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- Peter Morgan Turns His Pen From ‘The Crown’ to the Kremlin | Sonia Friedman
Back to News & Press Peter Morgan Turns His Pen From ‘The Crown’ to the Kremlin Saturday, 20 April 2024 Original article by Maureen Dowd for New York Times. Going from Princess Diana, a lovely icon who generated waves of sympathy, to Vladimir Putin, an icy villain who generates waves of disdain, might be difficult for some writers. Not Peter Morgan. After pulling back the curtain on the British royal family for six seasons of “The Crown,” Morgan was keen to move on. He had an idea for a play about the oligarchs who, in the 1990s, helped propel an obscure Putin to power and then had to watch as their Frankenstein changed the course of Russian history in a disastrous way. The resulting drama, “Patriots,” which opens on Broadway on April 22, offered Morgan a different way to approach recent history, and a new challenge: switching from the royals, who are household names but not ultimately very powerful, to oligarchs, who are super powerful but not generally household names. Morgan enjoys writing about the vilified, giving them a fighting chance. In “Patriots,” he creates a jigsaw of four Russian men, their fates intertwining in the post-Soviet era, who represent a Byzantine spectrum of moral values. “It’s just a delicious combination of characters,” Morgan, 60, told me, in an interview at the Ethel Barrymore Theater in Times Square. “There’s a sort of violence, whereas in ‘The Crown,’ there’s this politeness and there’s repression, and it’s very female. There’s something very male, very violent about this play. It felt like a natural thing to do, having spent so much time in the one world to go into another world just to relax a little.” There were several oligarchs who helped Putin rise from a K.G.B. apparatchik in Leningrad to autocrat in the Kremlin. Morgan chose the most colorful of them for his protagonist: Boris Berezovsky, who cast himself as “the Jew behind the czar.” Morgan tailors the tale to do one of the things he does best: One character self-destructs, and another exploits that spiral. Michael Sheen, who played Tony Blair onscreen in a trilogy of Morgan opuses, “The Queen” with Helen Mirren, “The Deal” and “The Special Relationship,” told me that Morgan “finds a moment that is able to ripple out in front and behind, and illuminate what matters.” Morgan said he loves “riveting personal interactions” with a backdrop of history, when you see the impetus for an event and realize “it’s because of envy, or it’s because of persecution or it’s because of jealousy or because of love.” Despite the model of Shakespeare, he thinks that we too often tend to separate the emotional and psychological from our reading of history and politics. “In a sense, I enjoy painting with a brush that is not too realistic, because that’s what drama can do,” he said. “We have cameras for verisimilitude and for likeness.” Morgan is known — and oft chided — for mixing research and invention, looking for an underlying dramatic truth rather than pure accuracy. As with “The Crown,” he turned to a flock of advisers, this time Russian ones, for “Patriots.” He said he wanted to be careful not to demonize Russia. And he spent time with people who were close to Berezovsky. He traces the rise and fall of Berezovsky (Michael Stuhlbarg), a math prodigy — “a golden child,” as a teacher calls him in the play — who built a fortune in cars, oil and TV and became a political power. He even had his own exclusive private club in Moscow. “If there was a rock star of that era,” Morgan said, “if there was an iconic character who most typified the indulgence, the excess, in a sense the lawlessness of oligarchy, it would be him. I was interested in somebody that everybody felt was magnetic.” Nina L. Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at the New School in Manhattan and Nikita S. Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter, was one of Morgan’s advisers on Russian history. Sitting with us, she offered her gloss on Berezovsky: “He’s the King Lear. He’s the most tragic figure you can imagine.” Berezovsky blithely bribed and plundered. One security official told my colleague Steven Lee Myers for his biography of Putin, “The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin ,” that Berezovsky divided people into two categories: “A condom in its packaging and a condom that has been used.” Once in power, Putin, who had been Berezovsky’s protégé, checked the power of oligarchs, including him. And Berezovsky came to see Putin as a killer who was snuffing out reforms implemented by Boris Yeltsin. “The thing that sent me straight to my