Back to News & Press General on sale begins - The River Sunday, 15 June 2014 General on-sale will begin on Monday, June 16 at 12:01 AM for THE RIVER, a new play by Jez Butterworth, starring Hugh Jackman, Laura Donnelly and Cush Jumbo, and directed by Ian Rickson. The production is currently on sale to American Express cardholders only. Presented by Sonia Friedman Productions, the Royal Court Theatre production of THE RIVER will open on Sunday, November 16 on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre (West 50th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue). Previews begin Friday, October 31. The production will play a strictly limited 13-week engagement through Sunday, January 25, 2015. THE RIVER was first developed by Sonia Friedman Productions and was subsequently produced by the Royal Court Theatre. It was presented from October 18-November 17, 2012 in the Royal Court’s Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, in a production directed by Mr. Rickson, also featuring Ms. Donnelly, who makes her Broadway debut alongside Ms. Jumbo. Hugh Jackman, Laura Donnelly and Cush Jumbo are appearing with the support of Actors’ Equity Association. The Producers gratefully acknowledge Actors’ Equity Association for its assistance of this production. A limited number of $35 day-of seats will be available for every performance of THE RIVER. When performances are sold out, $30 standing room tickets will also be available. Further details will be announced shortly. The production marks the sixth collaboration between Mr. Butterworth and Mr. Rickson. Mr. Rickson has previously directed the world premiere productions of Mr. Butterworth’s Mojo, The Night Heron, The Winterling, Parlour Song and the multi-award-winning London and Broadway production of Jerusalem. A remote fishing cabin, a man and a woman, and a moonless night. Jez Butterworth’s THE RIVER asks when we find each other, are we trying to recapture someone we once lost? The writer director team who brought you Jerusalem returns with a bewitching new story. Circle in the Square’s unique configuration and intimacy has made it a favorite of many stars who have graced its stage over the decades in both classics and new plays, including Colleen Dewhurst, Lillian Gish, George C. Scott, Julie Christie, Al Pacino, James Earl Jones, Vanessa Redgrave, Kevin Kline, Joanne Woodward, Rex Harrison, John Malkovich, Nathan Lane, Philip Seymour Hoffman and many others. The 2009 critically acclaimed and Tony Award®-winning revival of The Norman Conquests, produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, also played at the theatre. THE RIVER is designed by Ultz, with lighting by Charles Balfour, sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph, music by Stephen Warbeck, and casting by Jim Carnahan. Tickets for THE RIVER are currently available to AmEx cardholders and will be available to the general public on June 16 at Telecharge.com or by calling 800-447-7400. Up Up

Back to News & Press To Kill a Mockingbird will open at the Gielgud Theatre in May 2020 Thursday, 31 October 2019 Harper Lee’s enduring story of racial injustice and childhood innocence has sold 45 million copies worldwide. 2020 will mark the 60th anniversary of its publication. Set in Alabama in 1934, To Kill a Mockingbird centres on one of the most venerated characters in American literature, the small-town lawyer Atticus Finch. The cast of characters includes Atticus’s daughter Scout, her brother Jem, their housekeeper and caretaker Calpurnia, their visiting friend Dill, a mysterious neighbour the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley, and the other indelible residents of Maycomb, Alabama. To Kill a Mockingbird , celebrating one year on Broadway today, has not played to an empty seat and holds the benchmark of having become the most successful American play in Broadway history. A national tour of the United States opens at The Kennedy Center in Washington DC in August 2020. The British cast and performance dates will be announced soon. Sign up at www.tokillamockingbird.co.uk for updates and priority access to tickets. Aaron Sorkin is a celebrated writer, producer and director known for his multi-award-winning work across stage and screen. Sorkin is probably best known as the creator and screenwriter of the Emmy Award-winning hit TV series The West Wing and films such as Steve Jobs and The Social Network for which he received an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Writer’s Guild Award for best screenplay. He is the writer-creator of The Newsroom and the Academy Award-winning 1992 film A Few Good Men , which he adapted from his 1989 Broadway play. His other credits as a playwright include Making Movies and The Farnsworth Invention . Bartlett Sher is the multi-award-winning Director of the Lincoln Center Theater in New York, a post he has held for over a decade. His critically acclaimed stage productions include the Tony Award-winning South Pacific and Oslo , My Fair Lady and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown . He has also worked extensively in opera, staging productions at English National Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera and New York City Opera. To Kill a Mockingbird is designed by Miriam Buether , with costumes by Ann Roth , lighting by Jennifer Tipton , sound by Scott Lehrer and an original score by Adam Guettel . Up Up

