Actors Touring Company announces Matthew Xia as artistic director

Matthew Xia has been announced as the new artistic director of Actors Touring Company.

The director will lead the company alongside executive director Andrew Smaje. Xia takes up the position part time in December before becoming full time in March.

Xia was an artistic associate at the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester from 2014 to 2017 where his credits included Stephen Sondheim's Into The Woods, the Bruntwood Award-winning Wish List (Royal Court co-production) and April de Angelis's adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Other recent shows include Shebeen (Nottingham Playhouse / Theatre Royal Stratford East) and Dublin Carol (Sherman Theatre).

Xia is directing Eden for Hampstead Theatre Downstairs in January and a major revival of Athol Fugard's play Blood Knot at the Orange Tree in March. He will also direct Kemp Powers' One Night In Miami opening in June at Nottingham Playhouse.

Xia said: "It's an honour to be appointed artistic director of ATC. At a time when difference, identity and borders shape our experiences, ATC plays a crucial role in offering a global perspective – developing and touring innovative theatre from writers across the world.

"I look forward to finding and presenting new international voices to diverse communities in the UK, as well as working with cosmopolitan British writers and introducing their work to international audiences. I'm thrilled to be joining the brilliant team at ATC and leading the company into a new phase of its evolution."

Xia replaces Ramin Gray who stepped down from the organisation in July this year.