Improbable names first-ever woman to head up company

The theatre company behind collaborations including My Neighbour Totoro has appointed former circus aerialist and writer, MATILDA LEYSER, as a joint creative leader.

Improbable welcomes Leyser to its co-artistic directing team, alongside PHELIM MCDERMOTT and LEE SIMPSON.

The creation of a tripartite leadership team is intended to further advance the company’s values of “improvisation, collaboration, and openness”.

Leyser, who has most recently headed up Improbable’s search for a home and its now in-house programme, M/Others Who Make, becomes the first female artistic director to work at the company.

The theatre-maker has previously held the role of associate director.

“We have been discussing this as if it is not much of a change, as if I have been, essentially, doing the job already and the change in title is something of a formality,” Leyser said.

“But I do not think this is the case. I think it’s a big deal. Radical and surprising.”

She continued: “I feel proud and immensely fortunate to be the first woman leading Improbable as an artistic director – many brilliant women have supported and lead it in other roles already, but not this one. I can’t know how things will unfold, which is genuinely interesting: it may still be weird, or wild, but it won’t be lonely.”