Back to News & Press I don’t want the West End left behind Friday, 8 February 2013 In theatre producer Sonia Friedman’s office, the walls are packed with framed posters from the plays she has produced, many of them standout recent successes of the West End. On a bookshelf there’s a picture of her with the Irish playwright Brian Friel. That must have been like meeting God, I say. She laughs. “Meeting Harold Pinter was like meeting God,” she says. These mementoes, she says, keep her on her toes; so too the location of her office, which nestles above London’s Duke of York’s Theatre. “I have to work in a theatre,” she says, as she settles into a chair to discuss where the West End is headed. “I pass the stage every day; I see audiences every day. It reminds me what I’m doing.” In the decade since she launched Sonia Friedman Productions, Friedman has become one of the most successful and daring producers in commercial theatre, championing new writing and high-quality straight plays with eye-catching casts. Among the posters on the walls are Much Ado About Nothing (with David Tennant and Catherine Tate), All My Sons (with David Suchet) and Jerusalem (with Mark Rylance). But Friedman resists pigeonholing. She also produced the feel-good musical Legally Blonde. And she currently has two strikingly contrasting new shows jostling for a space on the wall: Pinter’s enigmatic three-hander Old Times and the British premiere of the joyously irreverent Broadway musical The Book of Mormon. Read full article here . Up Up

Back to News & Press King Lear nominated for Outstanding Television Movie at the 2019 Emmy Awards Monday, 15 July 2019 King Lear , which first premiered on BBC Two in the UK in 2018, and is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video UK, was nominated for Outstanding Television Movie. The award ceremony will take place on 15 September 2019. Set in the fictional present, King Lear sees Academy® Award winner Anthony Hopkins as the eponymous ruler, presiding over a totalitarian military dictatorship in England. Academy® Award and BAFTA® Award winner Emma Thompson stars as his oldest daughter Goneril. Academy® Award nominee and BAFTA® Award winner Emily Watson (Theory of Everything, Genius ) stars as his middle daughter Regan, and rising star Florence Pugh (Lady Macbeth, Marcella ) as Cordelia, the youngest of Lear’s children. Academy® Award and BAFTA® Award winner Jim Broadbent (Iris, Game of Thrones ) takes the role of the Earl of Gloucester, BAFTA® Award winner Andrew Scott (Sherlock, The Hollow Crown) as his loyal son Edgar and John Macmillan (Hanna, Chewing Gum ) as his illegitimate son Edmund. Emmy® Award nominated Jim Carter (Downton Abbey, Cranford ) takes the role of the Earl of Kent, Emmy® Award winner Christopher Eccleston (The Leftovers, Thor: The Dark World ) as Oswald, and Golden Globe® nominee Tobias Menzies (Outlander, The Terror ) plays the Duke of Cornwall. Anthony Calf (New Tricks, Riviera ) plays the Duke of Albany and Karl Johnson (Wittgenstein, Rome ) plays Lear’s loyal jester the Fool. Up Up

Back to News & Press Stranger Things: The First Shadow Announces New Lead Cast Wednesday, 27 August 2025 Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions today announce a new lead cast will join the critically acclaimed, Olivier Award-winning, world première production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow . As the show approaches its second anniversary in the West End, it will also extend into its third year at the Phoenix Theatre , now running until 5 April 2026. With tickets priced at £19.59 released today, for 72 hours only, across weekday performances from 18 November – 12 December 2025 to celebrate second anniversary at the Phoenix Theatre. Jack Christou will take over the role of Henry Creel with Stewart Clarke as Dr Brenner, Avril Maponga as Patty Newby, Max Potter as Bob Newby, Adam Wadsworth as James Hopper Jr. and Edie Wright as Joyce Maldonado. The new company begins performances on 12 November 2025, just ahead of the release of the highly anticipated fifth season of the hit Netflix series. Also announced today is a partnership with Go Live Theatre , a charity that uses the power of live theatre to create joyful and inspiring experiences for children and young people from disadvantaged and vulnerable backgrounds. Go Live will host an Education Matinee on Friday 21 November providing students from state schools around London with a high percentile of Pupil Premium the opportunity to see Stranger Things: The First Shadow for £10 a ticket. The multi award-winning hit production is now running on both sides of the Atlantic, having opened on Broadway earlier this year. Its numerous accolades in London include the Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment and Best Set Design, the Critics’ Circle Awards for Best Set Design and Most Promising Newcomer, and the WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Play. On Broadway the play became the most nominated of the 2025 season, winning 4 Tony Awards including a special Tony Award for Illusions and Technical Effects. The Broadway production is currently booking tickets through March 2026 at The Marquis Theater. Earlier this year, Netflix released the official documentary, Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things: The First Shadow , which offers an electrifying look backstage during the making of the critically acclaimed, award-winning play in the lead up to its world premiere at London’s Phoenix Theatre in December 2023. It is available to watch now exclusively on Netflix. Up Up

