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  • Additional casting announced for the Olivier Award-winning theatreical event Stranger Things: The First Shadow | Sonia Friedman

    Back to News & Press Additional casting announced for the Olivier Award-winning theatreical event Stranger Things: The First Shadow Friday 24 January 2025 Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions are thrilled to announce the cast for the Broadway production of the Olivier Award-winning, "mega five-star hit" (Sunday Times) play STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW , which is now in rehearsals in New York. Photography of the company gathering at the first rehearsal is now available here. STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW will begin performances Friday, March 28, 2025 and officially open Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at Broadway's Marquis Theatre. STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW will feature the previously announced Rosie Benton (Patriots ) as Virginia Creel, Alex Breaux ("Stranger Things" Season 5) as Dr. Brenner, Andrew Hovelson (Lucky Guy ) as Principal Newby, Alison Jaye ("Shameless") as Joyce Maldonado, Emmy Award nominee T.R. Knight ("Grey's Anatomy") as Victor Creel, Louis McCartney reprising his universally acclaimed performance as Henry Creel (Stranger Things: The First Shadow, West End), Emmy Award nominee Gabrielle Nevaeh (Nickelodeon's "That Girl Lay Lay") as Patty Newby and Burke Swanson (Back to the Future: The Musical ) as James Hopper, Jr. The cast of 34 also includes Janie Brookshire (The Philanthropist ), Kelsey Anne Brown (Broadway Debut), Malcolm Callender (Broadway Debut), Ta'Rea Campbell (The Hills of California ) as Patty's Mom, Juan Carlos (Broadway Debut) as Bob Newby - replacing Nicholas Eldridge, - Antoinette Comer (Mamma Mia! ), Robert T. Cunningham (Broadway Debut) as Charles Sinclair, Ayana Cymone (Broadway Debut) as Sue Anderson, Tom D'Agustino (Apple TV+'s "Dear Edward"), Victor de Paula Rocha (Broadway Debut), Ian Dolley (The Holdovers ) as Walter Henderson, Dora Dolphin (Broadway Debut) as Karen Childress, Nya Garner (Broadway Debut), Logan Gould (Netflix's "The Corps") as Lonny Byers, Shea Grant (Broadway Debut) as Claudia Yount, Rebecca Hurd (Broadway Debut), Ted Koch (To Kill a Mockingbird ) as Chief Hopper, Timothy Lawrence (Broadway Debut), Jamie Martin Mann (Broadway Debut) as Ted Wheeler, Patrick Scott McDermott (Flying Over Sunset ), Stephen Wattrus (Take Me Out ), Maya West (Broadway Debut) and Eric Wiegand (Plaza Suite ) as Alan Munson and Graham Winton (The Ferryman ). Based on an original story by the Duffer Brothers , Jack Thorne and Kate Trefry , and rooted in the mythology and world of the Netflix global phenomenon, STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW is a new play written by Kate Trefry , directed by Stephen Daldry and co-directed by Justin Martin. THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON COMES TO LIFE ON STAGE IN AN AWARD-WINNING, JAW-DROPPING SPECTACLE. Are monsters born ... or made? In 1959 Hawkins, Indiana, the Creel family seeks a fresh start, especially their teenage son Henry, who is eager to escape his troubled past. Initially, things go well - he finds friendship and joins the school play. But when a wave of shocking crimes strikes the town, Henry is forced to confront a terrifying truth: is there something inside him that connects him to the horrors unfolding around him? As this thrilling mystery races forward, shadows of the past are unleashed, relationships are tested, and the town of Hawkins faces the ultimate question: can the power of friendship outshine the darkness within? With an incredible cast of 34, this gripping stand-alone adventure will pull you deep into the world of STRANGER THINGS. Experience the heart-pounding excitement of STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW -where suspense and spectacle lurk at every turn. Tickets are now on sale at www.StrangerThingsBroadway.com Up Up

