Brisbane Festival Names New Artistic Director

Leading Australian theatre director David Berthold has been announced as the artistic director of the Brisbane Festival for four years, beginning with the 2015 event. His appointment comes as current director Noel Staunton finishes up his five year tenure with the event, and Berthold says he is looking forward to expanding on the groundwork Staunton has laid over this time.

“Brisbane Festival has a privileged position as the youngest of Australia's great family of festivals and this places it perfectly to create fresh horizons,” Berthold said in a statement issued this morning.

“Noel Staunton has opened up some of those horizons beautifully, and I'm thrilled at the chance to build on his work and to make a genuine difference to the way Brisbane enjoys its ever-growing festival.”

Berthold is presently working as the artistic director and chief executive officer of Brisbane's La Boite Theatre Company and was heavily involved with last year's Brisbane Festival, curating the festival's first independent theatre program.

Previously he has worked with Sydney Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre Company, Griffin Theatre Company and the Australian Theatre for Young People.

Staunton's final Brisbane Festival will take place throughout the Queensland capital from Saturday 6 September through to Saturday 27. The Australian premiere of Phillip Glass' The Perfect American and the grand Queensland Theatre Company and Sydney Festival production Black Diggers have already been announced as part of the program.