The artistic director of Britain's prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has quit, a week after a verbal attack on him by Oscar-winner Dame Judi Dench.

Adrian Noble said yesterday (24th April 2002) that he had been "stewing" over a barrage of criticism that culminated last week when the actress said, in a letter reported in The Stage newspaper, that she was "deeply worried" about his reforms at the theatre company.

Noble, 52, who has been in the post more than 10 years, announced that he would not be renewing his yearly contract when it expires at the end of next March (2003). The decision comes after a stormy period for Mr Noble, whose changes at the RSC at its headquarters in Stratford-upon-Avon and in London have sapped morale.

His vision involved demolishing the 1930s Art Deco Stratford theatre, a Grade II listed building, and replacing it with a "theatre village".

Source: WENN