Back to News & Press New York Times: She May Be the Most Powerful Producer Working in Theater Thursday, 19 June 2025 Original article by Michael Paulson. To view full article click here . Sonia Friedman may just be the most prolific and powerful theater producer working today. Over the past 30 years, she has become a peerless figure in the West End, where last year she had a record-setting seven shows running simultaneously, and on Broadway, where she has produced five of the past six Tony Award winners for best play. She has been entrusted both with prestige work by celebrated writers like Tom Stoppard and Stephen Sondheim and with stage adaptations of hugely valuable intellectual property like “Harry Potter,” “Stranger Things” and “Paddington.” But she’s endlessly restless. Taking for granted neither the sustainability of the business nor the security of her own place in it, she has become ever more worried about the industry’s future. A lifelong Londoner, Friedman spends about one-third of each year in New York, but she hasn’t bought an apartment, and only in January started renting, after decades of hotel stays. “I live, literally, with a suitcase in the hall,” she said during one of several interviews. “It could all end tomorrow here. It could all end tomorrow there. And it might. It really might. That’s always how I work. The drive is: It could all end tomorrow. It’s not necessarily a nice way to live, is it?” For years she has expressed concern about the high costs of producing on Broadway, particularly when compared to the West End, but her concern has intensified since the pandemic, as rising costs for labor, materials and services have driven show budgets — and ticket prices for hot shows — ever higher. She said, for example, that “The Hills of California ,” a family drama by Jez Butterworth that she produced last year in both cities, faced production costs that were 350 percent higher in New York than in London. Increasingly, Friedman has been using her stature to try to make change. In Britain, she has been outspoken about the importance of continued government support for the arts , with a special concern about arts in schools programs . On Broadway, she is a persistent voice calling out the industry, warning about the impact of high costs on both audiences and investors. “The fact that plays are now hard to produce for less than $6 million or $7 million is of course of great concern, let alone musicals,” she said, “and don’t even ask me how much ‘Stranger Things’ is going to cost.” Just this week, she announced a new venture, seeking both to rediscover the creative joy she felt as a scrappy young theater maker and to attempt a radical experiment in ticket affordability. She has partnered with Hugh Jackman to form a company, Together, that plans to stage small-scale, bare-bones play productions in small venues in the United States and Britain, and they are pledging that tickets will be “genuinely affordable.” “I’m putting my money where my mouth is, which is about accessibility, and finding different models, particularly in New York, for doing work,” she said. “It isn’t that we found the solution to Broadway. No way. That work is so hard, and getting harder, but I don’t want to stop doing it.” THE WORD PRODUCER is pretty nebulous these days: It can mean an old-school impresario who puts together, oversees and markets a show; a person with money who helps bankroll a show; or a person with fame who helps champion a show. Friedman is distinguished by her involvement in the storytelling. “I try to be the audience, and question some of the decisions,” she said. “I’m not the writer. I’m never going to say, ‘This is what it should be.’ I’m going to say, ‘What do you think it should be, because I’m not necessarily seeing it all on the page, or feeling it all.’” Trying to provoke, rather than prescribe, is her approach. “I don’t want the writer to write what I want — I want the writer to write something that I didn’t know I needed. And that’s been the rule for me throughout my working life, to do with the thing that’s almost impossible to articulate, which is about a feeling, about a chill, about a goosebump, holding your breath and realizing that time has stopped and I’m lost in another world, and if that happens, I’m all in.” Jonathan Groff recalled the first time he met Friedman. She wanted him to star in last season’s “Merrily We Roll Along ” revival, but its schedule appeared incompatible with his filming obligations, so he asked to talk. “What started as one drink turned into a four-hour conversation about life and art, and we cried together, and we connected, and it wasn’t necessarily that the problems were all solved, but I felt seen and heard by her,” Groff said. (It did, in fact, work out, and he even won a Tony for his performance.) “She’s got a poeticism and a soulfulness. She is about the bottom line, as you have to be as a producer, but she somehow manages to hold the paradox of commerce and, right next to it, artistry.” Friedman admits to seeking a personal connection to the material she produces, much of which she experiences as being about a search for home, for family, for roots. She saw her own story in “The Hills of California,” about artistic children in a messed-up family. Of “The Years ,” a talk-of-the-town play about womanhood now running in London, she