivals, musicals, opera, cabaret and queer work sit side by side in an unashamedly eclectic programme of work. Thanks to an in-house agreement with Equity, we're leading the way when it comes to ethical employment on the fringe whilst our resident trainee director's scheme continues to provide comprehensive, vocational training to the rising stars of tomorrow. With high profile co-productions, national touring and transfers to and from the biggest arts festivals in the world, we're certainly not slowing down.

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