Sherman Theatre in Cardiff has today (Wed 11 June) announced that Francesca Goodridge will be its next Artistic Director.
Francesca is a Welsh theatre director from Swansea. She was Associate Artistic Director of Theatr Clwyd and the first recipient of the Carne Traineeship for Directors in Wales. Prior to that she was the trainee director at The Other Room, Cardiff and was chosen as one of the Development Artists at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Among Francesca’s directing credits are Nye (National Theatre / Wales Millennium Centre) (revival co-director); Rope, Sleeping Beauty: A Rock ’n’ Roll Panto (nominated for Best Production at Panto Awards 2024), A Pretty Sh*tty Love, Truth or Dare and Once Upon a Christmas (Theatr Clwyd); Rapunzel: A Rock ’n’ Roll Panto (Liverpool Everyman, nominated for Best Production at Panto Awards 2025); Sorter (Grand Ambition); Constellations (RWCM&D); Faustus: That Damned Woman (Storyhouse Theatre); and The Future (National Youth Theatre of Wales).
During lockdown, Francesca co-founded The Far Away Plays; an online play-reading company that champions Welsh and Wales-based artists with a view to discovering new Welsh plays and reimagining Welsh classics for today.
Francesca is a guest director and visiting lecturer at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and Leeds Conservatoire. She trained at The National Theatre Directors’ Course and LIPA, where she was awarded the Ensemble Prize for Performance.
Francesca will take up her new post at Sherman Theatre in January 2026, joining Chief Executive Julia Barry in the leadership team.
Julia said: “Francesca comes to us armed with a breadth of imaginative ideas, and the prospect of working alongside her to bring those ideas to life and to share them with our audiences is incredibly exciting.
“Sherman Theatre has had a bumper year; our audience numbers are at their highest in decades, we continue to tell extraordinary stories from south Wales that speak to the world and are working with Welsh and Wales-based artists from a broad canvas. We’ve grown to be a significant cultural and civic resource and we’re rightfully proud of our role in Wales’ creative ecology; Francesca’s vision is a perfect match for us.”
Francesca said: “I am so thrilled and honoured to be appointed Artistic Director at Sherman Theatre. Growing up in south Wales has shaped not only the work I make, but also how I want to make it. Our culture is intrinsically collaborative and creative, and that’s how I want to lead the Sherman.
“My ambition is to build on Sherman Theatre’s position as the vital, trailblazing force it is, not only in Wales but across the UK and globally, creating exceptional theatre in both English and Welsh by professionals and with the community. It’s a real gift to pick up the baton from Joe Murphy in this moment and build on that legacy.”
“I can’t wait to work alongside Julia, the board and Sherman’s incredible team to shape that future with creativity, care, and pride, because it is a huge privilege to make theatre for a living and I’ll be pinching myself every day that this is my job.”
Ceri Davies, Chair of Sherman Theatre’s board, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Francesca; she greatly impressed the interview panel with her passion, vision and commitment to bold storytelling, making her the perfect choice for this exciting new chapter. We look forward to seeing what inspiring work she brings to our stages for audiences in Wales and far beyond.”
Among the projects creating a buzz at Sherman Theatre this summer are Taking Flight Theatre’s new drama Martha in association with the Sherman which is performed in BSL; Leila Navabi’s Relay; a new punk musical comedy show which she’ll then take to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe supported by The Pleasance and Sherman Theatre; and JHOOM Theatre’s Scene/Change, supported by Sherman Theatre; the first programme of its kind that celebrates Welsh and Wales-based theatre-makers of South Asian heritage. Meanwhile Housemates, Sherman Theatre’s smash hit co-production with Hijinx, continues its tour of Wales, and the company’s two non-professional ensembles will each present a full-scale summer show, Sherman Players will perform James Graham’s Quiz and Sherman Youth Theatre will stage The Haunting of Sherman House by Lowri Morgan and Davina Moss.