Back to Productions EUREKA DAY This production began performances on 6th September and closed on 31st October 2022. ★★★★★ The first hit of the autumn. The i ‘If consensus was easy, everyone would do it ’ Every child is welcomed at the progressive Eureka Day school in Berkeley, California – it's a point of pride for the parents on the Executive Committee. But when a public health scare erupts, it turns out tolerance and togetherness are no match for mumps… In Jonathan Spector 's timely and hysterical comedy, polite debate descends into ideological warfare, as a democratic utopia tears itself apart. ★★★★ Cryingly funny. A hit. The Telegraph This autumn, Sonia Friedman Productions and The Old Vic bring Jonathan Spector 's multi-award-winning off-Broadway comedy to the London stage. Playing from 06 September – 31 October, Eureka Day stars Academy Award-winning Helen Hunt (As Good As It Gets , What Women Want ) and is directed by Katy Rudd (Camp Siegfried , The Ocean at the End of the Lane ), with further casting to be announced. ★★★★ A needle-sharp comedy that packs a smart and timely punch. The Evening Standard CAST HELEN HUNT – Suzanne KIRSTEN FOSER – May MARK MCKINNEY – Don BEN SCHNETZER – Eli SUSAN KELECHI WATSON – Carina CREATIVES JONATHAN SPECTOR – Playwright KATY RUDD – Director ROB HOWELL – Set and Costume Designer JON CLARK – Lighting Designer DONATO WHARTON – Sound Designer ANDRZEJ GOULDING – Video Designer JHEREK BISCHOFF – Composer JIM CARNAHAN CSA – Casting

Back to News & Press J'Ouvert Nominated for Best Play at the Black British Theatre Awards Wednesday, 13 October 2021 The nominees have been unveiled for this year's Black British Theatre Awards, celebrating the best in Black British Talent. Congratulations to Yasmin Joseph, Rebekah Murrell, the cast and entire creative team on their nomination for Best Play for J’Ouvert at the Harold Pinter Theatre. The BBTAs, now in their third year, will announce winners next month: returning to the elegance of the Old Finsbury Town Hall, home of its inaugural ceremony, on Sunday 21 November 2021. Up Up

Back to News & Press SFP Productions take home 9 Tony Awards Monday, 17 June 2024 Sonia Friedman Productions took home the following 9 Tony awards last night: Best Revival of a Musical, Merrily We Roll Along Best Orchestrations, Jonathan Tunick, Merrily We Roll Along Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along Best Play, Stereophonic Best Scenic Design of a Play, David Zinn, Stereophonic Best Sound Design of a Play, Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play, Will Brill, Stereophonic Best Direction of a Play, Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic Up Up

Back to News & Press Sonia Friedman Productions named 'Producer of the Year' in The Stage Awards 2019 Friday, 25 January 2019 Sonia Friedman Productions have previously won Prodcuer of the Year in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Speaking at The Stage Awards, Sonia Friedman said: “I don’t really know who to thank, as there are so many people. We have produced 14 or 15 shows this year – the point being we do a lot, and work with a lot. I feel so blessed to be able to work with the people I work with, and even more blessed to know I have a lot more to come and to give.” She added: “We are going through tough times, this industry. I hope we can all hold together, particularly in the West End. It feels as though we heading into unknown territory with Brexit. But I believe great art will always thrive and audiences will always follow it.” Read the full article on The Stage here . Up Up

Back to News & Press Shakespeare In Love tickets now on sale Thursday, 30 January 2014 Tickets go on general sale tomorrow, Friday 31 January 2014 for the stage premiere of Shakespeare in Love. The play, which opens at London’s Noël Coward Theatre, previews from 2 July 2014 with opening night on Wednesday 23 July 2014. From the acclaimed Academy Award®-winning screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, this world premiere has been adapted for the stage by Lee Hall. Featuring a company of over 30 actors and musicians, this new play will be directed by Declan Donnellan and designed by Nick Ormerod. Shakespeare in Love will be produced by Disney Theatrical Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions. Promising young playwright Will Shakespeare is tormented by writer’s block until he finds his muse in the form of passionate noblewoman, Viola De Lesseps. Their forbidden love draws many others, including Queen Elizabeth, into the drama and inspires Will to write the greatest love story of all time, Romeo and Juliet. This sweeping romantic comedy will transport you back to Shakespeare’s London, teeming with vibrant colours, characters, music and life. Oh, and there’s a bit with a dog! Up Up

Back to News & Press Leopoldstadt comes to cinemas from 27 January 2022 Thursday, 20 January 2022 Filmed live at Wyndham's Theatre, this passionate drama of love, family and endurance comes to cinemas from 27 January 2022. The new ‘masterwork’ (Evening Standard) opened to overwhelming critical acclaim and sold-out performances in 2020 & 2021 - don't miss on a big screen near you. Filmed by National Theatre Live Presented by Sonia Freidman Productions Leopoldstadt is a passionate drama of love, family and endurance. At the beginning of the 20th century, Leopoldstadt was the old, crowded Jewish quarter of Vienna, Austria. But Hermann Merz, a factory owner and baptised Jew now married to Catholic Gretl, has moved up in the world. We follow his family’s story across half a century, passing through the convulsions of war, revolution, impoverishment, annexation by Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. A company of 40 actors represent each generation of the family in this epic, but intimate play. ‘Tom Stoppard’s masterpiece is magnificent ’ (Independent) and should not be missed. Up Up

Back to News & Press New cast announced for Sunny Afternoon Thursday, 20 August 2015 The multi-Olivier Award-winning hit British musical SUNNY AFTERNOON, which tells the story of the rise to fame of The Kinks, has announced the actors taking over from its award-winning original cast. Danny Horn (Doctor Who; The Dead Dogs) will play Ray Davies, with Oliver Hoare (Antony and Cleopatra, Chichester) as Dave Davies, Tom Whitelock (Times Square Angel, Union) as bassist Pete Quaife and Damien Walsh (Dreamboats and Petticoats) as drummer Mick Avory. At certain performances, the role of Ray Davies will be played by Ryan O’Donnell (Romeo and Juliet, RSC; Quadrophenia). Cast includes: Niamh Bracken, Christopher Brandon, Jason Baughan, Harriet Bunton, Alice Cardy, Oliver Hoare, Danny Horn, Gillian Kirkpatrick, Jay Marsh, Megan Leigh Mason, Ryan O’Donnell, Stephen Pallister, Charlie Tighe, Gabriel Vick, Damien Walsh and Tom Whitelock.With a book by Joe Penhall, music and lyrics and original story by Ray Davies, and directed by Edward Hall, Sunny Afternoon has established itself as a firm favourite with audiences and critics alike since it opened at the Harold Pinter Theatre in October 2014. Sunny Afternoon was the best performing show at this year’s Olivier Awards, winning four awards. The production won Best New Musical, John Dagleish won Best Actor in a Musical, George Maguire won Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, and Ray Davies of The Kinks won for Outstanding Achievement in Music. The original cast, including Olivier Award winners John Dagleish and George Maguire, will remain in the show until 3 October 2015. Forty-nine years ago this year, The Kinks were sitting at Number One in the UK charts with their single ‘Sunny Afternoon’. The band’s popularity has not faded since the 1960s, with crowds of all ages filling the Harold Pinter Theatre night after night. Featuring some of The Kinks’ best-loved songs, including You Really Got Me, Waterloo Sunset and Lola, Sunny Afternoon shows the music of The Kinks is still as popular as ever, more than 50 years since the band’s rise to fame. Following a sold-out run at Hampstead Theatre, this world premiere production, with music and lyrics by Ray Davies, new book by Joe Penhall, original story by Ray Davies, direction by Edward Hall, design by Miriam Buether and choreography by Adam Cooper, opened at the Harold Pinter theatre on 28 October 2014. Lighting is by Rick Fisher, sound by Matt McKenzie and the Musical Supervisor and Musical Director is Elliott Ware.The official cast recording album, produced by Ray Davies at his Konk studios, is released on BMG Chrysalis and is available to buy here . Sonia Friedman Productions commissioned Joe Penhall in 2011 to write the book based on Ray Davies’s original story. The company developed the production over the next four years, assembling the creative team and cast that presented Sunny Afternoon last year at Hampstead Theatre under the direction of Edward Hall, and now at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Ray Davies is an influential and prolific rock musician and was co-founder and lead singer and songwriter for rock band The Kinks, and later a solo artist. He has an outstanding catalogue of hits from the earliest 1960s to the present day with estimated record sales in excess of 50 million. He has also acted, directed and produced shows for theatre and television. Joe Penhall is an award winning playwright and screenwriter. Plays include Some Voices (Royal Court), Blue/Orange (National Theatre and West End), winner of Best New Play at the Evening Standard Awards, Olivier Awards and at the Critics Circle, and Dumb Show, Haunted Child and Birthday (all Royal Court). Screenplays include Enduring Love and The Road.As Artistic Director of Hampstead Theatre, Edward Hall’s productions include Wonderland, Sunny Afternoon, Raving, Chariots of Fire, No Naughty Bits, Loyalty and Enlightenment. As Artistic Director of Propeller, his work has toured worldwide, played the West End and Broadway and has won numerous awards both in the UK and overseas. Other theatre work includes A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (National Theatre), Edmond with Kenneth Branagh (National Theatre), Macbeth with Sean Bean (Albery), The Constant Wife (Apollo), Julius Caesar (RSC), Henry V (RSC) and The Deep Blue Sea (Vaudeville). Television work includes Downton Abbey, Spooks and Kingdom. Edward is an Associate of the National Theatre and the Old Vic. Up Up

