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DAVID WILLIAMS LEAVES THE KING'S THEATRE AND THEATRE ROYAL GLASGOW

Issued : 24 August 2005

After three years of devoted service, David Williams is stepping down as Chief Executive of the King’s Theatre and Theatre Royal, Glasgow to seek new opportunities in the creative and cultural industries in Scotland and beyond.

David became Chief Executive of the King’s in 2002, when the venue was taken over by the Ambassador Theatre Group, the second largest theatre group both in the West End and in the UK regions.

Since then, David has been instrumental in the venue’s immense success and growth. Annual audience figures dramatically rose from 314,000 in 2002 to 442,000 in 2004. The number of programmed weeks was increased from 35 and 48, representing a 37% rise in capacity. David has been crucial in bringing a wide range of highly successful shows to the King’s, from large-scale musicals such as Miss Saigon to international companies such as Dance Theatre of Harlem and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, as well as Dundee Rep’s hugely acclaimed production of Flora the Red Menace.

More recently, David supervised the takeover of the Theatre Royal Glasgow from Scottish Opera, which was completed in March this year. In its first season alone, the venue offered a stunning variety of quality productions from Matthew Bourne’s Highland Fling and Rebecca (starring Nigel Havers) to Scottish Opera’s productions of The Knot Garden, Semele and Fidelio.

As Chief Executive of the King’s Theatre and the Theatre Royal, David was responsible for establishing a joint management structure and on-going strategy for both venues. As a result, the theatres now work closely together in terms of programming and marketing, while offering distinct products that are complementary, providing the city of Glasgow and beyond with the best variety of high quality live entertainment and first-class customer care.

David Williams
“It has been a privilege to be a part of the King’s and Theatre Royal at such pivotal moments in their histories. As well as improvements to programming, audiences and the fabric of the theatres, I am especially proud of the partnerships I have been able to establish, including Glasgow City Council, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, the Evening Times (who supported the Centenary of the King’s Theatre) and the RSAMD. Having laid the foundations for the future success of these two magnificent theatres, the time is right for me to seek new challenges in what is a very exciting time for the creative and cultural industries in Glasgow and Scotland.”

David Blyth, Operations Director, Ambassador Theatre Group
“We are very sorry that David is leaving the company. His positive leadership and management at both the King’s Theatre and Theatre Royal have been crucial to their success and growth. We would like to thank him for his dedication and hard work and wish him all the very best for the future.”

ENDS
For further information, please contact John Chittenden, Group Press Officer ATG, on 020 8545 7919 or email: johnchittenden@theambassadors.com

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