New Artistic Director for the Torch
Chelsey Gillard
Chelsey Gillard has been appointed as the new artistic director of Milford Haven’s Torch Theatre, succeeding Peter Doran after his 25 years in the role.
Chelsey arrives at the Torch Theatre with a wealth of experience in theatre making and creative engagement. She was most recently the Carne Trust associate director at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough where she worked on the premiere of Alan Ayckbourn’s 85th play, The Girl Next Door. She is a founding member of PowderHouse, the company in residence at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff.
She said: “I am thrilled to be joining the Torch. I have long admired the work of this brilliant team and Peter Doran’s leadership. As we look forward we will need to continue to innovate, finding new ways to reach out to audiences, participants and artists in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire and beyond. I am excited to lead this next chapter alongside executive director Benjamin Lloyd and the board.
“The last few years have been so difficult for so many and theatre can be the spark of joy, connection and solace that we all so desperately need. I am looking forward to welcoming you back to our stages where I am delighted to be curating a wide range of work including the annual panto, classic drama and home-grown new writing, whilst also celebrating the vibrant youth theatre and community groups who call the Torch home. I can’t wait to get started.”
Chelsey will join the development of the Torch Youth and Engagement strategies this summer and will oversee the Torch Youth Theatre’s Drama Summer Schools in early August. This an opportunity for her to experience first-hand the wealth of young artistic talent in the county and for the participants to work with an incredibly exciting and visionary director.
Henry Rees, development officer for Arts Council of Wales, the Torch’s principal funder, said: “Chelsey’s appointment represents another exciting step along the road in fulfilling the company’s long-term development plans towards artistic excellence, greater resilience and future sustainability. This new chapter builds on the valued and exemplar contributions that Peter Doran has made during his tenure. We welcome Chelsey to her new role, and are confident that her artistic vision, her energy and her ambition will ensure continual evolution of the established traditions in a way that will uphold the Torch’s legacy and unleash its potential.”
Chelsey will officially start the role of artistic director in October 2022, initially working alongside Peter Doran as he delivers his final season of work at the Torch. The theatre is producing a bumper programme of artistic work to mark Peter’s final season and the Torch’s 45th anniversary, with two productions at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Grav and Angel, a UK tour of Angel in September and October, the Torch’s autumn production, Of Mice and Men, and the annual pantomime, Sleeping Beauty, which will be Peter’s last show as artistic director. Chelsey will continue solely in the role from January 2023.
