John Gale (theatre producer)

John Gale OBE (2 August 1929 – 10 May 2025) was an English theatrical producer and artistic director.

Life and career

Gale was born 2 August 1929,[1] the son of Frank Haith Gale and Martha Edith Gale (née Evans). He attended Christ's Hospital and the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. In 1950, he married Liselotte Ann Wratten, and they had two sons. He was originally an actor until he produced Inherit the Wind in London in 1960.[2][3]

He was the producer of the long-running West End comedy No Sex Please, We're British, which ran at three different West End theatres from 1971 to 1987.[4]

He succeeded Patrick Garland as the sixth artistic director of the Chichester Festival Theatre in 1985. He directed five Festival seasons until 1989.[5]

In 1986, Gale was executive producer for the Chichester Festival Theatre's first London revival of Irving Berlin's musical Annie Get Your Gun, starring Suzi Quatro as Annie Oakley and Eric Flynn as Frank Butler.[6]

Gale was executive producer on the 1993 recording of Robert & Elizabeth (Chichester Festival Cast).[7]

He was appointed OBE in the 1987 New Year Honours.

Gale died on 10 May 2025, at the age of 95.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Weekend birthdays". The Guardian. 2 August 2014. p. 51.
  2. ^ "Gale, John, (born 2 Aug. 1929), theatre producer". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U16648. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  3. ^ "John Gale". BFI. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018.
  4. ^ "John Gale | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  5. ^ "Interviewing Artistic Director, John Gale OBE – Pass It On". 8 May 2014.
  6. ^ "First Night Records Online Store, Annie Get Your Gun - 1986 London Cast". first-night-records.co.uk. London, United Kingdom: First Night Records. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  7. ^ "Robert & Elizabeth (Chichester Festival Cast): Information from". Answers.com. 16 November 1993. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  8. ^ "John Gale OBE 1929-2025". Chichester Festival Theatre. Retrieved 11 May 2025.


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