said, “that play is me.” But mostly she sees herself in Chekhov, as Sonia in “Uncle Vanya” and Irina in “Three Sisters” — two women who find their place in the world through work. She is the rare producer who has occasionally accomplished the nearly impossible feat of reversing the fortunes of flagging shows. Seizing the window offered by the pandemic shutdown, she helped oversee a consolidation of the New York production of the Tony-winning “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” — a sequel to the novels — from two lengthy parts to one . This allowed the show, at the time the costliest nonmusical production mounted on Broadway, to finally earn a profit. Then last fall, starting with a production in Chicago, she oversaw a well-received trim to get the play’s running time below three hours, reducing its labor costs because shows that run longer than three hours incur overtime expenses. When her recent “Funny Girl” revival was met with flagging ticket sales, she replaced the original star, Beanie Feldstein, who had received mixed reviews , with a fan favorite, Lea Michele, transforming a flop-in-the-making into a must-see hit . Other producers have juggled multiple shows in a single season: Scott Rudin, for one, until renewed attention to his bullying behavior prompted him to step away from producing , and Seaview, an ambitious new player on the scene. Friedman has worked with both of them — she often collaborates with New York producers, as well as the city’s leading nonprofits, to get challenging work to the stage. But the volume of Friedman’s work dwarfs that of most others. In all, she has produced more than 300 shows, and her shows have collected 63 Oliviers in the West End, and 48 Tonys in New York. Just this season on Broadway she brought “The Hills of California” and “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” from London; she is a lead producer of “Dead Outlaw,” an Off Broadway hit for Audible that is moving uptown; she is among the co-producers of “All In,” “Good Night, and Good Luck,” “Redwood” and “Sunset Boulevard”; and she licensed “Eureka Day” for a nonprofit Broadway production. She has an astonishing track record of wins, but also her share of wipeouts — the musical “New York, New York” was a recent big-budget disappointment . She has also had her share of high-priced tickets: “Merrily We Roll Along,” directed by Friedman’s sister Maria , was a huge hit, transforming that onetime flop’s place in the history books , but also costly to attend, especially late in the run, which, she acknowledged, opens her to accusations of hypocrisy. But she said she’s always made sure her shows had a decent supply of lower-priced tickets, and now she’s more worried about accessibility for new and young audiences, on whom the future of the business (and the art form) depend. “In one sense, Broadway is having a golden age because of all the work and all the stars and all the plays coming in,” she said. “But there’s no question we have a giant challenge. And what I’m asking for is everyone to come together — the theater owners, the unions, the agents, the advertising companies, the suppliers — to figure out what we want Broadway to be.” Her pipeline is packed: She has about 40 shows in various stages of development, including the Paddington musical, which is to be staged in London this year, and “Millions,” adapted from the 2004 Danny Boyle film, which is to be staged in Atlanta this spring. She has two shows already announced for next season on Broadway, “Oedipus” and “The Queen of Versailles.” “It’s almost like she’s created her own theater studio system,” said Judy Craymer, the lead producer of “Mamma Mia!” “She’s incredible, with great taste that has been proven 100 times.” LATE LAST SUMMER she let me tag along with her, so I could get a sense of her nonstop work life. We met on a Wednesday morning at an arts center in an old town hall in North London; she arrived bleary-eyed, coffee-craving, already behind schedule. But by the time she reached the top of the stairs, clutching her soy latte, she had reached into some bottomless bag of restless energy and unbottled the pep. She worked a rehearsal room like a politician, circling folding tables piled high with scripts and snacks, greeting a group of young American actors meeting their British counterparts for the first time. Together, they were rethinking the final act of “The Hills of California” for its transfer to Broadway, a familiar but nonetheless nerve-racking process for Friedman. From there, she was scheduled to swing by “Stranger Things” auditions, but, frustrated that the car ordered for her wasn’t coming fast enough, instead invited that show’s director, Stephen Daldry, to her aerie-like West End office, hidden behind a secret door painted to look like a children’s bookcase, where they shared a smoke and juggled her three bichons frisés as he gave her an update. “Sonia is very, very loyal, and loyalty is a rare gift,” Daldry said. “She is deeply, deeply respectful of the journey of the artist — even if she can see something isn’t going to work, she will back off and wait for me to find it. She doesn’t look for conflict to prove status or power.” Back in North London, she popped into a designer’s studio to review the set for the West End production of “Oedipus,” which was looking good enough that she could duck out into an alley, smoking, swearing and pacing as she fielded a phone call. Then, after changing