The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh has announced the appointment of their new Artistic Director and co-CEO, James Brining, who will take over from David Greig from April 2025.
Brining is currently Artistic Director at Leeds Playhouse, where he has been since 2012. At Leeds, he has commissioned and produced 65 new plays and overseen the £16.8M refurbishment and rebrand of the Playhouse. During this time, he has directed a range of shows including A Little Night Music, My Fair Lady and Into the Woods (all co-produced with Opera North); UK tours of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Musical and a critically acclaimed in-the-round version of OLIVER!, playing from November 2023 – January 2024. He has also directed new and classic plays including Simon Armitage’s The Bodyguard, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and Zinnie Harris’s (the fall of) The Master Builder.
Brining also has a long involvement in Scottish theatre, moving to Glasgow to become the Artistic Director of TAG Theatre Company in 1997, where he commissioned leading Scottish playwrights, including David Greig, to create new works for and with children and young people. He was subsequently appointed Artistic Director and CEO of Dundee Rep in 2003 and served on the board and as Chair of the Federation of Scottish Theatres for over a decade, as well as being a founding Trustee of the Playwrights’ Studio Scotland.
Speaking of his appointment, Brining says, “It’s been a huge honour to have been a custodian of Leeds Playhouse, rooted in the city and the region I was brought up in and care about deeply. The theatre has a national and international reputation not only for producing impactful and incredible productions but equally for many pioneering initiatives, including becoming the world’s first ever Theatre of Sanctuary, and for seminal work in developing relaxed and dementia friendly performances. I’m very proud of all that’s been achieved but I am ready for a new challenge, and I’m thrilled to be returning to a place I love.
“Anyone who knows me, is well aware of how much Scotland means to me and my family and we’re excited about coming home. I’ve seen some incredible work at The Lyceum over the last 30 years and it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to lead such an important Scottish and UK theatre in its next chapter. I’m looking forward to building on existing relationships and forging new ones with a range of artists and partners and whilst I’m aware of the current challenges the sector is facing, I’m hugely optimistic about the opportunities to create fantastic and meaningful work in this beautiful and iconic space and beyond.”
Royal Lyceum Edinburgh Executive Director, Mike Griffiths, says, “I’m very much looking forward to welcoming James back to Scotland and in particular to working with him at The Lyceum. He has been an inspirational leader from his early days at TAG in Glasgow, leading a range of major organisations along the way. He has kept close ties with Scotland since his move to Leeds and his return to Scotland is a major boost to the artistic community here.He knows the work of The Royal Lyceum very well and he will be joining us in time to contribute to our 60th Anniversary Season planning.”
Tari Lang, Chair of the Royal Lyceum, adds, “I am excited to welcome James as The Royal Lyceum Theatre’s new Artistic Director. Throughout a rigorous recruitment process James shone with his wealth of experience both artistically and as a seasoned CEO. His passion for theatre, his love of Edinburgh and The Lyceum was powerful, as was his strategic vision for the Lyceum’s next phase. I should also like to thank David Greig, who for the past nine years has taken the Lyceum to its position as Scotland’s premier producing theatre. Working with Mike Griffiths, I believe James will build on this artistic legacy and steer us through our sector’s choppy waters into a strong future.”
David Greig, current Lyceum Artistic Director congratulated Brining saying, “I’m delighted that James will be the next Artist Director of The Lyceum. As someone who cares deeply about The Lyceum I feel excitement and optimism with this appointment. James has the skills, experience and boldness we need. These are tough times in Scottish theatre, but James is the person to lead The Lyceum through the challenges. I can’t wait to see what his plans are. I look forward to supporting him and the Lyceum as an audience member, an artist and a Lyceum fan for the years ahead.”
James Brining takes up his position as The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh’s Artistic Director and co-CEO full time from April 2025.
