John Martin is stepping down to seek ‘new challenges and new direction’ after ten successful years at Trinity Theatre, which now welcomes 90,000 people a year through the doors of the converted Decimus Burton church for a range of theatre, music, dance, film and comedy.
Alongside Michael Elliott and Stephen Mason, Mr Martin started as one of a trio of volunteer managers in early 2009 when the ailing theatre had just lost its Arts Council funding and was facing a £40,000 deficit.
The theatre says Mr Martin’s talent and skills, as well as his ‘generosity in working as a volunteer’ for nearly 18 months, was key in helping the theatre achieve a financial turnaround, which under his direction, saw Trinity receive its first five-star review from entertainment magazine, The Stage, for ‘The Wizard of Oz’ in 2017.
During his tenure, Mr Martin directed and produced 20 successful shows, seeing audiences for the theatre double, which Trinity says is a testament to his artistic influence and organisational oversight.
Michael Stevens, Chair of Trinity Theatre, said: “When John became the Artistic Director, he helped to bring the organisation forward to a sustainable and successful operation—for which we are grateful.”
A spokesperson for the theatre continued: “A new Artistic Director will be recruited during the coming months with a remit to build on this theatrical legacy and overall programming alongside the onward artistic ambitions of Trinity Theatre.
She added that a search for a replacement for Mr Martin begins in earnest next week, but in the meantime, Executive Director Alex Green will continue to focus on the new heritage strand of activity and will assume responsibility for overall strategic, operational management and planning.