outfits at her office, it was off to the opening of “Shifters,” a rare West End drama written by and about Britons of African descent. It’s not only an example of the plays by emerging writers that she champions, but also a work that she felt a personal connection to (she said it had echoes of her recent breakup with a longtime boyfriend). Preshow, she whispered encouragement to the two-person cast, greeted Idris Elba (a co-producer), and Venmoed money to a panhandler. Postshow, she stopped by an after-party before catching a flight to New York to start all over again. “I think I spend my whole life feeling slightly jet-lagged,” she said, “so I’m just used to it.” Friedman, who declined to specify her age, attributes many of her passions and habits to an unusual upbringing. She has described her childhood as feral, and said it has informed many of her artistic and career choices. She was one of four children born to a violinist father who left the family around the time she was born and a pianist mother whom she has described as neglectful. The siblings, often left to fend for themselves, created their own theater troupe, which they called the Sonia Friedman Show. (She was the youngest.) “My life was, from the earliest memory, telling stories,” she said. “That’s how we survived.” School was a struggle, and at one point Friedman was expelled for truancy. By 13, she had left home for a free, and freewheeling, boarding school, and by 16 she was working full-time; with the help of her sister Maria, who was then a burgeoning actress, she found gigs at fringe shows and pub stages while taking night classes. She worked in a variety of crew capacities — most memorably, she was a follow-spot operator on a production of Stoppard’s “Jumpers,” but was fired for missing a cue. At drama school, where she studied stage management, a fellow student was a daughter of Laurence Olivier, which led her, at 19, to a job interview with Olivier and his wife Joan Plowright; they hired her for a production at the Edinburgh fringe festival, and she was on her way. A big break came when the National Theater hired her to work with artists including Harold Pinter, who took her under his wing. In time, she wanted more. “I got bored,” she said. “I became far more fascinated by the whole workings of the room.” By then, it was the late 1980s, and the AIDS crisis was rampaging through the theater community. She threw herself into fund-raising, visiting hospitals, helping to run Shop Assistance , which enlisted celebrities to work in shops to generate money for AIDS charities. And then, after getting her first producing experiences making small-scale touring work for the National, she took another leap, cofounding a theater company called Out of Joint. One thing led to another, and the Ambassador Theater Group, a large British theater company, asked her to run one of its venues. “I was a bit of a theater snob, but I was ambitious, and hungry to see if I could make it work,” she said. “I crave being challenged. I crave trying to figure out how to crack a nut.” THE TRANSITION TO commercial producing, which began in 1999, was rough. Although she doesn’t dwell on it, she describes facing “huge sexism” early in her career. And she initially found pitching to investors “awful.” Her appetite for adventurous, often experimental, work led her to prioritize shows she thought were “important.” “I couldn’t say I was in commercial theater for years and years,” she said, explaining that she didn’t like “what it stands for” and that instead she called herself “an independent producer.” One near-constant in her career thus far: Ambassador Theater Group, which has been an important backer of her work. She has two production companies, one of which is an ATG subsidiary and one of which is independent; ATG has the option to invest in her shows, and she stages her work in the company’s theaters when possible. The venture with Jackman, which she said should start presenting shows “soon,” is a way for her to start testing new ideas about producing more simply. She and Jackman have long admired each other — they previously collaborated on Butterworth’s 2014 play, “The River,” directed by Ian Rickson, who will serve as artistic director of the new company. “Some of my best experiences have been when it’s just you and the actors and the text and a chair, so let’s see if we can do that,” she said. “We’re seeing if we can go back to where we started.” Despite all the hurdles — the costs, the complexity, the ever-changing landscape, Friedman said she is intent on persevering, on stages big and small, British and American, ever compelled by the challenges. “Why commercial theater?,” she asked at one point. “Why have I stuck at it when I used to leave everything once I cracked it? It’s because I haven’t cracked it. I haven’t solved it and I never will, and no one ever will. Which is great.” Up Up

Back to News & Press Audible Theater and TOGETHER Complete Triumphant Collaboration at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City Thursday, 19 June 2025 Audible Theater and TOGETHER , the new theatrical venture founded by Sonia Friedman and Hugh Jackman , proudly conclude their collaboration at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City, celebrating an extraordinary eight weeks of critically acclaimed new work, industry-shaping events, and exceptional audience engagement. This also marked TOGETHER’s inaugural season. Sonia Friedman and Hugh Jackman said, “This inaugural season has been profoundly fulfilling – artistically, emotionally, and in the partnerships we’ve formed. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve begun to build together with Ian Rickson, the actors, the writers, and all our exceptional collaborators – especially the tireless team at Audible Theater. This is just the beginning. We’re committed to continuing and building on all we’ve learned in this first season, with more new work to come. TOGETHER will be back in New York next year – more to share soon.” Jeremy Blocker , Audible Head of Live Creative Producing, said, “Our collaboration with TOGETHER has been an unparalleled success, and we’re proud to have teamed up with them on their inaugural season. Providing audiences here in New York access to the work of these brilliant artists has been a wonderful first step. We look forward to the global release of these two plays as Audible Originals later this fall and to extending the life and impact of these remarkable works.” TOGETHER ’s first season was headlined by two acclaimed, sold-out plays directed by Ian Rickson and presented in repertory – the New York premiere of Hannah Moscovitch ’s Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes , with Ella Beatty and Hugh Jackman , and Jen Silverman ’s new adaptation of August Strindberg’s Creditors , with Liev Schreiber , Maggie Siff , and Justice Smith . Both plays, which received “Critics’ Picks” from The New York Times , were recorded in audio during their runs and will be released globally on Audible this fall – Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes on October 9 and Creditors on November 13 – as Audible Originals , extending their reach to millions of listeners around the world. As part of a unique collaboration aimed at removing barriers to the performing arts, Audible Theater and TOGETHER distributed over 13,000 affordable and complimentary tickets to community organizations over the course of the run. They worked with TDF to offer complimentary tickets for 25% of the house at every performance to a range of community organizations. Another 25% of tickets were made available for purchase on the day of each performance through a digital lottery and in-person at the box office, priced at $35. Audible Theater and TOGETHER also curated a variety of accompanying events at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre. Four Monday night readings, attended for free by approximately 800 patrons, included Mingus by Tyler English-Beckwith , directed by Kenny Leon , with Taye Diggs and Olivia Washington ; Where Storms Are Born by Harrison David Rivers , directed by Miranda Haymon , with Joshua Boone , Kecia Lewis , Okieriete Onaodowan , Malika Samuel , Britton Smith , and Ar'iel Stachel ; Venus by Steve Yockey , directed by Dara Malina , with Merle Dandridge andZosia Mamet ; and The Sandwich Ministry by Miranda Rose Hall , directed by Ian Rickson , with Sutton Foster , Midori Francis , and Myra Lucretia Taylor . Additionally, three well-attended artist workshops were held during the residency, two post-show cast-talkbacks and two panel discussions with panelists including Isaac Butler , Rachel Chavkin , Moisés Kaufman , James Ijames , Itamar Moses , and Lila Neugebauer were enjoyed by hundreds of patrons following their performances. Up Up

Back to News & Press Full cast announced for A Christmas Carol Thursday, 15 October 2015 Adeel Akhtar is best known for his work in film and television. He was BAFTA-nominated for his role in Utopia , played hapless Fessal in Chris Morris’ Four Lions and played Maroush in Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator . His work on-stage includes playing Guildenstern in Hamlet at the Young Vic. Amelia Bullmore is known not only for her writing (Di and Viv and Rose ) but also for her many appearances on television, in particular as one of the co-stars of the series Scott and Bailey and playing Kay Hope, Head of Sustainability in hit BBC comedy Twenty Twelve . Her stage credits include The Norman Conquests at the Old Vic, which subsequently transferred to Broadway. Keir Charles ’ recent stage appearances include The White Devil , The Arden of Faversham and The Roaring Girl (all for the RSC). He also appeared in the recent Simon Pegg film Man Up . Double Olivier Award-winning actress Samantha Spiro recently appeared on stage in Di and Viv and Rose at the Vaudeville Theatre, as Lady Macbeth in Macbeth and as Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew both at Shakespeare’s Globe. She is known for playing Barbara Windsor in Cleo, Camping, Emmanuel and Dick at the National Theatre and won the Olivier Award Best Actress in a Musical for both Merrily We Roll Along at the Donmar Warehouse and Hello! Dolly at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. On television, she has recently appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show and won the Best Female Comedy Breakthrough Artist in the British Comedy Awards for her role in Grandma’s House . Puppeteers Jack Parker and Kim Scopes complete the ensemble. Jack is currently working with Warner Brothers on the new film of The Jungle Book . His previous stage work includes War Horse for the National Theatre and A Dog’s Heart and The Magic Flute both for Complicité. Kim previously worked for Blunderbus Theatre Company, the New Wolsey Theatre, Flabbergast Theatre Company and Twice Shy Theatre. She has also taught puppetry in Peru, performed at Glastonbury festival 2014 and this year puppeteered on two music videos. Academy Award-winning actor Jim Broadbent makes his long-awaited return to the stage to play Scrooge in a new version of A Christmas Carol adapted by Patrick Barlow from Charles Dickens' classic story of greed, grief, ghoulish ghosts and eleventh-hour redemption. From Scrooge and Tiny Tim to Bob Cratchit and Mr. Fezziwig, Patrick Barlow 's imaginative adaptation of A Christmas Carol will bring some of Dickens' most memorable characters to life at the Noël Coward Theatre this winter. Coming together to create this innovative new work are some of our most loved and mischievous maverick theatre-makers. The play is written by the Olivier Award-winning and Tony nominated Patrick Barlow (The 39 Steps ) with whom Jim Broadbent performed for many years in Barlow’s cult comedy troupe The National Theatre of Brent. A Christmas Carol is directed by Olivier award-winning Phelim McDermott , Artistic Director of Improbable, one of Britain’s most inventive theatre companies, who is responsible for the iconic production Shockheaded Peter . McDermott also directed Theatre of Blood at the National Theatre in which Broadbent last appeared on stage. Joining them is the critically-acclaimed designer Tom Pye (The Testament of Mary , The Death of Klinghoffer , The Low Road ) and Toby Sedgwick (War Horse , The 39 Steps ) as Director of Movement, Peter Mumford will design the lighting and Gareth Fry will design sound. Up Up

Back to News & Press PADDINGTON The Musical announced Thursday, 24 April 2025 Sonia Friedman Productions , STUDIOCANAL and Eliza Lumley Productions on behalf of Universal Music UK today announce that PADDINGTON The Musical will receive its world premiere this Autumn - opening at the Savoy Theatre on 1 November. Adapted from the much-loved books written by Michael Bond , and the award-winning films by STUDIOCANAL, with music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, book by Jessica Swale and direction by Luke Sheppard , priority booking will open on the 13 May, with public on sale on 15 May. Full cast, creative team and performance schedule will be announced shortly. PRIORITY BOOKING OPENS ON 13 MAY, WITH PUBLIC BOOKING ON 15 MAY. SIGN UP FOR PRIOIRTY BOOKING HERE. Tom Fletcher “It’s an honour to be entrusted to bring the story of Paddington to life on stage with the very best of creative collaborators in Jessica, Luke, and our producers Sonia and Eliza. This unique and special bear is at the very heart of our nation, and I’m aware of the awesome responsibility we all have in taking on his story. It’s beyond exciting, and an absolute dream come true – we look forward to welcoming you to join us at the Savoy this autumn.” Jessica Swale : “It's such a privilege to be telling the story of this beloved cultural icon. Paddington is so much more than a fictional character; this special bear has come to represent hope, kindness and acceptance, so it's never felt like a more apt time to bring this story to the stage. And with such a dream team! Tom's songs are extraordinary, earworms on a first listen, Luke is the most masterful director, and our producers are so incredibly passionate and dedicated, it really is a great honour to be on this adventure with them all. I can't wait to share this beautiful, funny and heartwarming story. ” Director Luke Sheppard : “Discovering how to bring Paddington’s story to the stage continues to be an enormous privilege - with Jessica Swale and Tom Fletcher, it’s been thrilling to see this show grow into something very special, packing an incredible new score and a heart wrenching script into a marmalade filled suitcase. This is Paddington as you’ve never seen him before, bought to life by a team celebrating all of the magic and wonder of live theatre. Alongside our producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley, who look after this bear with the greatest care, we’ve been dreaming up big things for Paddington and can’t wait to welcome him to this iconic venue later this year.” Producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley : “It’s a true honour to be giving Paddington a new home at the Savoy Theatre with this glorious and deliciously funny new musical from Tom Fletcher and Jessica Swale. We’re thrilled to be embarking on this special journey with our incredible team, led by Luke Sheppard, to bring the world of this much-loved bear, the Brown family, and many more of Michael Bond’s beloved characters to life. Paddington holds a unique and lasting place in so many hearts. He represents so much that is good in the world, including kindness, warmth and decency—and it’s an immense privilege to look after this bear as we bring him to the West End stage.” Anna Marsh CEO of STUDIOCANAL, Deputy CEO of CANAL+ & Chief Content Officer of CANAL+: “We are delighted that this brilliant team will be bringing Paddington to the West End stage with us. Their collective gift in bringing Paddington The Musical to life with such heart, humour, wonder and vivid imagination has been a privilege to witness and we simply cannot wait for audiences to discover the magic of this production. We are constantly thinking of innovative ways to continue Paddington’s journey while honouring Michael Bond’s legacy and his invitation to ‘please look after this bear’.” Audiences are invited to sign up for more information and priority booking for PADDINGTON The Musical at www.paddingtonthemusical.com . Michael Bond’s A Bear Called Paddington was published in 1958 by Collins, later Harper Collins – the first of 29 Paddington books he was to write, with the final one Paddington at St. Paul's , published posthumously in 2018. The books have sold over 35 million copies worldwide. Paddington has been adapted for television several times – first by the BBC in 1976, voiced by Michael Hordern; and most recently adapted by STUDIOCANAL. Paddington has enjoyed three successful big-screen outings, all by STUDIOCANAL and Heyday Films – Paddington released in 2014, Paddington 2 in 2017, and Paddington in Peru in 2024, enjoying critical and commercial acclaim. Instagram, Facebook and TikTok: paddingtonthemusical Up Up

Back to News & Press Re:Emerge Season coming to the Harold Pinter Theatre from May 2021 Friday, 12 March 2021 The RE:EMERGE season will create a space for vital, new voices and fresh talent in the West End and beyond, working alongside some of the industry’s greatest theatremakers and artists. The extraordinary collection of plays curated by SFP alongside Ian Rickson – who becomes Artistic Director for the season - tackles urgent issues integral to rebuilding our society, including structural inequality, climate change and the economics of truth in an internet age. Supported by Arts Council England , RE:EMERGE will support the theatre-makers of the future, provide vital work for the freelance community and celebrate the live experience as we begin to build back to the full reopening of British Theatre. The RE:EMERGE season intends to open to socially-distanced audiences from May to help re-open and re-energise our theatres, and will be staged in a Covid safe environment following government advice and adhering to social distancing guidelines; and in line with Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre's See It Safely campaign. Alongside the season, SFP also intends for the comedy The Comeback to return to the West End following its enforced shutdown in December. Announced today as part SFP’s RE:EMERGE season so far is: Amy Berryman ’s WALDEN , directed by Ian Rickson , starring Gemma Arterton , Fehinti Balogun and Lydia Wilson . Yasmin Joseph ’s J’OUVERT , directed by Rebekah Murrell , starring Annice Boparai , Gabrielle Brooks , Sapphire Joy and Zuyane Russell . Joseph Charlton ’s ANNA X , directed by Daniel Raggett , starring Emma Corrin and Nabhaan Rizwan . Tickets from £10, with over 600 tickets per week under £15 SFP plans to open the season in May in line with the government’s roadmap. Further information regarding performance and on-sale dates will be released in the coming weeks, and audiences can sign up today at www.sfp-reemergeseason.co.uk to be the first to hear more news. Tickets for the previews will be priced from £5, and from £10 for the runs post press night, with a top price ticket of £49.50. There will be 600 tickets each week priced under £15. There is intention for all three productions to be filmed for a future broadcast life, with J’OUVERT being shown on BBC Four as part of BBC Lights Up - a season of plays for BBC radio and TV, produced in partnership with theatres across the UK and continuing BBC Arts’ Culture in Quarantine initiative. Sonia Friedman said today, "After what has been such a devastating year for so many it fills me with the greatest joy and hope to announce RE:EMERGE, an SFP Season of bold, new work for a bold, new world as we begin to build back to the full reopening of British Theatre. “Yasmin Joseph’s J’OUVERT, first seen at Theatre503 and currently in rehearsals to be filmed for the BBC, reveals Notting Hill Carnival through the eyes of two best friends navigating the joys and dangers of young Black womanhood in 21st Century Britain. Whilst Amy Berryman’s WALDEN depicts the intensity of familial love and loss as the climate emergency encroaches ever closer, Joseph Charlton’s ANNA X delves deep into the corruption of truth and reality through the all-consuming lies we tell the world about ourselves over social media. These extraordinary plays, each one with a distinct and powerful voice, will thrill, move and delight audiences. “We hope that the RE:EMERGE Season will help the immense effort being made across our industry to reopen our theatres, with the most exciting, new talent working in tandem with some of our greatest theatre makers and artists. And this is just the beginning – we have so much more to come. “We are deeply thankful for the commitment of all the extraordinary group of writers, actors, directors, designers, stage managers, technicians and theatre makers who have agreed to be a part of this season – just when theatre needs them most. I am also incredibly grateful to Ian Rickson, one of my closest and most dedicated long-time collaborators, for his vision and co-curation of this Season. And my thanks must also extend to my incredibly committed team, who have worked so passionately under very challenging circumstances to help bring this season of work together. I would also like to thank Arts Council England, whose support has made RE:EMERGE possible. After an incredibly difficult year, I cannot wait for us all to ‘re-emerge’ from our homes and return to the theatre, where together we can be entertained, enthralled, challenged and dazzled by these astonishing works.” Up Up

