Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch has announced the appointment of Spencer Phillips as its new Chair, joining the organisation at a significant moment as it begins the search for a new CEO and looks ahead to its 75th anniversary celebrations in 2028.
Phillips brings more than two decades of senior leadership experience across the entertainment, heritage and charitable sectors. His career has included senior management roles at Ticketmaster, The Path Entertainment Group and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s LW Theatres.
During his time with LW Theatres, Phillips played a key role in the revival of the London Palladium, helping to bring back major events including the Royal Command Performances, The Prince’s Trust Awards and The Evening Standard Theatre Awards. He also worked across several of the group’s venues, including Theatre Royal Drury Lane, His Majesty’s Theatre, the Cambridge Theatre and the Adelphi Theatre.
Alongside his commercial experience, Phillips has maintained a strong commitment to the cultural and charitable sectors. He currently serves as Chair of Showtown, Blackpool’s museum of fun and entertainment, sits on the Executive Committee of the Royal Variety Charity and chairs both Cheetah Conservation Fund UK and the Royal Variety Charity’s Mental Health Committee.
Chair Spencer Phillips said, “I’m genuinely thrilled to be joining Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch as Chair. This is a theatre with a proud history of making its own work, right at the heart of its community, and a reputation that reaches far and wide. Having spent more than twenty years working across live entertainment, heritage and the visitor economy, I’ve seen first-hand what a confident, ambitious local theatre can do for the place it serves: bringing people together, growing new audiences and giving young people a first step into the arts. I’m looking forward to working with the board, the leadership team and the wider community to build on the QTH’s strengths and secure its future for the next generation of audiences and artists.”
Interim Co-Chair Sonja Lahiff welcomed the appointment, saying, “The Board of Trustees is delighted to have appointed Spencer Phillips as the new Chair of Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch. Spencer brings a valuable mix of strategic leadership, governance experience and a genuine passion for the arts and the communities we serve. We are looking forward tremendously to working alongside Spencer as we move towards the theatre’s 75th anniversary and the next stage of our exciting journey.”
The theatre’s recruitment process for a new CEO is set to open this week. The successful candidate will work closely with Phillips, the Board of Trustees and the senior leadership team to shape the organisation’s future direction.
Serving audiences across Outer East London and South Essex, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch welcomes more than 106,000 audience members annually and engages a further 30,700 people through its community participation programmes. The producing theatre has earned recognition including UK Theatre’s Most Welcoming Theatre and London Theatre of the Year.
More information can be found here.
