The Stratford Festival , the largest repertory theatre company in North America and one of Canada’s most significant cultural institutions, has appointed British theatremaker Jonathan Church as its new artistic director.

Church, known for his work as a director and producer on multiple hit shows in London’s West End, and as the leader of several major regional houses in the U.K., will succeed Antoni Cimolino next fall.

“I’ve been going to Stratford for the better part of 20 years and it’s one of the greatest companies in the world,” Church said in an interview. “I’m incredibly excited to work with that extraordinary group of artists and in those spaces.”

Church’s appointment caps off an 18-month search for Stratford’s new artistic leader. Church beat out more than 100 applicants, inclu

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