  • News (All) | Sonia Friedman

    SFP NEWS The latest updates, announcements and news from Sonia Friedman Productions. 24 Jan 2025 Additional casting announced for the Olivier Award-winning theatreical event Stranger Things: The First Shadow Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions are thrilled to announce the cast for the Broadway production of the Olivier Award-winning, "mega five-star hit" (Sunday Times) play STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW. READ MORE 16 Jan 2025 Sonia Friedman joins The Queen of Versailles producing team ahead of Broadway bow in the 2025-26 season Following a box office record-breaking world premiere at Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theatre in the summer of 2024, The Queen of Versailles will open on Broadway in the 2025-26 season, with dates and theater to be announced. READ MORE 9 Jan 2025 Imelda Staunton and Bessie Carter to star in Mrs. Warren's Profession directed by Dominic Cooke Mother and daughter Imelda Staunton and Bessie Carter will appear onstage together for the first time as Mrs Kitty Warren and Vivie Warren in a new production of George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession. READ MORE 8 Jan 2025 The acclaimed multi-award-winning hit play STEREOPHONIC transfers to the West End from May 2025 Stereophonic will transfer to the West End, running at the Duke of York’s Theatre from May 2025. READ MORE 19 Dec 2024 “DEAD OUTLAW”, the most acclaimed new musical of 2024, will open on Broadway this season Dead Outlaw by Itamar Moses, featuring music and lyrics from David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, will open on Broadway, following its smash-hit world premiere engagement at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre. READ MORE 26 Nov 2024 Casting announced for The Shark is Broken UK & Ireland tour 2025 Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the iconic blockbuster JAWS READ MORE 19 Nov 2024 Evening Standard Power List 2024 The Evening Standard in London has published its annual power list of The Standard 100 People Shaping London, including Sonia Friedman. READ MORE 24 Oct 2024 Louis McCartney to reprise his award-winning performance as 'Henry Creel' on Broadway in the Olivier Award-winning theatrical event Stranger Things: The First Shadow Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions are thrilled to announce that Louis McCartney will reprise his award-winning, universally acclaimed performance as ‘Henry Creel’ in the Olivier Award-winning, “mega five-star hit” (Sunday Times) theatrical event STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW, which will mark his Broadway debut. READ MORE 16 Oct 2024 New cast for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child West End begin performances as family portraits and production images are released The producers of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions - are delighted to welcome the new cast who take to the stage for their first performances at the Palace Theatre this week as new family portraits and production images are released. READ MORE 14 Sept 2024 Sonia Friedman Productions announces full cast for Oedipus, with 3000 additional tickets just released Sonia Friedman Productions (SFP) today announces the full cast for the West End run of Oedipus, a new adaptation created by Robert Icke after Sophocles. READ MORE LOAD MORE

