"As soon as we got the theatre back, we wanted to deliver as big and rich a programme as we normally do,” says Chichester Festival Theatre’s artistic director Jonathan Church.

Alongside executive director Alan Finch, he was responsible for the ambitious plan to transform Chichester’s main theatre space following its 50th anniversary celebrations.

“Opening the main theatre in July it’s not quite business as usual, but we are trying to cram as much work as possible into the season. “We have tried to make the programme varied. I hope people come and see something they are familiar with and take the risk of seeing something unexpected.”

This year’s programme features four world premieres of new works by some of the country’s biggest playwrights, including a new historical drama by Richard Bean, the talent behind West End and Broadway hit One Man Two Guvnors, and Bryony Lavery’s take on Dodie Smith’s children’s classic The Hundred And One Dalmatians.

Plus there are two major musicals, a tribute to a long-time Chichester associate, and starring roles for Rupert Everett, Zoë Wanamaker, Penelope Wilton, Dervla Kirwan, Patricia Routledge, and David Haig in the world premiere of his third self-penned play.

STEVIE
Minerva Theatre, Thursday, April 24, to Saturday, May 24

ZOE Wanamaker stars in Hugh Whitemore’s 1977 play based on the life of poet Stevie Smith.

Set in a small flat she shares with her beloved aunt, it describes both her romantic relationships and how she escaped her middle-class world through poetry.

“Zoë had a huge hit here with Electra [in 1997] so it’s brilliant to welcome her back,” says Church.

“Hugh Whitemore has been a really important writer for this theatre for years – it’s a great season opener.”

PRESSURE
Minerva Theatre, Saturday, May 31, to Saturday, June 28

DAVID Haig stars in the world premiere of his third play alongside Malcolm Sinclair.

Pressure is set on the eve of D-Day and focuses on the true story of the meteorologists tasked with ensuring bad weather didn’t scupper the landing crafts’ chances on the Normandy beaches.

General Eisenhower employed a famous Hollywood meteorologist and a local Scot to help him plan the landings. But when their weather predictions contrast hugely, the fate of the decisive action could be in the balance.

“It’s a wonderful piece of writing and a most extraordinary story,” says Church of the co-production with Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre.

Haig’s writing career includes the First World War-set tragedy of Rudyard Kipling’s son My Boy Jack, and 2000’s The Good Samaritan about the titular man with good intentions embarking on an affair.

MISS JULIE and BLACK COMEDY
Minerva Theatre, Friday, July 4, to Saturday, August 9

AUGUST Strindberg’s 1888 doomed romance across the class divide and Peter Shaffer’s technically original farce make a tragi-comic double bill originally conceived by Chichester’s first artistic director Sir Laurence Olivier.

Miss Julie sees the headstrong daughter of a count fall for a footman after sneaking into the servants’ annual midsummer party, with tragic results.

Meanwhile Shaffer’s ingenious comedy set around a blackout hinges on the device that the audience only sees the action when the house is supposed to be plunged into darkness.

“Sir Laurence Olivier was obsessed by these double bills where one half is comedy and one half tragedy,” says Church. “Maggie Smith and Albert Finney were in the original cast.”

The double bill also launches Chichester’s tribute to playwright Peter Shaffer, whose plays Black Comedy and The Royal Hunt For The Sun premiered in Chichester.

“Shaffer was the single most important writer when Olivier opened the theatre,” says Church. “We are looking forward to celebrating such a great literary figure of the theatre with a series of readings and talks around his work over three weekends.”

AMADEUS
Chichester Festival Theatre, Saturday, July 12, to Saturday, August 2

ACCOMPANYING Chichester’s celebration of Peter Shaffer’s canon is a production of his most famous play, Amadeus, directed by Church and starring Rupert Everett.

The tale of the Viennese prodigy is told through the eyes of his great rival Salieri – a popular musician in his time but now long forgotten.

“We are delighted to have Rupert back,” says Church, adding that he was last in Chichester for Pygmalion, and also starred as Oscar Wilde in the Chichester Festival Theatre production of David Hare’s The Judas Kiss.

“It’s great that he’s coming to open the theatre with Amadeus, which is the right play for this stage. It’s never been produced in Chichester before, although it once visited out of season.”

GUYS AND DOLLS
Chichester Festival Theatre, Monday, August 11 to Sunday, September 21

CARLOS Acosta is choreographing the musical fable of Broadway in a new production directed by Gordon Greenberg and starring Sophie Thompson with long-time Chichester favourite Peter Polycarpou.

Based on Damon Runyon’s short stories, it tells of small-time gamblers tangling with gangsters, police and a religious mission.

