Royal & Derngate’s artistic director stepping down after 10 years at the helm of Northampton theatre

The artistic director at Royal & Derngate has announced that he will step down at the end of the season after 10 years at the helm of the Northampton theatre.

In his 10 years, James Dacre has produced more than 120 shows of which 60 have toured both nationally and internationally and 42 have transferred to London and been recognised with Olivier, Evening Standard, WhatsOnStage and The Stage awards.

Royal & Derngate has welcomed over two and a half million audience members in Northampton across the decade and been twice shortlisted for Regional Theatre of the Year by The Stage (2022 and 2016) and chosen as 2020 Outstanding Theatre of the Year by Michael Billington.

James said: “As I reach my tenth year, the culmination of several major strategic projects, the successful completion of our current funding term and the launch of our most far-reaching season yet, it seems like the right time to embark upon a new chapter in my career.

“Our industry has been through seismic challenges and changes over the past few years but Royal & Derngate is thriving. It truly is a community venue, a centre of artistic excellence and ambition and a home for exceptional educational and social opportunities for young people.

“Over the past decade it has been an enormous privilege to create and champion such a wide range of work for Royal & Derngate’s three stages but also for Northampton’s civic spaces, from football stadiums, cathedrals and high streets to car parks, castles, and waterways. It has also been thrilling to see so much of this work go on to tour the country and the world.

“There’s still much good work to do before I leave Northampton next spring but, for my part, I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude to our trustees for their wisdom, to our remarkable, kind, and inspiring chief executive Jo Gordon and all the magnificent, talented and passionate colleagues and theatre practitioners I have been lucky enough to work with.”

When James leaves Northampton at the end of the 2022/2022 Made in Northampton season, he will set up a new production company - Living Theatre Productions - which launches in the New Year.

Jo Gordon added: “The quality, care and integrity that James has brought to all his work for Royal & Derngate is evident both in the beautiful shows he’s created for our stages and town, and in his commitment to Northampton’s many communities.

“From championing the next generation of theatremakers to ensuring that unique opportunities for children and young people lie at the heart of all that we do, the investment made into the future over the last 10 years means we will continue to see their legacy on our stages and in our communities for years to come.

“James has always been so generous with his time and his expertise and will be sorely missed by his colleagues, audiences and artists alike.”

Recruitment for new artistic leadership at Royal & Derngate will begin later this month.