Executive Team

Chris Stafford

Chief Executive

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

Since Chris taking up post, Curve’s annual turnover has increased by over £10m and audiences have risen by over 30% for performances in Leicester. Under Chris and Nikolai’s leadership, Curve has developed a reputation as a leading producing theatre in the UK and a destination venue for producers to launch major touring productions, with recent productions opening at Curve including COME FROM AWAY, LES MISÉRABLES and Matthew Bourne’s ROMEO AND JULIET. Chris has also led the development of Curve’s award-winning work on national and international tour, with productions now playing to over 1.2m people a year. In recent years, eight Made at Curve co-productions have played in London’s West End, including THE WIZARD OF OZ (London Palladium), Sue Townsend’s THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE AGED 13 ¾ – THE MUSICAL (The Ambassadors Theatre) and GREASE (Dominion Theatre). Chris was also Executive Producer on Curve’s critically acclaimed streamed productions of SUNSET BOULEVARD and THE COLOR PURPLE which were watched by audiences in 45 countries during the pandemic.

Throughout his career Chris has overseen almost 100 productions and co-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, 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.

Chris sits on a number of Boards including Touring Partnership (Co-Chair), ArtReach (Chair), Leicester Business Improvement District, and Leicestershire Tourism Advisory Board.

He is a graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, a 2009/10 Clore Fellow on the Clore Leadership Programme, and was recently awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts by De Montfort University. Alongside Nikolai Foster, Chris is listed 18th in The Stage 100 most influential people and partnerships in theatre.

Nikolai Foster

Artistic Director

Nikolai is Artistic Director at Curve, Leicester, one of the UK’s leading regional theatres and described as “world class” by The Daily Telegraph.

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Nikolai grew up in North Yorkshire and trained at Drama Centre London and at the Crucible, Sheffield. He has created work for many of the UK’s major producing theatres, touring houses and international venues. Nikolai has been director on attachment at the Sheffield Crucible, the Royal Court Theatre and National Theatre Studio and served as an Associate Director at Leeds Playhouse.

Most recently at Curve, Nikolai directed A CHORUS LINE (also at Sadler’s Wells & UK tour); Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice’s EVITA and THE WIZARD OF OZ (also at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, London Palladium & UK tour); the first new UK production of Lee Hall & Elton John’s BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL (winner Best Musical Production UK Theatre Awards & Best Regional Production WhatsOnStage Awards), described as a “masterpiece” by The Times and Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey’s GREASE at London’s Dominion Theatre and extensive UK tours. During lockdown, Nikolai directed Curve’s first digital streamed production, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black & Christopher Hampton’s SUNSET BOULEVARD, hailed as a “game-changer” by The Telegraph. Nikolai has also directed a major revival of Bernstein, Sondheim & Laurents’ WEST SIDE STORY; Hanif Kureishi’s MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (nominated for Best Regional Production at the WhatsOnStage Awards 2020); AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN – THE MUSICAL (& UK tours); Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS (also at the Dominion & on tour); the world-premiere of Dougal Irvine’s adaptation of Riaz Khan’s MEMOIRS OF AN ASIAN FOOTBALL CASUAL (winner Best Stage Production Asian Media Awards); SUNSET BOULEVARD (UK tour & winner Best Regional Production WhatsOnStage Awards); Joe Orton’s WHAT THE BUTLER SAW (with Theatre Royal Bath); Oscar Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (with Birmingham Rep); the Broadway musical SPRING AWAKENING (with NYMT); LEGALLY BLONDE (Opera Garnier, Monaco and Daegu Opera Festival, South Korea – Winner Best Musical – Daegu International Musical Festival Awards); Truman Capote’s BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (& Haymarket Theatre, London & UK tour); Roald Dahl’s THE WITCHES (with Rose Theatre Kingston, Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong, Leeds Playhouse & UK tour); Tennessee Williams’ A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE; Shakespeare’s RICHARD III; Timberlake Wertenbaker’s OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD and a performance to celebrate the reveal of the tomb of King Richard III at Leicester Cathedral.

As Associate Director at Leeds Playhouse, he directed Orwell’s ANIMAL FARM, a new Sherlock Holmes story (THE BEST KEPT SECRET by Mark Catley), Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL (adapted by Bryony Lavery & Jason Carr), Louise Page’s SALONIKA & Amanda Whittington’s BOLLYWOOD JANE. At the Crucible Sheffield, Nikolai made his directorial debut with A CHORUS LINE (2003), later followed by productions of Sondheim’s ASSASSINS and Shaffer’s AMADEUS.

Nikolai has also directed acclaimed productions of Coward’s HAY FEVER (Chichester Festival Theatre); ANNIE (Piccadilly Theatre, Toronto, South Africa & extensive UK tours); Jonathan Harvey’s BEAUTIFUL THING (Arts Theatre, London); Shelagh Stephenson’s THE MEMORY OF WATER (Stephen Joseph Scarborough); Leoncavallo’s PAGLIACCI (English Touring Opera & Pegasus Opera); A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE & Sondheim’s MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG (Theatr Clwyd); THE JUNGLE BOOK (Glasgow Citz); Barry Hine’s KES & Ayckbourn’s SEASON’S GREETINGS (Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse); David Essex’s ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR (UK tour); Coward’s final play A SONG AT TWLIGHT, Shakespeare’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, Steinbeck’s OF MICE & MEN and Brecht’s THE GOOD PERSON OF SICHUAN (all Mercury Theatre, Colchester); THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK (UK tour); Shakespeare’s AS YOU LIKE IT (Chester Storyhouse); THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (York Theatre Royal); MACBETH (Singapore Repertory Theatre); Dahl’s JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH (UK tour); Ayckbourn’s ABSENT FRIENDS & Terry Johnson’s DEAD FUNNY (Oldham Coliseum); Tanika Gupta’s adaptation of Dickens’ GREAT EXPECTATIONS (Palace Theatre Watford & ETT) and Boucicault’s LONDON ASSURANCE & CALAMITY JANE at the Watermill (2010 & 2025 UK tours).