  • Consent to transfer to the Harold Pinter Theatre in May 2018 | Sonia Friedman

    Back to News & Press Consent to transfer to the Harold Pinter Theatre in May 2018 Monday 12 March 2018 Directed by Roger Michell and originally co-produced and commissioned by Out of Joint , Consent will begin previews at the Harold Pinter Theatre on 18 May for a strictly limited 12-week run. Opening night will take place on 29 May with booking through to 11 August 2018. Tickets for this West End transfer - with over 14,000 priced at £25 or under - will go on public sale on Thursday 15 March 2018 at 10am. The cast includes Claudie Blakley, Stephen Campbell Moore, Heather Craney and Adam James with further casting to be announced. Set is by Hildegard Bechtler , with costumes by Dinah Collin, lighting by Rick Fisher , music by Kate Whitley , sound by John Leonard and casting by Amy Ball CDG . Nina Raine’s ‘blistering new play’ (New York Times), directed by Roger Michell, makes a triumphant and timely transfer to the Harold Pinter Theatre this May, following a sold out season at the National Theatre. Why is Justice blind? Is she impartial? Or is she blinkered? Friends take opposing briefs in a contentious legal case. The key witness is a woman whose life seems a world away from theirs. At home, their own lives begin to unravel as every version of the truth is challenged. This ‘tense, entertaining modern-day tragi-comedy’ (Daily Telegraph) takes a searing look at the law whilst putting modern relationships into the dock. Nina Raine ’s other plays include Tiger Country, Rabbit and Tribes as well as an adaptation of The Drunks by the Durnenkov Brothers. She was shortlisted for the 2004 Verity Bargate Award and awarded the 2006 Evening Standard and Critics’ Circle Awards for Most Promising Playwright for her debut play Rabbit. Tribes won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Foreign Play and the Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Play and has been performed in eighteen different countries. Nina has been nominated for a Susan Blackburn Smith Award for Consent . Roger Michell ’s many productions include Waste, Landscape with Weapon, Honour, Blue/Orange, Under Milk Wood, The Homecoming and The Coup all for the National Theatre, Farewell to the Theatre and Some Sunny Day both for Hampstead Theatre, Rope for the Almeida Theatre, Tribes and Birthday both for the Royal Court, Betrayal, Old Times and My Night with Reg for the Donmar Warehouse, the latter transferring to the Apollo Theatre in the West End. Michell’s film credits include My Cousin Rachel, Le Week-End, Hyde Park on Hudson, Morning Glory, Venus, Enduring Love, The Mother, Changing Lanes, Persuasion, My Night With Reg, Titanic Town and Notting Hill. On television his credits include The Buddha of Suburbia, Downtown Lagos, The Lost Honour of Christopher Jeffries, Birthday, Ready When You Are, Mr Patel and Michael Redgrave – My Father. Claudie Blakley ’s theatre credits include Once in a Lifetime for the Young Vic, The Painkiller at the Garrick Theatre, Chimerica for the Almeida Theatre and in the West End, Rules for Living , The Cherry Orchard, Comedy of Errors, Attempts on Her Life and Rosencrantz & Guildernstern are Dead for the National Theatre, Macbeth and Lear for the Sheffield Crucible, Di and Viv and Rose and The Good Samaritan for the Hampstead Theatre, Love and Money for the Young Vic and Royal Exchange, All’s Well That Ends Well for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Kosher Harry for the Royal Court, The Lady from the Sea for the Almeida and Billy & the Crab for Soho Theatre. Her television credits include Grantchester, Silent Witness , The Driver, What Remains, The Night Watch, New Tricks, Nativity, Blue Geranium , Lark Rise to Candleford, Cranford Chronicles, Fallen Angel, Fear of Fanny, Vital Signs, Dirty Filthy Love and Inspector Linley Mysteries . Her film credits include Bright Star, London to Brighton, Severance, Pride and Prejudice, Gosford Park and The Cat’s Meow . Stephen Campbell Moore ’s theatre credits include Photograph 51 at the Noël Coward Theatre, Chimerica for the Almeida and in the West End, Berenice for the Donmar Warehouse, Clybourne Park in the West End, All My Sons at the Apollo Theatre, The History Boys for the National Theatre and on Broadway, Much Ado About Nothing and Antony and Cleopatra both for the Royal Shakespeare Company, A Midsummer Night's Dream at The Albery, Richard II and Coriolanus for the Almeida. His film credits include Goodbye Christopher Robin , How To Talk To Girls At Parties , The Lady in the Van , The Ones Below , Burnt , Moonwalkers, Man Up, Complicit, Johnny English Reborn, Season of the Witch, Sea Wolf, The Children, The Bank Job, Amazing Grace, The History Boys, A Good Woman and Bright Young Things . His television credits include The Child in Time, The Last Post, Stag, The Wrong Mans, The Go Between, Our Zoo, Hunted, Just Henry, Titanic, Sleepyhead, Pulse, Ben Hur, Lark Rise to Candleford, A Short Stay in Switzerland, Ashes to Ashes, Rough Crossings, Hustle, Wallis and Edward, He Knew He Was Right and Byron. Heather Craney originated the roles of Gayle and Laura in Consent for the National Theatre. Her other theatre credits includeThe Vote and Passion Play both for the Donmar Warehouse, Made in Dagenham at the Adelphi Theatre, Handbagged, Pink and You Me & Wii all for the Tricycle Theatre, I Like Mine with a Kiss at the Bush Theatre, Joe Guy at Soho Theatre, Sugar Mummies and Stoning Mary both for the Royal Court. For film, her recent credits include Child 44 , Dangerous Parking, Mark of Cain and Vera Drake which earned her a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. On television her credits include Line of Duty, Life of Riley, Torchwood, In the Dark, Ahead of the Class, Holby City, Doctors, Silent Witness, Eastenders . Adam James is an award-winning actor who has worked extensively on stage and screen. Currently in Olivier nominated Girl from the North Country at the Noël Coward Theatre, Adam originated the role of Jake in Consent for the National Theatre, where his previous credits have included 13, Gethsemane and Blood and Gifts. He is recognisable on screen for his roles in Dr Foster, King Charles III, The Crimson Field, Hustle and Extras amongst others. Other theatre credits include An Enemy of the People for Chichester Festival Theatre, Bull for the Young Vic, Now or Later and My Child both for the Royal Court and King Charles III at the Almeida Theatre. His film credits include The Kill Team, Johnny English III, Hunter Killer, A Little Chaos, Last Chance Harvey, Mother of Tears and Road To Guantanamo . His more recent television credits include Home From Home, Eric, Ernie and Me, Endeavour, Grantchester and Coalition . Up Up

