User:Tiina Heinonen/Roger Wingate

Roger Wingate
Theatre has been part of Roger Wingate’s life throughout a business career that included property for many years, as Chairman of Chesterfield Properties PLC, and currently encompasses interests in film distribution (Artificial Eye) and cinemas (Curzon). His father owned the Comedy Theatre until his retirement in the mid 1960s.

When Roger took over, he added the Phoenix Theatre and later amalgamated both with the Maybox group of theatres - Albery (now Noel Coward), Wyndhams, Piccadilly and Whitehall (now Trafalgar Studios) - to form Associated Capital Theatres. Following the sale of Chesterfield Properties in 1999, the theatre portfolio was sold to the Ambassador Theatre Group the following year, Roger having opted to concentrate on production, through Act Productions.

Roger Wingate was responsible for rebuilding and reopening the Donmar Warehouse 20 years ago, having appointed Sam Mendes as Artistic Director at the design stage. He retains a close connection with the Donmar as a Board member and also sits on the Boards of the Soho Theatre and High Tide.