Birmingham Hippodrome has announced that Deirdre O’Halloran is to become its head of new musical theatre.
She has been literary manager at London’s Bush Theatre since 2018 where she designed and implemented artist development programmes. She also took the lead on dramaturgy for all commissioned work.
Birmingham Hippodrome announced in April plans to become home to the first in-house musical theatre department in the UK. Leading the new department, O’Halloran will collaborate with creatives to open up new production opportunities. The dedicated department will develop, commission and produce new musicals as part of the Hippodrome’s core business.
Her team will operate from a dedicated studio space at the Hippodrome, “ensuring an inspiring and dynamic creative environment for new work to grow”. Work developed will be presented on all the Hippodrome’s stages and across the country.
The Hippodrome will continue to work with associate producer (new musical theatre) Vicky Graham, a theatre producer and consultant who specialises in creative and strategic development of new musicals. She worked with the theatre to develop initial plans for the new department.
The Hippodrome’s artistic director and chief executive Jon Gilchrist said, “Dee is a theatre marvel: her compassion for and understanding of artists combined with a rare dramaturgical insight make her the perfect pioneer to lead this new department.
“I’m certain that her love and understanding of musical theatre will help ignite a new generation of writers and composers. I’m also delighted that the brilliant Vicky Graham will be continuing with us as the department becomes a reality.”
O’Halloran added, “Birmingham Hippodrome is a venue that’s fizzing with ambition and passion for musical theatre and I’m delighted to be heading up this new department. There’s a huge contingent of talented and dedicated musical theatre artists in the UK and I’m so excited to make the Hippodrome their home, a place to develop their craft and make brilliant new work.”
O’Halloran will start her new role in October 2023.