Chris Stafford

Chris Stafford was appointed CEO of Curve in 2015 and in partnership with Nikolai Foster, he is responsible for the leadership of the organisation.

Under Chris’ leadership, Curve has developed a reputation as a leading producing theatre in the UK and a destination venue for producers to open major touring productions, recent productions launched at Curve include Matilda, Les Misérables and Miss Saigon.

Since taking up post, Curve’s annual turnover has increased by over £5m and audiences have risen by up to 60,000 for performances in Leicester. Chris has led the development of Curve’s work on national and international tour through ‘Curve on Tour’ which plays to over 500,000 people a year across the UK and on international tour. Recently, three ‘Made at Curve’ productions: On Your Feet! (London Coliseum), Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ – The Musical (The Ambassadors Theatre) and White Christmas (Dominion Theatre) played in London’s West End. Chris was also Executive Producer on Curve’s critically acclaimed streamed productions of Sunset Boulevard and The Colour Purple which were watched in 45 countries during the pandemic.

Throughout his career, Chris has produced over 80 productions and prior to joining Curve he worked extensively internationally, touring and making work in the Middle East, South Korea, Japan, Barbados, North America and Europe.

He was Executive Director of dreamthinkspeak, one of the UK’s leading producers of site responsive theatre for two years and prior to that he worked in the education department at Shakespeare’s Globe where he led on producing work for children and young people. Chris was also Acting Head of Development at Bristol Old Vic.

He is a graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, a 2009/10 Clore Fellow on the Clore Leadership Programme, an Alumnus of the Windsor Leadership Programme, listed in the ‘Who’s Who’ Directory and named with Nikolai Foster as one of The Stage 100 most influential people and partnerships in theatre.