In a press statement, he commented, "My 11 years as artistic director of the Almeida Theatre have been consistently thrilling and rewarding, but I have decided that, after running theatres for the past 32 years, I now want to concentrate solely on my directing." 

 He added, "I would like to place on record my immense gratitude to the superb staff at the Almeida, all of whom have played an integral part in everything we have achieved.  Whoever succeeds me will find themselves blessed with a wonderful and unique theatre space, a hugely loyal audience and a Board and Staff that are second to none."

His own productions during his time as artistic director have included the current King Lear (running through Nov. 3), Filumena, Reasons To Be Pretty, The Knot of the Heart, Through A Glass Darkly, Measure for Measure, When the Rain Stops Falling, In a Dark Dark House, The Homecoming, Awake and Sing!, Big White Fog, There Came A Gypsy Riding, Enemies, The Late Henry Moss, Brighton Rock, Five Gold Rings and The Mercy Seat.

During his tenure, other productions have included Festen and Duet for One. Four productions have transferred to the West End and one to Broadway. He took over the running of the Almeida from Jonathan Kent and Ian McDiarmid. According to press materials, on joining the Almeida he inherited a "sizeable accumulated deficit, which has been eradicated.  He leaves the theatre firmly in the black. A hallmark of his era has been the sustaining relationships he has established with the theatre's individual and corporate sponsors, in particular securing long-term sponsor Aspen as the company's new Principal Partner for a multi-year term from July 2011, and retaining Coutts as a Production Sponsor following the conclusion of their Principal Sponsorship."