Back to News & Press BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz interviews Sonia Friedman on BBC Radio 4 Wednesday, 6 August 2014 BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz meets the cultural entrepreneurs for his four part series Zeitgeisters. Listen again here . Up Up

Back to News & Press Sonia Friedman wins Stage producer of the year award 2015 Friday, 30 January 2015 Following a year that saw the ongoing success of both The Book of Mormon and Ghosts in the West End, complemented by openings of Charles III, 1984, Shakespeare in Love and Sunny Afternoon, Friedman collected her award during a ceremony held today at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Sonia Friedman Productions beat both Danielle Tarento and Playful Productions to the title. Last April, SFP picked up a total of 13 Olivier awards – the biggest haul ever received at the Oliviers by any production house. For the full story click here Up Up

Back to News & Press Funny Girl to be screened on Sky Arts this Christmas Wednesday, 19 December 2018 The smash-hit production starring Sheridan Smith played to critical acclaim at the Menier Chocolate Factory, in the West End, and on tour. Michael Mayer ’s production was filmed during the final week of its run at the Manchester Palace Theatre by Digital Theatre, before being screened in cinemas nationwide in October. Darius Campbell played Nick Arnstein to Smith ’s Fanny Brice, and they were joined by Nigel Barber (Florenz Ziegfeld), Zoë Ann Bown (Mrs. Meeker), Martin Callaghan (Mr. Keeney), Jennifer Harding (Emma), Rachel Izen (Mrs Brice), Joshua Lay (Eddie) and Myra Sands (Mrs. Strakosh); with Rhianne Alleyne, Kit Benjamin, Lloyd Davies, Flora Dawson, Joseph Dockree , Abigayle Honeywill, Brontë Lavine, David Mcintosh, Peter Nash, Gillian Parkhouse, Tom Partridge, Nova Skipp, Alexandra Waite-Roberts, Sam Wingfield and Alexandra Wright . Choreography is by Lynne Page , with set design by Michael Pavelka , costume design by Matthew Wright , lighting design by Mark Henderson and sound design by Richard Brooker , musical supervisor and arrangements by Alan Williams and orchestrations by Chris Walker . Tune in to Sky Arts this Sunday 23 October at 8pm to watch this production on television for the first time. Up Up

Back to News & Press SFP in the news 2007 to 2008 Friday, 4 May 2007 A selection of press quotes from 2007 to 2008. THE STAGE Friedman's reputation has soared in the West End where she is frequently described as the most exciting producer in town HARPER'S BAZAAR Sonia Friedman has breathed new life into London's West End THE STAGE Phenomenal energy, drive and attention to detail THE TELEGRAPH One of London's most prolific producers EVENING STANDARD Sonia Friedman listed as one of London's 1000 Most Influential People 2007. Puts her faith in new plays and presents more of them than any other at a time when the straight play is a dying West End species. This attractive, powerful and ruthless sister of singer Maria Friedman makes cunning use of stars and, now working for herself, is to try her hand at musicals. VARIETY, DAVID BENEDICT One of the U.K.’s most prolific legit producers, Friedman is immensely shrewd at the tricky business of juggling personal taste and box office potential. Over the past 18 months, her Sonia Friedman Prods. has presented 14 shows in London and on Broadway, nabbing eight Olivier nominations and four Tony nominations. Her London hits of Tom Stoppard's “Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “Boeing-Boeing” are Broadway-bound for the 2007-08 season. A rare and defiant commercial supporter of new writing -- a risky economic prospect -- she has around two dozen projects in development, only a few of which are new musicals. “Plays remain paramount in the repertoire of this company,” she says. TIME OUT Friedman is the uncrowned queen of Theatre Land who is responsible for a string of hits in the West End and on Broadway - with commercial theatre in her hands there's hope for the West End yet... MARK SHENTON, THE STAGE AND SUNDAY EXPRESS She's a force of nature and of nurture, in terms of bringing projects to fruition... THE GUARDIAN PROFILE ON SONIA FRIEDMAN I don't think there will ever be a theatre project that will be big enough, this is a woman who needs an empire... GUARDIAN, LYN GARDNER (on Faith Healer) Its success marks the arrival of producer Sonia Friedman as a force on Broadway. Moving in on Broadway was a natural step for Friedman, who has become uncrowned queen of the West End over the past six years. GUARDIAN, MICHAEL BILLINGTON The most urgent need is for dynamic young producers to succeed the senior generation. Only two have made their mark in recent years: the admirable Sonia Friedman. THEATREGOER There is little Sonia Friedman can't pull off... NICHOLAS DE JONGH, EVENING STANDARD Miss Friedman is not the old style producer - she is shrewd, adventurous, and young! SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE - SIMON FANSHAWE INTERVIEW The guiding light of the process is Sonia Friedman, the prodigious producer who has just earned four Tony nominations for Brian Friel?s Faith Healer, on Broadway, as well as stunning reviews for a new London production of Michael Frayn's Donkeys' Years. Despite the accolades for these revivals, though, she has a kind of demented enthusiasm for new writing. TIME OUT As soon as she's got one of your plays in hand you know for certain it is going to happen... DAILY TELEGRAPH, CHARLES SPENCER Sonia Friedman has reached the very peak of her theatrical field. Read full article here . Up Up