  • Last Chance to see Old Times by Harold Pinter | Sonia Friedman

    Back to News & Press Last Chance to see Old Times by Harold Pinter Monday 11 March 2013 On 6th April, the hugely successful run of Harold Pinter’s Old Times at the Harold Pinter Theatre, which has fully recouped all its costs, ends as scheduled. “A compulsive production of Pinter’s tantalisingly suggestive play” Sunday Times Starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Rufus Sewell and Lia Williams, Old Times is directed by Ian Rickson, designed by Hildegard Bechtler, with lighting by Peter Mumford, music by Stephen Warbeck and sound by Paul Groothuis. Old Times is produced in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, Bob Bartner & Norman Tulchin, Rupert Gavin, 1001 Nights and JFL Theatricals/Tanya Link. Locked away in a secluded farmhouse, Kate, Deeley and Anna reminisce about their early days together in London but, with conflicting memories and underlying sexual tensions, the past suddenly feels vividly present. Kristin Scott Thomas and Lia Williams alternate the roles of Kate and Anna, with Rufus Sewell playing Deeley. A detailed performance schedule is available on the show’s website, www.oldtimestheplay.com . Old Times has been the first of Pinter’s plays to be performed in the newly renamed Harold Pinter Theatre, and marks the fifth Pinter play that Sonia Friedman Productions (SFP) has produced in the West End in recent years, succeeding Celebration, The Dumb Waiter, No Man’s Land and Betrayal. “A first rate revival. Richly intriguing. Superb.” Independent on Sunday As with all SFP productions there is a range of accessible seat prices, including over one hundred £10 seats for every performance, across all levels, many bookable in advance. Up Up

  • Mean Girls musical movie announced and Broadway production recoups capitalization | Sonia Friedman

    Back to News & Press Mean Girls musical movie announced and Broadway production recoups capitalization Thursday 23 January 2020 Producers of the Broadway hit Mean Girls announced today that the musical is now set to be adapted to a major motion picture from Paramount Pictures. It has also been confirmed that the Broadway production has recouped its capitalization. The producers are now in final discussions for Mean Girls to bow in London’s West End in late Spring of 2021. More details to be announced soon. Mean Girls is playing at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street, NYC), where it has broken multiple box office records, and across the US on a National Tour. For more information, visit www.MeanGirlsOnBroadway.com . Producer Lorne Michaels said, “It has been a joy to work on Mean Girls and to watch it go from film, to musical, and now to musical film. I am very proud that Tina’s story and characters continue to resonate with new generations. We are all excited to continue to work with Sonia Friedman and her team as we prepare for London.” Tina Fey , writer of Mean Girls on screen and stage, said, “I’m very excited to bring Mean Girls back to the big screen. It's been incredibly gratifying to see how much the movie and the musical have meant to audiences. I've spent sixteen years with these characters now. They are my Marvel Universe and I love them dearly.” Said Elizabeth Raposo , President of Production for Paramount Pictures, “We’re thrilled to be bringing this iconic property back to the big screen in musical form, and look forward to sharing the Mean Girls world with longtime fans as well as a new generation of burn book enthusiasts.” Produced by Lorne Michaels , Stuart Thompson , Sonia Friedman , and Paramount Pictures , Mean Girls features a book by nine-time Emmyâ Award winner Tina Fey , based on her screenplay for the film, music by three-time Emmyâ Award winner Jeff Richmond , and lyrics by two-time Tony Awardâ nominee Nell Benjamin . Tony Awardâ winner Casey Nicholaw directs and choreographs. Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. How will this naïve newbie rise to the top of the popularity pecking order? By taking on The Plastics, a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung. The Broadway cast of Mean Girls is currently led by Erika Henningsen as Cady Heron, Reneé Rapp as Regina George, Krystina Alabado as Gretchen Wieners, Kate Rockwell as Karen Smith, Barrett Wilbert Weed as Janis Sarkisian,Grey Henson as Damian Hubbard, Catherine Brunell as Mrs. Heron / Ms. Norbury / Mrs. George, Cheech Manohar as Kevin Gnapoor, Rick Younger as Mr. Duvall and Cameron Dallas as Aaron Samuels (through February 9th only). The cast also includes Aaron Alcaraz , Darius Barnes , Stephanie Lynn Bissonnette , Maria Briggs , Collins Conley , Cailen Fu , Devon Hadsell , Curtis Holland , Sasha Hollinger , Olivia Kaufmann , Brittany Nicholas , Pascal Pastrana , Becca Petersen , Drew Redington , Jake Swain , Riza Takahashi , Daryl Tofa , Teddy Toye , Bria Jené Williams , Gianna Yanelli and Iain Young . Mean Girls (Original Broadway Cast Recording) , produced by Atlantic Records , is now available. Up Up

  • HAMLET – BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH | Sonia Friedman

