Meet The Director
Step into a world of festive enchantment, shimmering lights, and timeless Christmas spirit - led by Roger Haines.
Roger is a multi award winning director and storyteller, Roger’s work embodies the magic at the heart of Believe! THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Experience. Through his artistry, he brings the story to life with imagination, precision, and an unerring sense of theatrical wonder. His direction transforms the stage into a place where audiences are not merely spectators, but participants in a journey that invites everyone to rediscover the joy of Christmas, and to truly believe.
Brief History of Roger Haines
From the very outset, Roger Haines embraced theatre in multiple dimensions: not just as a director, but as a composer and musical supervisor. His versatility has become a hallmark of his career.
Over decades he has helmed acclaimed productions in the West End, on UK tours, and in regional houses, pulling together teams that bring bold storytelling, emotional resonance, and intricate musical worlds to life.
Roger has brought his creative touch to some of the UK’s biggest attractions, including Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, directing both their winter and summer shows. He’s also directed for the Festival of New Musicals in Buxton and spent ten years as Artistic Director of JB Shorts, a celebrated festival of new plays.
Some of Roger's most celebrated credits include:
Calendar Girls - Working alongside Gary Barlow.
Laughter on the 23rd Floor (West End) - a production starring Gene Wilder that picked up an Olivier Award nomination.
Sophisticated Ladies (West End) - channeling the glamour and swing of the jazz age.
Baby (UK Tour) and The Full Monty (National Tours) - bringing contemporary stories to life across the country.
Sondheim’s Into the Woods and Assassins at Manchester Library Theatre - proving his adeptness with complex, musical-theatre staples.
The European premiere of March of the Falsettos in the West End - expanding the reach of modern, emotionally layered musicals.
More recently, his revival of The Go-Between in the West End (adapted by Richard Taylor & David Wood), starring Michael Crawford, has reinforced his ability to draw out nuance, sweeping narrative, and evocative performance on major stages.
Beyond directing, Roger invests deeply in the future of theatre: he serves as executive director of the company Lost in Transit, currently developing a bold new stage adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984. He also nurtures rising talent through mentoring and visiting director roles at institutions such as London School of Musical Theatre, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, RADA, and Arden School of Theatre.
As Believe! THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Experience prepares to whisk audiences into its winter-touched magic, Roger Haines’ storied artistry and imaginative direction promise a production steeped in spectacle, warmth, and the profound belief that magic lives - as long as we all keep believing.