“I adore this musical,” says Church, who saw Richard Eyre’s National Theatre production when he was a child. “It’s one of the best, with the most delightful score and story, but it’s never been produced at Chichester before. I hope it will be a real treat for our musical theatre audience, which has grown with us over the years.”

PITCAIRN
Minerva Theatre, Friday, August 22, to Saturday, September 20

MAX Stafford-Clark directs this world premiere from One Man Two Guvnors writer Richard Bean, ahead of a transfer to Shakespeare’s Globe.

Set after the famous mutiny on The Bounty, Pitcairn tells the story of the democratic egalitarian society the mutineers tried to establish in their new island home.

As might be expected, it all went a bit wrong.

“They weren’t nice to the indigenous inhabitants of the island or each other,” says Church. “It’s a really interesting exploration of that story.”

TAKEN AT MIDNIGHT
Minerva Theatre, Friday, September 26, to Saturday, October 25

MARK Hayhurst’s world premiere focuses on Hitler’s rise to power in Germany.

It tells the story of German lawyer Hans Litten, who represented opponents of the Nazis at political trials before the party took power. One memorable trial, concerning a dancehall massacre, saw Litten take Hitler apart in the witness stand over three hours.

Unfortunately, the Nazi leader had a long memory, and arrested Litten on the night of the Reichstag fire along with a number of other left-wing opponents. He was tortured and sent to a series of concentration camps.

Penelope Wilton stars as Litten’s mother, who led a campaign for her son’s release, even contacting Britain’s Lord Clifford Allan to plead with Hitler directly.

“We commissioned this play on the basis of seeing a documentary by the writer,” says Church, who is directing the production. “Getting an actor like Penelope Wilton wanting to do the piece meant we had to programme it this year.”

GYPSY: A MUSICAL FABLE
Chichester Festival Theatre, Monday, October 6, to Saturday, November 8

THE team and one of the stars behind Chichester’s West End hit Sweeney Todd return with the story of striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee’s showbiz mother.

“The production came about through [show lyricist] Stephen Sondheim seeing Imelda Staunton in Sweeney Todd at Chichester,” reveals Church. “He helped campaign for us to get the rights.

“Gypsy hasn’t been that well-known since Angela Lansbury did it in the West End, but for theatre aficionados it is one of the great books and scores.”

Directed by Jonathan Kent, the production also stars Lara Pulver and Morse’s former sidekick Kevin Whately.

FRANKIE AND JOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE
Minerva Theatre, Thursday, November 6, to Saturday, December 6

ALTHOUGH best known as a movie starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer, Church believes Terrence McNally’s original play is best seen on the stage.

“The Minerva Theatre will suit it incredibly well,” he says. “It’s two people shut in a room the first night they have met and slept together.

“We spend the night with them. It’s a romantic, frightening and poetic exploration of the difficulties of being human. It’s an absolute favourite play of mine.”

Playing Frankie is Dervla Kirwan, following her Chichester appearance in Uncle Vanya and her critically acclaimed role alongside Brian Cox in The Weir at the Donmar Warehouse in London.

AN IDEAL HUSBAND
Chichester Festival Theatre, Friday, November 21, to Saturday, December 13

RACHEL Kavanaugh directs the Chichester-based actress behind the fearsome Hyacinth Bucket in this new adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s comedy.

Set over a 24-hour period, it touches on political and emotional blackmail, marital fidelity and a succession of incriminating letters.

“For me, this is Oscar Wilde’s best play,” says Church. “Patricia Routledge’s appearance in The Importance Of Being Earnest was one of the biggest hits in Chichester’s history. It’s great to have her coming back to support the reopening.”

THE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS
Chichester Festival Theatre, Saturday, December 20, to Saturday, January 3

TO close the 2014 series, Chichester Festival Youth Theatre and director Dale Rooks perform the world premiere of a new Christmas show penned by Bryony Lavery.

The Hundred And One Dalmatians is based on Dodie Smith’s tale of more than 100 spotty puppies and the vile Cruella de Vil who wants to turn them into a fur coat.

“The Youth Theatre has performed our Christmas show every year for ten years now,” says Church. “The audiences have grown and grown.”

“The thought of 101 members of the Youth Theatre covered in spots running around the new space seemed too good to miss.”

  • Priority booking for Friends Of Chichester Festival Theatre opens online on Wednesday, March 12, and by phone and in person on Monday, March 17.
  • Public booking opens online on Wednesday, March 19, and by phone and in person on Monday, March 24.
  • Tickets from £10, visit cft.org.uk or call 01243 781312.