Mary Allen

Mary Allen (born 22 August 1951) is a British writer, broadcaster, arts administrator and management consultant best known for her controversial and turbulent period as Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House.

Early career

She was educated at the School of St Helen and St Katharine in Abingdon, New Hall, Cambridge and the University of East Anglia (MA Creative Writing). In the early 1970s she worked under the name of Mary Adames as an actress in repertory theatre and the West End. She appeared in an early London production of The Rocky Horror Show and toured with Godspell. After working for private companies as a management trainer and consultant, as well as running Watermans Arts Centre in west London, Allen worked for the Arts Council of England rising to the position of Secretary General in 1994 just as the organisation took on the responsibility of distributing National Lottery funds, before becoming Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House in London.

The Royal Opera House

In mid-1996, with the retirement of then general director Jeremy Isaacs approaching with a year, consideration of a likely successor generated some speculation in the British press. Among the four women named were Genista McIntosh and Mary Allen, although the latter "publicly stated that she would not be taking the job".

Mary Allen (disambiguation)

Mary Allen (born 1951) is a British writer, broadcaster, arts administrator and management consultant.

Mary Allen may also refer to: