Theatre of the United Kingdom rise of satire in 1960s Britain. The Chichester Festival Theatre was Britain's first modern thrust stage theatre. It was inspired by the Festival Theatre of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival launched by Tyrone Guthrie in the Canadian city of Stratford, Ontario. The inaugural Artistic Director of the Chichester Festival was Sir Laurence Olivier, and it was at Chichester that the first National Theatre company was formed. Chichester's productions would transfer to the National Theatre's base at the Old Vic in London. The Theatres Act 1968 abolished the system of censorship of the stage that had existed in Great Britain since 1737.
Neil McPherson (artistic director) 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 Finborough Theatre, London, since January 1999. He was named one of The Hospital Club 100 by "Time Out" and The Hospital Club in 2012. He has produced over two hundred productions and co-productions with his production company Concordance. He trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama and was a member of the National Youth Theatre for seven years.