Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
‘Huge growth in
Dundee Rep artistic boss gives vision for the future
THE man at the forefront of bringing entertainment to Dundee Rep has his sights set on bringing the theatre to the many — and not just the few.
Andrew Panton is the theatre’s newly appointed artistic director and claims there has “never been a better time to be in Dundee”.
Originally from Fife, he comes with a wealth of experience having worked at Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre, helped co-ordinate Susan Boyle’s UK and US tours and directed the famous dancing Tunnocks teacake segment of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.
On Saturday, the Dundee venue was transformed to create a promenade theatre experience as the Rep unveiled its exciting new season, starting at the end of August.
But as the theatre enters a new programme, the director wants to make sure more people visit and see the enjoyment it brings.
Andrew told the Tele: “My vision is to get more and more people inside and especially those who may not have been before.
“I will make sure to be going out into the community and shouting about what we do.
“I am a big believer in listening to what people want to see and we have got to make sure our programme is diverse.
“We have to push the boundaries and ensure it’s eclectic.”
One idea Andrew has in mind is to encourage more people to come to the Rep is “theatre taster sessions” whereby people go along and see a glimpse of what they might expect on stage.
He said: “I am well aware some may say ‘oh god, two hours of the theatre’, so taster sessions on open days could be a great way of getting people through the doors.”
Andrew has also spoke about his pride and excitement after being offered the position earlier this year.
He described it as a “dream come true”, adding: “I’ve been coming to the theatre since I was a boy and it’s always been a theatre I would love to run. The shortlist for the position was very strong so I could not have been more excited to get the call to say I was successful.”
He now wants to take advantage of the “cultural explosion” that is happening in the city and work with theatres across the UK and globally.
“There’s never been a better time to be in Dundee,” he said. “It looks different, it feels different, the conversations are different and I want to make sure everyone knows about not just the Rep but Dundee too.”
Saturday saw around 200 people visit the venue to witness the new season’s launch and the bold and ambitious rebrand of the Rep.
He added: “I’m very honoured to launch such a fantastic programme of exciting and inspiring works in my first season.
“As always, the ensemble are at the very centre of everything we do and this season they have plenty of stories to tell including a Scottish premiere of the modern American classic August: Osage County.”