The Stratford Festival, the largest repertory theatre company in North America and one of Canada’s most significant cultural institutions, has appointed British theatremaker Jonathan Church as its new artistic director.
Church, known for his work as a director and producer on multiple hit shows in London’s West End, and as the leader of several major regional houses in the U.K., will succeed Antoni Cimolino next fall.
“I’ve been going to Stratford for the better part of 20 years and it’s one of the greatest companies in the world,” Church said in an interview. “I’m incredibly excited to work with that extraordinary group of artists and in those spaces.”
Church’s appointment caps off an 18-month search for Stratford’s new artistic leader. Church beat out more than 100 applicants, including 16 others who were invited for interviews. As part of the process, the festival retained a Canadian search firm, along with a U.K.-based advisor and consultant.
Born in England, Church holds Canadian citizenship through his mother. He started his career as a theatre electrician and stage manager, before transitioning into progressively senior artistic leadership roles by his late 20s.
He previously served as artistic director of the Salisbury Playhouse, the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and, most notably, the Chichester Festival Theatre from 2006 to 2016.
At the latter, a repertory company that was inspired by the Stratford Festival and features a similar thrust stage to Stratford’s largest venue, Church oversaw the organization’s £22-million redevelopment and helped to nearly double its audience base.
After Chichester, Church was appointed artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company, one of the largest arts organizations of its kind in Australia. However, he abruptly resigned less than year into his tenure, citing a “slight cultural clash of expectations” as well as having to balance “too many commitments.”
In recent years, Church has dedicated more time to producing. He’s currently the director of his own commercial production company, Jonathan Church Theatre Productions (JCTP), where he’s overseen more than 30 West End and touring productions, including “A Chorus Line,” “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” His work as a producer and director has earned 45 Olivier nominations and six Tony nods.
Church said he’ll be stepping back from his role at JCTP before he officially takes over the helm at Stratford.
Founded in 1952, the Stratford Festival operates four theatres and presents about a dozen shows each season in repertory — with a company of actors each appearing in several productions concurrently. Though primarily known for its programming of Shakespeare plays, the theatre in recent years has also become an important incubator of new Canadian works, launching shows such as “Casey and Diana” and “Salesman in China.”
As artistic director, Church said he hopes to build on Cimolino’s success over the past decade. “The festival’s strength is its ability to present work of scale and artistic quality, across all four spaces,” he said. “Very few companies are working in repertory anymore, either for artistic or financial reasons. But what’s special about that system is that if you come to Stratford for five days, or a week, you can probably see the broadest spectrum of work anywhere in the world.”
But while Church acknowledged that repertory programming will remain the backbone of the festival, he suggested that he’s open to experimenting with Stratford’s performance schedule and presenting some productions out of the repertory system, which could help the organization attract more international stars who are unwilling to commit to multiple shows over the better part of a year.
Church also wants to help the company extend the life of Stratford productions beyond the festival’s four stages. “It surprises me that Stratford shows don’t come to Toronto more often, when the festival season isn’t running,” he said. “I’d also hope that some of the work we do might be seen in the U.K. and in the U.S. more regularly. That would only strengthen the reputation of Stratford and the Canadian artists in those productions.”
Church will lead Stratford, which has an annual budget of roughly $75 million, alongside Anita Gaffney, who is expected to remain as executive director through the artistic leadership transition. According to a job posting for Church’s position, the role comes with a salary of between $400,000 to $475,000 each year.
Church is no stranger to Canada’s stages and has a close relationship with Toronto-based Mirvish, the country’s largest commercial theatre producer. The Brit most recently directed the musicals “Singin’ in the Rain” and “42nd Street,” both mounted at the Princess of Wales Theatre in 2022 and 2023, respectively. He’s also produced several Mirvish presentations, including the Roy Orbison jukebox musical “In Dreams” and “The Judas Kiss,” starring Rupert Everett.
David Adams, chair of the festival’s board and a member of the search committee, said the organization was looking for a director who had experience working on thrust stages and in a repertory system similar to Stratford’s.
“Jonathan has both,” said Adams. “He also has such a broad international network, and has worked in London, on Broadway and with Mirvish. This is a real opportunity for us to leverage Jonathan’s connections and take Stratford to the rest of the world.”
Church and his wife, Yvonne Thomson, the founder and CEO of the food rescue and education charity UKHarvest, are expected to relocate to Stratford in the coming year. He is set to officially assume his new role on Nov. 1, 2026, becoming the festival’s 13th artistic director in its history. His first season will be presented in 2027.
