Chichester Festival Theatre is profoundly grieved by the loss of Alan Finch CBE, Executive Director of CFT from 2005 – 2016, who died yesterday from pancreatic cancer at the age of 61.

Kathy Bourne, Executive Director and Justin Audibert, Artistic Director, said: ‘Everyone who knew and worked with Alan, whether at Chichester, in the West End or beyond, is utterly devastated by his premature death. It is hard to believe that we have lost someone of his vision, skill, warmth, humour, and total dedication to theatre.

‘Alan’s contribution to Chichester Festival Theatre was immense; it would not be overstating it to say that, together with his long-time friend and colleague Jonathan Church, he saved the Theatre from closure. Not only was he instrumental in restoring CFT to artistic and financial health, he also established its future prosperity. 

‘Alan spearheaded the £22 million programme to refurbish and develop the Festival Theatre, culminating in its reopening during Festival 2014. He had previously led the project to open the Steven Pimlott Education and Rehearsal Building at CFT in 2009, which substantially increased CFT’s capacity to work with young people and other communities across the region. His enthusiastic support for Chichester Festival Youth Theatre saw it reach new heights.

‘He also played a pivotal role in building CFT’s reputation, with 48 productions transferring to the West End, Toronto and New York, and securing international and UK tours, during his and Jonathan’s tenure. These included Lucy Prebble’s ENRON, Macbeth with Patrick Stewart, Sweeney Todd with Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton, Private Lives with Anna Chancellor and Toby Stephens, King Lear with Frank Langella, Stevie with Zoë Wanamaker, The Pajama Game with Joanna Riding and Hadley Fraser, Gypsy with Imelda Staunton, and Jonathan Church’s own productions of Singin’ in the Rain and Taken at Midnight.

‘Alan wasn’t only an inspirational and brilliant executive director; he was an unswervingly loyal, kind, encouraging and supportive colleague, leader and friend. We will miss him so much. His beloved family are constantly in our thoughts.’

Jonathan Church, former Artistic Director who shared the leadership of CFT with Alan Finch from 2005 - 16, added: ‘I first met Alan when I was 18. He was an electrician at Nottingham Playhouse and I was an A level student. I don't think there has been a year since then that our working lives have not been in some way interconnected and intertwined. 

‘Somehow he always managed to be a colleague and a mentor at the same time. Our partnership in Chichester was the happiest and most rewarding phase of my working life. His leadership in building financial stability, audiences and spearheading the refurbishment of the Theatre was dazzling to witness.

‘I find it hard to imagine a world without him. His legacy in terms of the organisations he made better, the people he championed, the buildings he built or restored, and the work he enabled will live on for decades.’

Alan Finch passed away at St Wilfrid's Hospice, Chichester, on 10 September. Born in Mansfield, he began his career at Mansfield Civic Theatre (now Mansfield Palace Theatre) at the age of 16 as a Trainee Theatre Electrician. He then joined Nottingham Playhouse as Assistant Electrician in 1986, moving to Bolton’s Octagon Theatre as Production Manager before returning to Nottingham Playhouse in 1992 as Production Manager working with Artistic Director Kenneth Alan Taylor. He was later appointed Technical Director for Theatre Royal Plymouth before taking the post of the Theatre Royal’s General Manager in 1999, overseeing the creation of TR2, an award-winning £8 million production facility.

Alan joined Chichester Festival Theatre as Executive Director in 2005 alongside Artistic Director Jonathan Church. Under their tenure, the company produced over 100 productions including 22 new plays, winning over 40 awards for the work and more than doubling audience numbers. Alan was awarded the CBE in 2015. He stepped down from his role at Chichester Festival Theatre at the end of September 2016 to take up a new position as Managing Director at Cameron Mackintosh Limited – but maintained a very close connection with Chichester until the end of his life.