    Back to Productions HAMLET – BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH This production began performances on 5th August and closed on 31st October 2015. ★★★★ Mr Cumberbatch gives a reminder that he is a top-rank stage actor Daily Mail As a country arms itself for war, a family tears itself apart. Forced to revenge his father’s death but paralysed by the task ahead, Hamlet rages against the impossibility of his predicament, threatening both his sanity and the security of the state. ★★★★ He is a blazing five star Hamlet. The wait has not been in vain. Praise be. The Daily Telegraph Benedict Cumberbatch takes on the title role of Shakespeare ’s great tragedy. Directed by Lyndsey Turner (Posh, Chimerica). ★★★★★ A thrillingly epic production Metro CAST BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH – Hamlet BARRY AIRD – Soldier EDDIE ARNOLD – Danish Captain/Servant LEO BILL – Horatio SIAN BROOKE – Ophelia NIGEL CARRINGTON – Servant/Cornelius RUAIRI CONAGHAN – Player King RUDI DHARMALINGAM – Guildenstern COLIN HAIGH – Priest/Messenger PAUL HAM – Official DIVEEN HENREY – Player Queen/Messenger ANASTASIA HILLE – Gertrude CIARÁN HINDS – Claudius KOBNA HOLDBROOK-SMITH – Laertes KARL JOHNSON – Ghost of Hamlet's Father JIM NORTON – Polonius AMAKA OKAFOR – Official DANIEL PARR – Barnardo JAN SHEPHERD – Courtier MORAG SILLER – Voltemand MATTHEW STEER – Rosencrantz SERGO VARES – Fortinbras DWANE WALCOTT – Marcellus CREATIVES LYNDSEY TURNER – Director ES DEVLIN – Set Designer KATRINA LINDSAY – Costume Designer LUKE HALLS – Video JANE COX – Lighting CHRISTOPHER SHUTT – Sound JON HOPKINS – Music SIDI LARBI CHERKAOUI – Movement BRET YOUNT – Fights

