Richard Fotheringham was born in Roma, Queensland. He completed all his academic qualifications at the University of Queensland. He is an adaptor, author, director, editor, playwright and academic. Fotheringham founded the Popular Theatre Troupe in 1974, wrote and acted for the Queensland Theatre Company and has served as Head of the School of English, Art History and Media Studies at the University of Queensland and was Executive Dean of Arts prior to his retirement in 2011. In 20 November 2004 he was elected to Fellow of the Australia Academy of the Humanities. In 2019 he was a recipient of the Order of Australia . He is Emeritus Professor at the School of Communication and Arts, University of Queensland. His full biography is on Austlit.

The Popular Theatre Troupe originally formed in 1974 during the first Queensland Festival of the Arts. The troup toured Australia with a total of 25 original shows between 1974 and 1983. Located in the Red Hill Community Arts Centre [formerly St Barnabas Church Hall], 60 Waterworks Road, Red Hill, Brisbane. Originally set up in 1974 during the first Queensland Festive of the Arts, it became a professional theatre company in 1975. It performed in a variety of venues around Brisbane, which included: The Music Box, Dornoch Terrace, West End ; Cement Box Theatre, University of Queensland, Mt Nebo Hall and interstate. Founding members of the troupe in March 1976 were: Roslyn Atkinson, Duncan Campbell, Richard Fotheringham, Nick Hughes, Margaret Moore, Kathryn Porrill and Paul Richards.