Newcastle Theatre Royal has announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive to replace Philip Bernays who will leave at the end of September after 16 years in the post.
New Chief Executive Marianne Locatori comes to Newcastle from the Theatre Royal, Plymouth, which she joined in 2003 and where she is Director of Strategic Projects with responsibility for programming a broad spectrum of productions, as well as implementing and guiding commercial and artistic strategies.
Earlier this year, she was appointed as a Director of the Dance Consortium, a group of 19 large UK theatres dedicated to bringing the best of contemporary dance to audiences across the country and of which Newcastle Theatre Royal is a founder member.
Prior to joining the three-auditorium Plymouth venue, she spent a number of years at Ambassador Theatre Group, one of the biggest theatre operators in the world, owning or operating 57 theatres in the UK (West End and regions), the US (Broadway and regions) and Germany.
A committed advocate of regional theatre passionate about the important role that arts and culture play in generating positive change and community engagement, she said, “Newcastle Theatre Royal is one of the most highly regarded theatres in the country; it is an organisation that I have long admired and I am delighted to be appointed as Chief Executive.
“It will be a privilege to lead this successful and important cultural organisation in what is such a fantastic and vibrant city. I’m very much looking forward to working with the board, the team and the wider community and developing a vision that takes the organisation to its next stage of success.”
“We are delighted to have someone with Marianne’s impressive track record in regional theatre on board,” added Nick Swales, Chair of the Board of Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust. “She brings a wealth of valuable experience, which, alongside her drive, passion and determination, makes her absolutely the right person to take Newcastle Theatre Royal forward and deliver upon our strategic ambitions.”