Today the Royal Exchange Theatre announces that Chris Stafford, CEO of Curve Theatre, Leicester will temporarily join the organisation as part-time Interim Executive Director & Co-CEO.  Working alongside the recently appointed Artistic Director and Co-CEO, Selina Cartmell, to embed the new leadership structure of Artistic Director and Executive Director.

Chris will remain in post as CEO of Curve but will be working with the Royal Exchange on a part-time secondment as the recruitment process for a full time Executive Director & Co-CEO begins. Nikolai Foster (Artistic Director) and Claire Ward (Executive Director) will be responsible for the day-to-day management of Curve whilst Chris is at The Royal Exchange.

Artistic Director Selina Cartmell said:
‘I am delighted that Chris will be joining us at the Exchange and look forward to working closely with him as we bring new programmes and ideas to life in the coming months.  Chris brings with him a wealth of invaluable experience that I know will greatly benefit our team. Chris will join us here in Manchester for three days a week as we work towards our 50th anniversary in 2026.’

Chris Stafford added:
‘The Royal Exchange is one of the finest theatres in this country and I am delighted to be working with the Board, Selina and the team until a new Co-CEO is appointed. Although I’m not fully stepping away from Curve, I am indebted to Nikolai, Claire and the brilliant team at Curve who will keep Leicester firing on all cylinders whilst I’m in Manchester.’

For further information please contact Paula Rabbitt, Director of Audiences at paula.rabbitt@royalexchange.co.uk

Editor’s Notes:

Chris Stafford

Chris Stafford was appointed CEO of Curve in 2015 and in partnership with Nikolai Foster, he is responsible for the artistic and business leadership of the theatre.

Since Chris taking up post, Curve’s annual turnover has increased by over £10m and audiences have risen by over 30% for performances in Leicester. Under Chris and Nikolai’s leadership, Curve has developed a reputation as a leading producing theatre in the UK and a destination venue for producers to launch major touring productions, with recent productions opening at Curve including COME FROM AWAY, LES MISÉRABLES and Matthew Bourne’s ROMEO AND JULIET. Chris has also led the development of Curve’s award-winning work on national and international tour, with productions now playing to over 1.5m people a year. In recent years, eight Made at Curve co-productions have played in London and the West End, including A CHORUS LINE (Sadler’s Wells), THE WIZARD OF OZ (London Palladium), Sue Townsend’s THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE AGED 13 ¾ – THE MUSICAL (The Ambassadors Theatre) and GREASE (Dominion Theatre). Chris was also Executive Producer on Curve’s critically acclaimed streamed productions of SUNSET BOULEVARD and THE COLOR PURPLE which were watched by audiences in 45 countries during the pandemic.

Selina Cartmell

Selina spent 6 years as Artistic Director and CEO of the Gate Theatre Dublin and more recently the Royal Exchange Theatre.  She was appointed Co-CEO and Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange last month after 6 months as Creative Director. Selina’s first programme of work as Artistic Director for the Royal Exchange Theatre will be to mark its 50th anniversary in 2026.

Selina has a vast array of creative, production and programming experience.  She has worked as a Freelance Director in the US, UK and Ireland where she worked in some of the leading theatres in the world.  Her work included Shakespeare, Classical Revivals, New Writing, Musical Theatre, Opera and Site-Specific Work.   She ran her own inter-disciplinary production company, Siren Productions, which created several ambitious projects which offered unique links between artists and audiences.  She has also produced award winning short films.   She was chosen to be a Rolex Protégé as part of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative and was mentored by world renowned artist, Julie Taymor.   A graduate of Trinity College Dublin and Glasgow University, Selina is a multi-award-winning theatre director.