David Berthold is one of Australia’s most prominent theatre directors and cultural leaders. As a theatre director, he has directed for most of Australia’s major theatres companies, as well as in London and Berlin. As an artistic director, he has led transformational changes at several significant arts organisations.
As Artistic Director in Residence at NIDA since January 2020, he leads artistic planning, including the curation of the 2020 Digital Theatre Festival of six major interactive new works made for various digital platforms, and partnerships with organisations such as XR studio, New Canvas.
He was Artistic Director of the $22m multidisciplinary international arts festival Brisbane Festival (2015-19) which is Queensland’s highest attended event. He was also Artistic Director and CEO at La Boite Theatre Company (2008-14); Artistic Director and CEO at Griffin Theatre Company (2003-2006); Artistic Director and CEO at Australian Theatre for Young People (1999-2003); and Associate Director at Sydney Theatre Company (1994-99). He is on the Board of Australian Plays Transform (APT), a Trustee of the Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award, a member of the Helpmann Awards Theatre Panel, a member of the NSW Government’s Theatre and Musical Theatre Arts Advisory Board, chairs the judging panel of the Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting (NSW Premier’s Literary Awards), and recently sat on the QUT Creative Industries Faculty Advisory Committee.
