Jonathan Church was appointed Artistic Director in November 2005 alongside Alan Finch as Executive Director. Highlights of their inaugural Festival included; The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, David Edgar's ground-breaking two part adaptation of the classic Dickens' novel. Nickleby returned to Chichester in 2007 before embarking on a national tour as well as successful runs in London and Toronto.

The undoubted highlight of Festival 07 was Rupert Goold's production of Macbeth, starring Patrick Stewart. Having played to capacity houses in Chichester it went onto continue its success in London and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music before finishing its journey on Broadway. The director, lead actor and creative team won numerous prestigious awards including the Olivier Award for Best Revival. Rupert Goold returned to Chichester for Festival 08 to direct a new version of Six Characters in Search of an Author which also transferred to London and undertook a UK tour.

Festival 09 saw Howard Davies, John Doyle, Richard Eyre and Trevor Nunn all make their Chichester directorial debuts. World premiere productions included Simon Gray and Hugh Whitemore's The Last Cigarette, Mike Poulton's adaptation of Friedrich Schiller's epic Wallenstein and Lucy Prebble's ENRON, directed by Rupert Goold, which opened to five star reviews and left Chichester for a season at the Royal Court before a West End transfer. Joseph Fiennes took the eponymous role in Cyrano de Bergerac and Chichester continued its tradition of a producing a summer musical with Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic Oklahoma!

Among its eleven productions, Festival 2010 saw Patrick Stewart return to Chichester in Edward Bond's Bingo, Henry Goodman and David Haig star in the world premiere of Yes, Prime Minister and Rupert Everett makes his Chichester debut in Pygmalion. Yes, Prime Minister and the world premiere of the musical Love Story both transferred to the West End.

2012 will mark the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Theatre and celebrations commence with the transfer of two sell-out productions from the 2011 Festival Season: Singin’ in the Rain, directed by Jonathan Church, to the Palace Theatre from February and Sweeney Todd, featuring Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton, into the Adelphi Theatre from March. Patrick Stewart will also reprise his lead role in Bingo by Edward Bond, directed by Chichester Festival Theatre Associate Director Angus Jackson, in a co-production at the Young Vic opening in the New Year.

50 Years YoungChichester’s 50th Anniversary season will also see the Theatre plan a major capital programme – RENEW - a £22million refurbishment of the Grade II* listed Festival Theatre

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