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),
Neil McPherson (artistic director) at the Finborough Theatre from 15 May to 9 July 2016, and transferred to Trafalgar Studios, London, in November 2016 where it was nominated for an Olivier Award. It also went on tour to Aberdeen and Glasgow in 2018. "I Wish To Die Singing – Voices From The Armenian Genocide" and "It Is Easy To Be Dead" are both published by Oberon Books. Neil McPherson (artistic director) Neil McPherson (born London, 7 October 1969) is a Artistic Director and playwright. He was Artistic Director of the New End Theatre, Hampstead, from 1996–1997, and has been the Artistic Director of the