The man who led Dundee Rep Theatre to critical and financial success in 2014 has announced he will step down in the summer.
Under the direction of chief executive and co-artistic director Philip Howard, the venue staged stunning productions of vampire love story Let the Right One In and children’s favourite The BFG.
There were also hugely successful productions of Victoria, Hecuba, And Then There Were None and Promises Promises.
That ambitious and varied programme led to strong audiences and contributed to an up-turn in profits for the company that operates The Rep.
Importantly, he also led the team that secured vital funding for the venue, with the promise of three years’ funding from Creative Scotland ensuring it has a bright future.
On the back of that hugely successful 12 months, Howard has signalled his intention to step down in June and return to his freelancing and teaching work.
The move will signal a change of direction for the theatre, which will now be seeking to appoint a new chief executive.
Future productions will remain in safe hands, with Jemima Levick taking on the challenge of acting as sole artistic director and Fleur Darkin continuing as artistic director for Scottish Dance Theatre.
Howard was appointed the dual post at Dundee Rep in 2013 following 14 years at the Edinburgh Traverse and a spell teaching at the University of Glasgow.
He said: “I have loved my time here and that is principally because of the “family” of staff and colleagues that I work with.
“I consider my partnership with Jemima Levick to have been, and still be, the most rewarding of my career.”
Chair of the Board of Directors of Dundee Rep Theatre, Peter Inglis, said the recruitment process for a new chief executive to “lead the team in the Rep’s next phase of development” was already underway.
He added: “I would like to thank Philip for his contribution to the continuing success of Dundee Rep during a period of significant transition in the company and, notably, the recent award of regular funding from Creative Scotland for the next three years.”