A NEW executive director to oversee the running of the Bolton Octagon Theatre could be in place soon following the board's approval of a candidate last night.

The appointment needs the rubber stamp from the theatre's funders but an announcement naming the new boss of the Octagon is expected before the end of the week.

At a meeting yesterday the Octagon board also gave its approval to the appointment of Mark Babych as resident director to see the theatre through its next three in-house productions of the season.

Les Harvey, chairman of the board, said: "We are delighted with Mark and think he is going to get on great with the new executive director."

He added that a decision about a permanent resident director for the theatre will be taken in the New Year.

Mr Babych is currently associate artist at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry and has previously worked as associate director at Worcester's Swan Theatre and community director at Oldham Coliseum as well as teaching at the Central School of Speech and Drama, Mountview Theatre School and the Actor's Centre in London, Manchester and Newcastle.

At the Octagon he will direct a production of John Godber's "Perfect Pitch" in October, "Hansel and Gretel" in December and the theatre's first production of the Millennium in the spring.

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