  • Twelfth Night and Richard III additional casting announced | Sonia Friedman

    Back to News & Press Twelfth Night and Richard III additional casting announced Wednesday 26 June 2013 Additional casting has been announced for the critically heralded all-male Shakespeare’s Globe repertory productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III on Broadway this fall. The productions, which delighted audiences and broke all box office records in London’s West End earlier this year, will open Sunday, November 10 at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street), with previews beginning October 15. Twelfth Night and Richard III , which are directed by Tim Carroll , designed by Jenny Tiramani and with music by Claire van Kampen , will play a limited engagement for 16 weeks. Tickets are on sale now through www.telecharge.com . For a schedule of performances and more information, please visit www.ShakespeareBroadway.com Two-time Tony Award®-winner Mark Rylance (Jerusalem, Boeing-Boeing ) stars as the suddenly love struck noblewoman Olivia in Twelfth Night and as the ruthless and conniving title monarch in Richard III . Twelfth Night and Richard III offer the first opportunity for Broadway audiences to see Mark Rylance performing Shakespeare, for which he has earned such accolades as “our greatest living actor” (The Independent ) and “the most exciting stage actor of his generation” (The Times ). From his early performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company to his 10 years as the first Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe (1995-2005), UK critics and audiences have celebrated Rylance for his fresh, hilarious and inventive performances in Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, Two Gentlemen of Verona and As You Like It , among others. Much loved playwright, screenwriter, actor, writer, poet, journalist, comedian, television personality and national treasure Stephen Fry makes his Broadway acting debut as Malvolio in Twelfth Night . Tony Award®-nominee and Drama Desk Award-winner Samuel Barnett (The History Boys ) appears as Viola in Twelfth Night and Queen Elizabeth in Richard III . Joining Rylance, Fry and Barnett will be many members of the acclaimed Shakespeare’s Globe and West End casts, including Liam Brennan (Orsino in Twelfth Night and Clarence and Lord Mayor in Richard III ), Paul Chahidi (a 2013 Olivier Award nominee for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Maria in Twelfth Night and Hastings and Tyrell in Richard III), John Paul Connolly (Antonio in Twelfth Night and 1st Murderer, Cardinal, Ratcliff and Halberdier in Richard III ), Peter Hamilton Dyer (Feste in Twelfth Night and Brakenbury and Catesby in Richard III ), Colin Hurley (Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night and King Edward IV and Stanley in Richard III ) and Jethro Skinner (Fabian in Twelfth Night and 2nd Murderer, Messenger and Halberdier in Richard III ). Angus Wright joins the Broadway company, returning to the role of Sir Andrew Aguecheek which he played in Shakespeare’s Globe’s earlier staging of Twelfth Night and as Duke of Buckingham in Richard III. Terry McGinty , another veteran of Shakespeare’s Globe’s earlier staging of Twelfth Night , also joins the Broadway company as the Sea Captain and Priest in Twelfth Night and Scrivener, Rivers and Blunt in Richard III . Additional casting will be announced soon. The producers are pleased to announce that at every performance, 250 seats will be set aside to be sold for $25. These seats will include the balcony, as well as selected seats in the orchestra, mezzanine, boxes and Globe-style on-stage seating, bookable in advance. Over 20,000 $25 tickets will be made available throughout the run. Twelfth Night and Richard III are both presented with an extraordinary all-male company playing both male and female roles, as the plays were originally staged in Shakespeare’s day. The productions are filled with music, played live by seven musicians on traditional Elizabethan instruments in a gallery above the stage, and are lit almost exclusively by the glow of 100 on-stage candles, adding to the intimate and authentic atmosphere. Entering the theatre, audiences will also witness the pre-show ritual of actors dressing and preparing their make-up on stage, adding to the unique and immersive theatrical experience. “These productions show how laugh-out-loud funny, thrillingly theatrical and immediate Shakespeare plays can be,” the producers commented. “To see Mark Rylance, who is one of the world’s greatest, most accomplished and acclaimed stage actors, and the remarkable Shakespeare’s Globe company in these two uniquely staged extraordinary productions is an unforgettable experience. It is important to us that the opportunity is accessible to all audiences, across the house, so we are thrilled to be able to offer 250 seats at $25 for every performance, bookable in advance, throughout the engagement.” The plays, which will mark the Broadway debut for London’s world-famous Shakespeare’s Globe, will be staged in repertory, with six performances of Twelfth Night and two performances of Richard III a week (post opening), with the opportunity to see the two productions in one day on Wednesdays and Saturdays. TWELFTH NIGHT Outrageous high comedy ensues as the pangs of unrequited love affect the unforgettable characters of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night . While the lovelorn Duke Orsino plots to win the heart of the mourning Olivia (Mark Rylance ), an alliance of servants and hangers-on scheme against the high handedness of Olivia’s steward, the pompous Malvolio (Stephen Fry ). When Orsino engages the cross-dressed Viola (Samuel Barnett ), who has disguised herself as a young man under the name Cesario, to plead with Olivia on his behalf, a bittersweet and hilarious chain of events follows. RICHARD III Richard Duke of Gloucester (Mark Rylance ) is determined that he should wear the crown of England. He has already dispatched one king and that king’s son; now all that stands in his way are two credulous brothers and two helpless nephews – the Princes in the Tower. And woe betide those – the women he wrongs, the henchmen he betrays – who dare to raise a voice against him. Monstrous, but theatrically electric, Richard is Shakespeare’s most charismatic, self-delighting villain, reveling at every moment in his homicidal, hypocritical journey to absolute power. SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE Founded by the pioneering American actor and director Sam Wanamaker, Shakespeare’s Globe is a vibrant organization and reconstructed open-air theatre on the banks of the River Thames dedicated to the exploration of Shakespearean, Elizabethan, Jacobean, and contemporary theatre. Through an ambitious and lively theatre season, a dynamic and varied education program and a rich and interesting exhibition, the Globe has become a significant part of the national and international theatre landscape. Under the Globe’s first artistic director, Mark Rylance, and now its second, Dominic Dromgoole, the theatre has worked its way through Shakespeare’s canon, providing a huge wealth of insight into each play when it is produced afresh within the architecture for which Shakespeare originally wrote. The Globe has always been an international story, having been built by an American; welcoming international audiences into its oak embrace throughout its life and taking its work back out into the world including many theatre tours and workshops in the US. In January 2014, Shakespeare’s Globe will present the first season of plays in its newly constructed Sam Wanamaker Playhouse – a Jacobean archetype of an early indoor theatre, completely unique amongst London venues and enabling Shakespeare’s Globe to present theatre productions all year round. Up Up

