Chris Johnson was Artistic Director of Chung Ying Theatre from November 1988 to 1993. In September 1990, Chris led Chung Ying's tour of Peacemaker to Malaysia to join the Asian Drama Festival on Human Values. In the Festival, Chung Ying won awards for Best Script and Best Supporting Actress.
Chris came to Hong Kong from Australia where she directed productions for major arts companies and festivals for over ten years. From 1986 to 1988, Chris was the Artistic Director of Magpie Theatre, the young people's section of the State Theatre Company of South Australia. Plays directed by Chris toured within Australia and internationally. Her premiere production of No Worries by David Holman, a major success at the 1984 Adelaide Festival of Arts, was later revived to play, by invitation, at the Schauspiele 1988 Theatre Der Welt Festival in Munich.
Directing for adult audiences, Chris was Resident Director at Sydney's Nimrod Theatre from 1981 to 1984. Her works there included premiere productions of four local works and the Australian premiere of Caryl Churchill's Top Girls.
Chris has also worked as Guest Director with the State Opera Company of South Australia, directing Verdi's Macbeth in their 1986 season and a new youth opera, The Snow Queen, as part of the Come Out Festival 1985.
