Tony Graham, the Artistic Director of the Unicorn children’s theatre, is to step down from the role at the end of 2011.
Graham has been in the post for 13 years, during which time he has directed numerous productions for the Unicorn and overseen the company’s move to its current, purpose-built home near London Bridge in 2005.
Joanna Kennedy, Chair of the Unicorn, said: “Together with the whole Board I am deeply sorry to see Tony move on but eternally grateful for his unstinting work with the Unicorn. The company is now better positioned than ever before to look to the future.”
Graham, a former drama teacher who came to the Unicorn in 1997 from Glasgow’s TAG theatre company, intends to pursue an independent directing career following his departure.
His swansong as Artistic Director will be a revival of his own adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s Billy The Kid. The production, which he first directed at the Unicorn in 2007, will be revived this autumn.
One of the UK’s leading theatres for children and young people, the Unicorn programmes work by international visiting companies as well as producing its own work.
Current production Beauty And The Beast, which runs to 23 January, will be followed by a Storytelling Season from 1 to 27 February, in which some of the UK’s master storytellers will relate tales of tricksters and fools. Further details of Graham’s final season are yet to be announced.
CB