Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre, located in Chichester, Sussex, England, is a theatre designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, and opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin in 1962. The smaller and more intimate Minerva Theatre was built nearby in 1989. The inaugural Artistic Director was Sir Laurence Olivier, and it was at Chichester that the first National Theatre company was formed. Chichester's productions would transfer to the NT's base at the Old Vic in London. The opening productions in 1962 were: "The Chances" by John Fletcher (first production 1638) which opened on 3 July; "The Broken Heart" (1633),
Scottish Dance Theatre (Tanzcompagnie Oldenburg and Tanztheater Bremen; Germany) and Scottish Dance Theatre. Fleur Darkin is former Associate Artist at Bristol Old Vic and has enjoyed choreographic stints at Laban and the Royal Opera House. Darkin’s the Blake Diptych won the Jardin D’Europe commission and was co-commissioned in the UK by Southbank Centre, Laban, Salisbury Arts Centre, Pavilion Dance, Bristol Old Vic and Warwick Arts Centre. Internationally, Darkin’s artistic excellence has been recognised with residencies at Junges Hundes (Germany), P.A.R.T.S. (Belgium) and Theatre Mono (Lebanon). Darkin is a prolific collaborator and her Scottish theatre work includes "Roam" (Grid Iron/National Theatre of Scotland), "Helter