  • Jewish district inspires Tom Stoppard in 'personal' new play | Sonia Friedman

    Back to News & Press Jewish district inspires Tom Stoppard in 'personal' new play Tuesday 25 June 2019 Tom Stoppard, whose four Jewish grandparents and much of his family from his parents’ generation died in Nazi concentration camps, is returning to the West End with what is likely to be his most personal play. The 81-year-old playwright has spent the last year writing Leopoldstadt, his first play since The Hard Problem at the National Theatre in early 2015. It is set in 1900 in Vienna, then the most vibrant city in Europe where about a 10th of the population were Jewish. Stoppard is known for being an impersonal writer, rarely drawing on autobiography. When asked where he got his ideas from, he has often replied: “Harrods.” His new play is different. “It took a year to write but the gestation was much longer,” he said. “Quite a lot of it is personal to me but I made it about a Viennese family so that it wouldn’t seem to be about me.” He said the play, directed by Patrick Marber and produced by Sonia Friedman, was a big one that needed a large company. “Sonia wants to go straight into the West End with it, which I find quite exciting – like the old days with [the producer] Michael Codron. “I’m astonished to see that it’s five years since my last play The Hard Problem. I’ll have to get a move on or I’ll be pushing 90 before the next one.” Friedman, who has produced some of the biggest commercial theatre hits of recent years including The Ferryman and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, said she had known Stoppard for years. “I’ve always been badgering him, saying: ‘When you do your next play, please can I produce it’. She said she was amazed when he asked “in a jokey way” for six tickets to Harry Potter, offering to write a play in return. She told him it seemed “like quite a good deal … he was as good as his word”. A new play by Stoppard, who has written more than 30, from his debut Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead to The Real Thing and Jumpers, is always a big deal. “He is without question our greatest living playwright and alongside two or three others the greatest playwright of the 20th and 21st century,” said Friedman. “Just look at his body of work. He is one of the great minds, one of the great thinkers of our time. “He has worked solidly for a year on this play but it’s been a play that’s been gestating with him for many years.” Friedman said both she and Stoppard loved the idea of opening in a “great, grand playhouse”. She added: “It is a beautiful, epic, sweeping play that is going to sit like a gleaming jewel in the West End, it is a remarkable play, it’s a personal play.” In what way it is personal, audiences will have to wait and see. “There’s so much I want to say but don’t feel I can just yet,” she said. “It will feel very relevant, very timely, very pertinent.” Stoppard has written about the “charmed life” he feels he has led. He was born Tomas Straussler in 1937 in Moravia, now part of the Czech Republic, and in 1939 his parents fled the Nazis and moved to Singapore. In 1942, as the Japanese were about to invade, he and his mother and brother were put on a boat to Australia that was diverted and landed in Bombay (now Mumbai). His father was killed in Singapore. His mother married a British army officer, Kenneth Stoppard, in 1946 and after four happy years in India the family moved to England. Leopoldstadt, which begins previews at Wyndham’s theatre in January, takes its name from the old Jewish quarter of Vienna. A generation before 1900 Jewish people had been granted full civil rights by Emperor Franz Josef and hundreds of thousands of Jews sought sanctuary from pogroms in Leopoldstadt’s crowded tenements. The play has been described by producers as “an intimate drama with an epic sweep; the story of a family who made good”. Publicity material will quote Hermann, a factory owner: “My grandfather wore a caftan. My father went to the opera in a top hat, and I have the singers to dinner.” It continues: “It was not to last. Half a century later, this family, like millions of others, has rediscovered what it means to be Jewish in the first half of the 20th century. Leopoldstadt is a passionate drama of love, family and endurance.” Click here to read the article on The Guardian Up Up

  • Hugh Jackman returning to Broadway in The River | Sonia Friedman

    Back to News & Press Hugh Jackman returning to Broadway in The River Friday 17 January 2014 Hugh Jackman, who has become one of the theater world’s most lucrative draws, will return to Broadway next season starring in Jez Butterworth’s play “The River,” the producers and Mr. Jackman said on Friday. “The River,” a spiritually searching drama about a trout-loving loner in a remote cabin and two of the women in his life, was a critically acclaimed hit in its premiere at the Royal Court Theater in London in 2012. It was Mr. Butterworth’s first new play since “Jerusalem,” another much-praised work that ran on Broadway in 2011 starring Mark Rylance, who won a Tony Award for his performance. Ian Rickson (who directed “Jersualem”) will stage the 80-minute “River,” as he did in London. The play is expected to begin performances on Broadway in early 2015. Many theater producers consider Mr. Jackman to be a box office prize, because his popularity – he is best known as Wolverine in the X-Men action movies – has allowed them to charge exorbitant prices for tickets, up to $350. In his last outing on Broadway Mr. Jackman, who recently quit a long-gestating musical project called “Houdini” (citing his schedule), brought in a total of $14.6 million over 10 weeks for his concert performance in late 2011, which sold many $350 tickets over the busy holiday season. Prior to that, he and Daniel Craig starred in the Broadway play “A Steady Rain” in 2009, grossing $15.2 million over 13 weeks. By contrast, in his Broadway debut in the musical “The Boy From Oz” in 2003, when premium pricing strategy hadn’t been perfected and Mr. Jackman wasn’t as famous, the show grossed less per week than his later Broadway outings, for a total of $42.7 million over 51 weeks. Mr. Jackman won a Tony for “Boy From Oz.” “The River” will be mounted on Broadway by Sonia Friedman Productions and the Royal Court. The New York Post first reported the news about the Broadway production. Mr. Jackman also tweeted about the news on Friday morning. No theater or other casting has been disclosed. Up Up

