Greig gets Lyceum gig
“Good News” as Lyceum appoints new AD
The Royal Lyceum Theatre Company has announced David Greig as its artistic director designate.
Greig will be the company’s eighth artistic director when he takes over from Mark Thomson in June 2016 at the end of its 50th anniversary season, which opens on 22 September with Waiting for Godot.
David Greig. Photo Angela Catlin
Thomson, who will have been in post for 13 years and the company’s longest serving AD when he steps down, described the appointment as “good news” for the company.
Edinburgh-born Greig is an influential independent figure in Scottish theatre. He was one of the leading figures behind the letter from 100 artists which crystallised concerns about the leadership of Creative Scotland in 2012, leading to the so-called CS Stooshie.
In 1990 Greig co-founded Suspect Culture Theatre Company. He was the first dramaturg of the National Theatre of Scotland, from 2005 to 2007, and has had a long associations with both the Traverse Theatre and the Glasgow-based Playwrights’ Studio.
He is the writer of over 50 scripts, translations and adaptations. His adaptation of Lanark was a hit at this year’s EIF, he wrote the book for the musical of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Dunsinane, his Macbeth sequel, was recently staged at the Lyceum.
Announcing Greig’s appointment, chair of the Lyceum’s board, Shonaig Macpherson, described him as a “major figure in British drama”, and “an inspirational and widely respected figure in Scottish arts where he has been a committed champion of the nation’s creativity”.
Passion and vision
Macpherson added: “We had a very strong field of applicants for the role, but in our discussions throughout the recruitment process David’s passion for the company and vision for its future made him stand out as the perfect candidate to build on our success and write the next chapter of the Lyceum’s creative story as our eighth artistic director.”
Greig takes over a company which is at an artistic high – at the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland in June, six of last season’s shows received a total of 17 nominations across eight of the ten different categories, triumphing in six of them.
However, the Lyceum’s finances will be stretched as the reality of the 17.5% cut in its Creative Scotland funding begins to bite. Æ understands the company was able to defer the cut into the second and third years of its three-year funding cycle. While this has allowed it to maintain the already programmed 50th anniversary season, the real-terms cut in resources will be closer to 25% for the seasons 2016/17 and 2017/18.
Speaking of his appointment, Greig said: “I’m thrilled and flattered that the board has shown confidence in my vision.
“The Lyceum is a beautiful theatre and it sits at the heart of Scottish drama and Edinburgh life. It’s the stage on which I saw my first play, and it’s been part of my theatre making for nearly two decades now.
“I greatly admire the work Mark’s done with the company during his time in the role. He hands on a terrific organisation and I very much look forward to working with the team to develop my first programme for Autumn 2016.”
ENDS
