Pentabus Theatre are delighted to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Freestone as the company’s new Artistic Director. Elizabeth takes over the artistic leadership at Pentabus this month following the departure of Orla O’ Loughlin, who moved to Traverse Theatre Edinburgh in December after 5 years with Pentabus.
“I’m pleased as punch to be joining the team at Pentabus says Elizabeth. “It’s a wonderful company with a matchless reputation for groundbreaking theatre. I’m looking forward to working with everyone there, and to joining forces with an exciting range of artists and audiences to make adventurous new work.”

Elizabeth brings a wealth of experience directing both classical and new plays. Credits with the RSC include The Comedy of Errors for the RSC’s Complete Works Festival, and two new plays The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes by Adriano Shaplin and Here Lies Mary Spindler by Phil Porter. Last year she directed a reading of Caryl Churchill’s forgotten masterpiece Softcops for the RSC’s 50th birthday celebrations and has just opened a new play by Sayan Kent, Endless Light, at Southwark Playhouse. She was the Associate Director on the Filter/National Theatre production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle and has a long association with the National Theatre Studio including three stints as Director on Attachment and one as Artist in Residence working on new plays and leading research projects.

Elizabeth also regularly develops scripts for various theatre companies including Kali and Liverpool Playhouse. Last year she adapted and directed a version of Shakespeare’s The Rape of Lucrece for the RSC.

Pentabus Theatre is fast approaching its 40th birthday and continues to pioneer new work that connects people and places. Pentabus has maintained a clear and important identity over the last 38 years whilst building on its reputation as an important regional new writing producer. This was recently recognised in the renewal of their Arts Council funding. Elizabeth is looking forward to taking the company forward in the next stage of the company’s development . Kate Organ Chair of Pentabus Theatre comments “We are delighted that Elizabeth Freestone is joining Pentabus as Artistic Director. We are really excited by the theatre adventures Pentabus can offer to audiences and artists in its rural roots in Shropshire and its work on tour across the UK.”