David Staples is managing director of Theatre Projects Consultants. An experienced theatre consultant, he advises clients on the planning, design and construction of new performing-arts buildings. He has worked on theatres, opera houses and concert halls in 53 countries and specialises in the preliminary planning and briefs for arts venues.
Staples joined Theatre Projects in 1974 and was subsequently based in the Middle East, with responsibility for the company’s operations in the region. He continues to be actively involved in major projects and currently works in Oman, Switzerland, Brazil and Dubai. Past projects include the Lowry in Salford, the Grand Theatre in Ningbo, Esplanade Theatres on the Bay in Singapore and the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.
He holds qualifications in business studies and management and is a member and former chairman of the Society of Theatre Consultants and the International Society of Performing Arts. In 2007 he was presented with the Patrick Hayes Award.