Chichester Festival Theatre

Chichester Festival Theatre was opened in 1962, the money for its construction being raised mainly from private and commercial sources and from the Arts Council. The hexagonal building, situated in Oaklands Park, has an auditorium seating 1,374 round a thrust stage, no one being more than 65 ft. from it. It has a semi-permanent balcony and a catwalk all round the interior wall. Four productions, often with major stars, are presented annually in a season running May–Oct. The first director was Laurence Olivier, his company later forming the nucleus of the first National Theatre Company. The most successful play of the first season was Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, other productions being Ford's The Broken Heart and Fletcher's The Chances. The first new play to be given was The Workhouse Donkey (1963) by John Arden, whose Armstrong's Last Goodnight (1965) was also first seen at Chichester, as were Shaffer's The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1964) and Black Comedy (1965), and Bolt's Vivat! Vivat Regina! (1970). In 1966 Olivier was succeeded by John Clements, who was followed by Keith Michell (1974–8) and others, including Michael Rudman, 1989–91. Productions are now mainly revivals, including classics, more recent plays, and musicals. Many have subsequently been seen in London or on tour. A full programme of concerts, opera, ballet, and touring shows is maintained throughout the year.

The 250-seat Minerva Studio Theatre opened in 1989 with Gorky's Summerfolk. It stages its own season concurrently with the main theatre and houses touring shows during the rest of the year.