The Exeter Northcott Theatre has announced that Paul Jepson has been engaged as its new Artistic and Executive Director.
Paul has an extensive background in the performing arts. He has been joint Artistic Director of two Arts Council funded new writing theatre companies and an associate of the Nottingham Playhouse. He is also an experienced dramaturg and a published playwright.
He has directed at the Royal National Theatre, major regional theatres and in the West End, and has over twenty years of extensive public sector producing experience.
Chair of Exeter Northcott Theatre Board of Trustees, Lady Studholme said:
“This appointment signals a significantly new and exciting phase for the Exeter Northcott which we hope will be enthusiastically welcomed by everyone connected to the Theatre, both near and far. We know that our partners, audiences, and the residents of Exeter are proud of the Northcott and want it to be a success. We believe that under Paul Jepson’s experienced and intelligent leadership and creative integrity, the Theatre will be taken in a direction that is both responding and contributing to the changing cultural landscape in a way that we can all take pride in.”
She continues, “Paul Jepson brings considerable and highly recommended artistic and management experience to the Exeter Northcott Theatre. The Board and staff are looking forward to working with Paul, building on existing relationships, creating new ones, and contributing widely and deeply to the cultural ecology of Exeter. He will programme touring shows with breadth and quality, and deepen relationships with our wide range of audiences. We are all excited that there will be a return to producing both new and established work in the Northcott with a range of collaborators and partners, and have great pleasure welcoming him to the team.”
Commenting on his appointment Paul said: “I am delighted to be joining the Exeter Northcott Theatre as its new Artistic and Executive Director. The senior management team at the theatre aspire to run a powerhouse venue for Exeter, the South West and beyond. We will build collaborations that allow us to make daring theatre of a national and international standard. Far from being a theatre for the few and of the same, we will continue to be – above all else – a theatre for the different and the many.”
For more information, please contact Jenny Hogg on 01392 223 989 or email her at [email protected]
Notes to editors
Paul Jepson’s recent work includes directing anti-trafficking play This is my body for Ten Ten Theatre which opened in June 2014 for a tour of the UK and was performed in London to mark Anti-Slavery Day.
Last year Paul also worked as producer and director for the Manchester Library Theatre. His responsibilities there included the successful Arts Council bid for the season On the move: Manchester sound -The massacre which he developed with writer Polly Wiseman over an eighteen month period and directed in summer 2013. It was nominated for Best Ensemble in the Manchester Theatre Awards 2013.
His West End credits include the award winning TELSTAR by Nic Moran, subsequently made into a movie and his RNT credits include his own play LIFE AFTER LIFE, from the book by oral historian Tony Parker.
For more information about the Exeter Northcott Theatre, please visit www.exeternorthcott.co.uk
