Riding Lights, the York-based national touring theatre company, has today announced the appointment of its new Artistic Director and Executive Director as joint CEO’s.
Paul Birch rejoins the company as Artistic Director after holding early roles as its Youth Theatre Director and Associate Director of Education and Community. He succeeds Paul Burbridge, co-founder of the company and its Artistic Director since its foundation in 1977, who died after a short illness in 2023.
As a freelance writer-director, his work has been produced in many theatres nationwide, expanding into audio dramas and a focussed practice in improvisation, collaborating with improvisers from all over the world.
He has developed a track record of applied theatre-making and was artistic director of Out Of Character, a company comprising artists with lived experience of mental illness, for eight years.
Paul says, “I’ve had the privilege of working with Riding Lights for over 20 years. Paul Burbridge was a great mentor to me and offered me many early opportunities in acting, writing and directing. His influence and inspirational teaching in theatre-making has had a profound and lasting impact on my work.
“The creativity of Riding Lights has always been about making work with and for all kinds of people in all kinds of places; often those hardest to reach. I’m looking forward to finding new artistic ways to create powerful and joyful theatre in that spirit.”
Oliver Brown FRSA takes up the position of Executive Director having held senior leadership roles in production and operations at venues including Hull Truck and CAST in Doncaster. He is the elected vice-chair and trustee-director of the Association of British Theatre Technicians.
Oliver’s first encounter with Riding Lights was in 1999, as a teenager, when he knocked on the door of the then recently-opened Friargate Theatre, asking for a technical work placement. Over the subsequent decades he has worked as a freelance technical and stage manager for the company on many occasions.
Oliver says, “After being a part of Riding Lights for nearly 25 years I am delighted to be joining the company once again as Executive Director, having spent my summers at its annual residential summer school, my early years up a ladder amongst the lights in Friargate Theatre, and out on national tours. Along with Paul, I am looking forward to Riding Lights’ 50th anniversary in 2027 and planning for the future.
“I am passionate about communicating faith and social justice issues through theatre and community work – a tradition in which Riding Lights is a leader, and one in which I will be honoured to play a part as we develop the evolving vision of Riding Lights.”
Riding Lights has been making and touring theatre informed by a Christian faith for forty seven years, making it one of the most productive and long-serving independent theatre companies in the UK.
Its productions have been seen across the world, from the USA through Europe to Israel and Palestine.
John Emmett, Chair of the Board of Directors, has commented, “I am delighted that Paul and Ollie have agreed to join Riding Lights. Both of them have a long association with the company and understand well Paul Burbridge’s remarkable legacy. I am confident that they will build on this in fresh and exciting ways to create theatre which entertains, challenges and inspires.”