  • Centre stage: the women in charge of theatreland | Sonia Friedman

    Back to News & Press Centre stage: the women in charge of theatreland Thursday 24 October 2013 Theatreland’s top jobs and auditoriums are being snapped up by visionary women who are simultaneously challenging the status quo and producing sell-out runs. Nick Curtis goes behind the scenes. The most dynamic independent producer on Shaftesbury Avenue and Broadway is Sonia Friedman. To read the full article click here . Up Up

  • Sonia Friedman Productions wins 4 Olivier Awards, including Best New Play | Sonia Friedman

    Back to News & Press Sonia Friedman Productions wins 4 Olivier Awards, including Best New Play Sunday 8 April 2018 We are delighted to announce that Jez Butterworth ’s The Ferryman was awarded 3 Olivier Awards at last night’s ceremony, taking home Best New Play , Best Director (Sam Mendes ) and Best Actress for Laura Donnelly ’s performance as Caitlin Carney. Bertie Carvel was also amongst last night’s winners for his portrayal of Rupert Murdoch in James Graham ’s Olivier-nominated Ink , taking home the award for Best Supporting Actor . Up Up

  • BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM | Sonia Friedman

    Back to Productions BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM This production began performances on 15th May 2015 and closed on 5th March 2016. ★★★★★ Irresistible. An end to end joy. Wonderfully life-affirming Daily Mail Jess needs extra time. She is facing the most important decision of her life: live up to family expectations of university, career and marriage, or follow in the footsteps of her hero David Beckham. When the talented teenager is spotted playing football in Southall, a world of unexpected opportunities opens up before her. But as her sister’s traditional Indian wedding approaches, can she keep her family happy and still follow her dreams? ★★★★★ The best British musical in years. A premier league triumph. Exhilarating. Sunday Express Bend It Like Beckham is a joyous new British musical about where we are now. Featuring an original score with an Indian kick, it brings a unique cultural fusion of musical theatre to the stage for the first time. This reimagining of the much-loved hit film sees generations, cultures and communities brought together in this joyous and uplifting story about bending the rules and scoring that deciding goal. Gurinder Chadha directs the world premiere of the new British stage musical Bend It Like Beckham. With original music by Howard Goodall a nd lyrics by Charles Hart , Bend It Like Beckham has a new book by Paul Mayeda Berges and Gurinder Chadha ; choreography and musical staging by Aletta Collins ; set design by Miriam Buether ; costume design by Katrina Lindsay ; lighting design by Neil Austin ; sound design by Richard Brooker ; musical direction by Nigel Lilley and orchestrations by Howard Goodall and Kuljit Bhamra . Sonia Friedman Productions , Deepak Nayar Productions , Bend It Films , Fischer & Vaswani Prodcutions , Tanya Link Productions & Zeilinger Productions , Lost Marbles & Two Way Split , Delman Jacobson , Doit M&E India and Reliance Entertainment present “BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM”. ★★★★★ Joyous. Gorgeous score. Witty lyrics. Exhilarating choreography. An uplifting celebration of multi-cultural Britain The Independent CAST NATALIE DEW – Jess LAUREN SAMUELS – Jules JAMIE CAMPBELL BOWER – Jor SOPHIE-LOUISE DANN – Paula JAMAL ANDRÉAS – Tony PREEYA KALIDAS – Pinky TONYJAYAWARDENA – Mr Bhamra NATASHA JAYETILEKE – Mrs Bhamra SOHM KAPILA – Aunty BUCKSO DHILLON-WOOLLEY – Aunty HARVEEN MANN – Aunty IRVINE IQBAL – Uncle KARL SETH – Uncle SEJAL KESHWALA – Cousin SERINA MATHEW – Cousin SHARAN PHULL – Cousin RAKESH BOURY – Footballer JORELL COIFFIC-KAMALL – Footballer TOM MILLEN – Footballer DANIEL BOLTON – Footballer RAJ BAJAJ – Teetu KIRSTIE SKIVINGTON – Harrier MICHELLE BISHOP – Harrier CHLOE CHAMBERS – Harrier DANIELLE YOUNG – Harrier LISA BRIDGE – Harrier GENESIS LYNEA – Harrier KAYLEIGH MCKNIGHT – Swing REKHA SAWHNEY – Heritage Singer SHAHID KHAN – Heritage Singer CREATIVES HOWARD GOODALL – Music CHARLES HART – Lyrics PAUL MAYEDA BERGES AND GURINDER CHADHA – Book GURINDER CHADHA – Director ALETTA COLLINS – Choreography/Musical Staging MIRIAM BUETHER – Set Designer KATRINA LINDSAY – Costume Designer NEIL AUSTIN – Lighting Designer RICHARD BROOKER – Sound Designer NIGEL LILLEY – Musical Director HOWARD GOODALL AND KULJIT BHAMRA – Orchestrations

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