OUR STORY
Dionysus began during the COVID pandemic, although its roots stretch back further. A group of us had already worked closely together creating immersive theatrical experiences, building a strong sense of trust, friendship and shared creativity.
When theatres closed, and that world disappeared almost overnight, we were determined to keep creating. We moved online, produced digital performances and began meeting virtually to read plays together. At a time when the future of live theatre felt deeply uncertain, those readings kept us connected and gave us something creative to believe in.
One of our favourites was Chekhov’s The Seagull. When restrictions began to lift, we decided to see whether we could turn that online reading into a real production. I will never forget the feeling of being together in a rehearsal room again after months of seeing one another through computer screens. It felt as though something new had begun.
In August 2021, The Seagull became our first production. A room above a pub in Brighton became our first home: the place where we found our feet, discovered the kind of company we wanted to be and began turning a group of friends into something that could last.
In 2023, I returned to Chekhov’s play with La Mouette, a new adaptation that became our first touring production and carried Dionysus beyond its Brighton home.
Since then, the company has continued to grow, creating bold reimaginings of classic texts alongside striking contemporary work and taking our productions to audiences across the UK.
Everything we have achieved has been made possible by the performers, directors, technicians, designers, photographers, volunteers, venues, supporters and audience members who have chosen to believe in what we do. Some have stayed with us for years, and others have joined us for a single production, but every contribution has helped carry the story a little further.
That history still shapes who we are today. Dionysus was born from friendship, trust and the need to keep creating together. We believe theatre should be ambitious, accessible and imaginative, but that what we create can never be separated from how we create it.
Great theatre is built by people who believe in one another.
Robert Tremayne
Artistic Director & Founder
DIRECTORS OF DIONYSUS
Muses of Dionysus
Guest Artists
Matthew Pike
Technical & Production Associate
Matthew Pike is a production specialist and lighting designer with extensive experience across theatre, touring, and venue management. He graduated from Northbrook College with a BA in Theatre Arts, specialising in Production Management, Lighting Design, and Stage Management.
Matthew is currently Head of Technical and Production for Worthing Theatres and Museum, leading the technical team and overseeing all production requirements across Worthing’s four major venues.
As a freelance lighting designer, Matthew has collaborated widely across the South Coast. His recent credits include Anything Goes, Sound of Musicals, Stepping Out, and Footloose (BROS Musical Productions); Barnum, Chess, Little Voice, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Arundel Players); Our House, My Fair Lady, School of Rock, and Kipps (Worthing Musical Theatre Company); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; and The Taxidermist’s Daughter, which won Best Lighting Design at the BHAC Awards.
For Dionysus Theatre, Matthew designed the lighting for The Woman in White and La Mouette, helping shape the company’s signature atmospheric and visually distinctive style.
Matthew is also a founding member of Conn Artists Theatre Company and has worked on every production the company has mounted. His touring credits with Conn Artists include The Four Men (2017), Silas Marner (2019), A Perfect Likeness (2021–23), Mary Rose (2022), and The Haunting (2023–24).
Bringing technical expertise, creative sensitivity, and years of production experience, Matthew is a key part of Dionysus Theatre’s technical and artistic identity.