Back to Productions KING CHARLES III – AUSTRALIA This production began on 31st March and closed 30th April 2016. Play of the year. Bold, brilliant theatre doesn’t get much better than this The Times The Queen is dead: after a lifetime of waiting, the prince ascends the throne. A future of power. But how to rule? Attendance is compulsory. A royal entertaining drama for our time Daily Telegraph Directed by the Almeida Theatre’s artistic director Rupert Goold , this ‘bracingly provocative and outrageously entertaining new play’ (The Independent) explores the people underneath the crowns, the unwritten rules of our democracy, and the conscience of Britain’s most famous family. King Charles III is the fourth production to transfer from the Almeida Theatre to the West End with co-producer Sonia Friedman Productions , following Chimerica, Ghosts and 1984. Tim Pigott-Smith plays Charles. The cast also includes Richard Goulding , Nyasha Hatendi , Adam James , Margot Leicester , Tom Robertson , Nicholas Rowe , Tafline Steen and Lydia Wilson . Sonia Friedman Productions , Stuart Thompson Productions and The Almeida Theatre, in association with Lee Dean & Charles Diamon and Tulchin Bartner Productions , present the Almeida production of “KING CHARLES III ”. Play of the year. A crowning achievement Mail on Sunday CAST TIM PIGOTT-SMITH RICHARD GOULDING NYASHA HATENDI ADAM JAMES MARGOT LEICESTER TOM ROBERTSON NICHOLAS ROWE TAFLINE STEEN LYDIA WILSON CREATIVES RUPERT GOOLD – Director TOM SCUTT – Designer JON CLARK – Lighting PAUL ARDITTI – Sound

Back to News & Press Sonia Friedman on ‘What does the BBC mean to you?’ Sunday, 20 February 2022 Sonia Friedman and others tackle some difficult questions about the corporation’s prospects to mark its centenary.What does the BBC mean to you? Sonia Friedman, theatre impresario ‘The BBC is our constant. It makes me feel safe. It ensures an uninterrupted, essential thread runs through our media, news, culture, keeping us interconnected, across space and around the clock. It’s at its best when it puts storytellers at its centre, and if it remains committed to and captivated by this country’s unique creative culture, it will be with us for another 100 years.’ Read the full article here ›› Up Up

Back to News & Press The acclaimed multi-award-winning hit play STEREOPHONIC transfers to the West End from May 2025 Wednesday, 8 January 2025 Last year, Stereophonic became the most Tony Award-nominated play ever and the most Tony Award-winning show of 2024. It completes its Broadway run, after extending twice and after having recouped its investment, on 12 January 2025 before the play transfers to the West End, running at the Duke of York’s Theatre from May 2025. Original cast members reprising their highly lauded performances from Broadway include Andrew R. Butler as Charlie, Eli Gelb as Grover and Chris Stack as Simon. Further casting to be announced in due course. Stereophonic mines the agony and the ecstasy of creation as it zooms in on a music studio in 1976. Here, an up-and-coming rock band recording a new album finds itself suddenly on the cusp of superstardom. The ensuing pressures could spark their breakup — or their breakthrough. In Stereophonic , Adjmi invites the audience to immerse themselves—with fly-on-the-wall intimacy—in the powder keg process of a band on the brink of blowing up. Stereophonic became the most Tony-nominated play ever after receiving a record-breaking 13 nominations. The full list of nominations is: Best Play – David Adjmi Best Director - Daniel Aukin Best Score - Will Butler Best Orchestrations – Will Butler and Justin Craig Best Featured Actor in a Play – Will Brill Best Featured Actor in a Play – Eli Gelb Best Featured Actor in a Play – Tom Pecinka Best Featured Actress in Play – Juliana Canfield Best Featured Actress in a Play – Sarah Pidgeon Best Scenic Design of a Play – David Zinn Best Costume Design of a Play – Enver Chakartash Best Lighting Design of Play – Jiyoun Chang Best Sound Design of a Play – Ryan Rumery The play won five of these awards Best Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play forWill Brill, Best Direction of a Play for Daniel Aukin, Best Scenic Design of a Play for David Zinn and Best Sound Design of a Play for Ryan Rumery. Stereophonic originally had its World Premiere at Playwrights Horizon’s before transferring to Broadway on 3 April 2024. The hit play will also embark on a US tour from October 2025. The Stereophonic creative team includes David Zinn (scenic designer), Enver Chakartash (costume designer), Jiyoun Chang (lighting designer), Will Butler and Justin Craig (Orchestrations), Ryan Rumery (sound designer), Justin Craig (music director) and Robert Pickens & Katie Gell (hair & wig design). UK Casting is by Julia Horan CDG with US Casting by Alaine Alldaffer CSA, Lisa Donadio CSA and Taylor Williams CSA. Stereophonic is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Seaview, Linden Productions and Ashley Melone & Nick Mills, and Playwrights Horizons: Adam Greenfield, Leslie Marcus and Carol Fishman. Up Up