laptop, as it were,” Morgan told me, “was the tragedy of Berezovsky, something about having all those ideals and then being shattered and outmaneuvered.” Khrushcheva interjected dryly: “Berezovsky and ideals. There’s a little bit of a stretch, right?” Morgan defended his antihero: “The thing that Boris had to take to his grave is that he weaponized Putin through his own transgressions, being so voraciously greedy, stealing from the Russian state.” Once Putin got to the top and clamped down on the oligarchs, Berezovsky, stripped of power, became “a reluctant revolutionary.” Other historic figures are brought into the mix. There is Alexander Litvinenko (Alex Hurt), who worked for the federal security service and investigated the bombing of Berezovsky’s car in 1994 , which left his chauffeur decapitated. He grew close to Berezovsky, became disillusioned with Putin and defected to Britain, where, in 2006, he was poisoned with polonium-210 , a radioactive isotope, and died. Then there is the luxe oligarch Roman Abramovich (Luke Thallon), described as “the kid” when Berezovsky first meets him in the play and agrees to go into the oil business with him and become his protector. They too fall out, and in 2011 Berezovsky sues Abramovich in London, seeking billions, and loses. The judge calls Berezovsky “an unimpressive and inherently unreliable witness who regarded truth as transitory.” Sonia Friedman , the play’s producer, said that while Morgan had initially set out to write the story of “Boris as a kingmaker,” he made Putin more central because “as the play was developing, the world was changing around the play.” Read the rest of the article here. Up Up
- Leopoldstadt Set to Open on Broadway this September | Sonia Friedman
Back to News & Press Leopoldstadt Set to Open on Broadway this September Tuesday, 7 June 2022 Tom Stoppard ’s 'masterpiece' (The Independent ) will begin its Broadway run with previews on 14th September at the Longacre Theatre. Opening night is scheduled to be 2nd October. Leopoldstadt began in London’s West End pre-pandemic and continued with extra dates once theatres reopened in 2021. Inspired by, but not based on, Stoppard ’s own family history, the play begins in 1899 and chronicles 50 years in the life of one family. A cast of 38 is set to depict the passionate drama of love, family and endurance. Hailed as ‘A momentous new play. Both epic and intimate’ (London Financial Times ) and ‘Breathtaking. The work of a master’ (Time Out London ), Stoppard's Leopoldstadt will once again be directed by Patrick Marber, who directed the original London run. For further information, please click here . Up Up
- Sonia Friedman tops The Stage 100 2017 | Sonia Friedman
Back to News & Press Sonia Friedman tops The Stage 100 2017 Thursday, 5 January 2017 The exclusive list, compiled annually by the industry’s leading newspaper, ranks the powerhouses of British theatre. Sonia described topping the list as “amazing recognition of the extraordinary people I have been privileged to work with over the year.” “I feel very grateful to The Stage for this honour and feel extremely lucky to do a job I love so much,” she added. Alistair Smith, print editor of The Stage, said, “Sonia Friedman has enjoyed a number of notable hits in recent years, but in 2016, she went stratospheric. “Harry Potter has been an extraordinary success both on a box-office level and an artistic one. As long as I’ve been writing about theatre I can’t think of another show that has been as big – you’re going back to the mega-musicals of the 80s.” It has been an extraordinary 12 months for Sonia Friedman Productions (SFP) achieving incredible successes with their productions of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Parts One and Two , Nice Fish , Funny Girl , Sunny Afternoon and Dreamgirls . SFP’s co-production of The Dresser for BBC and Starz has been nominated in the category of Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television at the 74th annual Golden Globes and it was announced that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child would be opening at The Lyric Theatre on Broadway in 2018. Sonia herself was awarded an OBE and was voted as one of the 10 most influential people in London by the Evening Standard. She is currently short-listed for Producer of the Year at The Stage Awards 2017 - an award she won at the event in both 2016 and 2015. Winners will be announced at a ceremony on 27 January at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Up Up
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child receives 3 Critics' Circle Awards | Sonia Friedman
Back to News & Press Harry Potter and the Cursed Child receives 3 Critics' Circle Awards Tuesday, 31 January 2017 We are thrilled to announce that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been awarded 3 Critics' Circle Awards: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two, Best Director, John Tiffany, 2017 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two, Best Designer, Christine Jones, 2017 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two, Most Promising Newcomer, Anthony Boyle, 2017 Up Up
- Sonia Friedman: Give us a break | Sonia Friedman
Back to News & Press Sonia Friedman: Give us a break Sunday, 11 November 2012 Anyone who has enjoyed a straight play in the West End over the past decade, perhaps with some well-judged star casting, will almost certainly have seen something from Sonia Friedman Productions. Catherine Tate and David Tennant in Much Ado about Nothing? Yes. Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss in The Children's Hour? Yup. Kristin Scott Thomas in Betrayal? That too. Friedman has, deservedly, become known as one of the premier purveyors of quality work in London's commercial theatre sector and as I sit in her cosy office above the Duke of York's theatre, looking at the framed production posters on the wall, I'm momentarily confused as to which of her current or future shows I'm here to talk about. Perhaps it's Pinter's Old Times, which opens in January, again starring Scott Thomas. Or the behemoth that is the multi-Tony-Award-winning musical The Book of Mormon, launching in February. But then Mark Rylance's face glowering from the poster of Jerusalem reminds me: it's a double bill of Shakespeare, with Rylance starring as both the titular Richard III and Olivia in Twelfth Night. Read full article here . Up Up
- Further cast announced for Duncan Macmillan's new adaptation of Ibsen's Rosmersholm directed by Ian Rickson | Sonia Friedman
Back to News & Press Further cast announced for Duncan Macmillan's new adaptation of Ibsen's Rosmersholm directed by Ian Rickson Monday, 4 March 2019 Today producer Sonia Friedman Productions announced further casting for Henrik Ibsen’s Rosmersholm , adapted by Duncan Macmillan (People, Places and Things, 1984) and directed by Ian Rickson (Jerusalem, The Birthday Party). Giles Terera, who won an Olivier Award for his acclaimed performance in Hamilton ( West End), Lucy Briers (Wolf Hall, West End/Broadway and The Seagull , Chichester Festival Theatre), Jake Fairbrother (Lady from the Sea , Donmar Warehouse and The Maids , HOME Manchester) and Peter Wight (The Birthday Party , West End and Hamlet , Almeida/ West End) will perform alongside the previously announced Tom Burke (Strike , BBC) and Hayley Atwell (Howard’s End, BBC). Set and costumes will be by Rae Smith , lighting by Neil Austin , music by Stephen Warbeck, sound by Gregory Clarke and casting by Amy Ball CDG . ‘‘Now I see that love is selfish. It makes you a country of two. At war with the rest of the world.” An election looming. A country on the brink. A rabid press baying for blood. At the centre of the storm is Rosmersholm, the grand house of an influential dynasty. This is where the future will be decided by John Rosmer – a man torn between the idealised hope of the future and the ghosts of his past. Rosmersholm will play at the Duke of York’s Theatre from April 24th, with an opening night of May 2nd. The run will end on July 20th. Produced by Sonia Friedman Productions With Brenda Leff, Colin Callender, John Gore, 1001 Nights Productions, Burnt Umber Productions, Bradford W. Edgerton Living Trust, Tulchin Bartner Productions. Up Up
- Sonia Friedman responds to the closure of British theatres due to Tier 3 restrictions | Sonia Friedman
Back to News & Press Sonia Friedman responds to the closure of British theatres due to Tier 3 restrictions Monday, 14 December 2020 “London going into Tier Three is yet another blow for British theatre – one it simply cannot afford after a brutal year, and one that both could and should have been avoided. All the effort and energy, not to even mention the expense, of re-opening shows safely has once again been undercut by a decision that will devastate our industry and its freelance workforce – many of whom have still not received any government support and now face a further loss of employment. All this despite not a single case of infection being linked to a theatre anywhere in the country. It feels like a final straw: proof that this government does not understand theatre and the existential crisis it is facing. Its short-sightedness is starting to look like serial mismanagement. Only three months ago, theatres and producers around the country were urged to get shows up and running as part of the government’s so-called ‘Operation Sleeping Beauty.’ Asked to “restore some of the magic of Christmas,” we scheduled performances in good faith and at considerable cost, installing extensive safety measures and operating at almost impossible margins – only to be closed down almost the moment we opened. Throughout this crisis, producers have made it abundantly clear that theatre cannot simply open and shut like other businesses. Shows take time get open. They cost money to close. Audiences need to book ahead. Artists need to arrange their employment. The government has either not heard or not understood. Our repeated calls for a government-backed insurance scheme have gone unheeded. With every round of closures, our businesses take a massive financial hit. Theatres and producers, who have collectively lost over £1 billion in revenue since March, now face millions of pounds of additional losses and continued uncertainty for the coming months, destroying confidence in the sector that we have worked so hard to rebuild. Commercial producers - the sector’s biggest employers and largest economic contributors - have received just 0.8% of the £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund. This latest closure under Tier 3 underlines – unequivocally – the urgent need for a government-backed insurance scheme, as already provided to film and television, for meaningful compensation to mitigate impending losses incurred by productions forced to close, and for targeted support for freelance workers unable to take advantage of the furlough scheme. The government must acknowledge that its short-sighted advice has made our mess a whole lot worse.” Up Up
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child parts one and two world premiere in London summer 2016 | Sonia Friedman
Back to News & Press Harry Potter and the Cursed Child parts one and two world premiere in London summer 2016 Friday, 23 October 2015 Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling , Jack Thorne and John Tiffany , Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , a new play by Jack Thorne will receive its world premiere in London’s West End at the Palace Theatre in the summer of 2016. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. Written by Jack Thorne and directed by Olivier and Tony award winner John Tiffany , the play brings together some of the most exciting talent working in the theatre today. It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places. Featuring a cast of over 30, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is one play presented in two parts. Both parts are intended to be seen in order on the same day (matinee and evening), or on two consecutive evenings. On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays there will be a matinee performance of Part One and an evening performance of Part Two. For the initial on sale period, one ticket will automatically secure the same seat for both Part One and Part Two on the same day. For subsequent booking periods, tickets for Wednesday matinee and Wednesday evening performances can be bought together or separately. Details of when Saturday and Sunday performances of Parts One and Part Two can be bought separately will be announced at a later date. On Thursdays there will be an evening performance of Part One and on Fridays an evening performance of Part Two. On those days tickets to each part can be bought together or separately. Previews begin 7 June 2016 (please see website for schedule) with the Opening performances of Part One and Part Two on Saturday 30 July 2016. In addition four special preview performances are planned for the end of May 2016 – details of where and how to obtain these tickets will be announced at a later date. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions , Colin Callender ’s Playground Entertainment and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions . J.K. Rowling , Jack Thorne and John Tiffany said: “It is very exciting to explore Harry’s world in a brand new way through the live form of theatre. Collaborating on this story is exhilarating for all of us and we can’t wait to present the eighth story at the Palace Theatre next summer. ” J.K. Rowling said: “The story only exists because the right group of people came together with a brilliant idea about how to present Harry Potter on stage. I’m confident that when audiences see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child they will understand why we chose to tell this story in this way ”. Jack Thorne said: “To be working again with John Tiffany to bring Harry Potter to the stage in a new story is an amazing opportunity. As a massive fan of the books it is an enormous responsibility but it also means I have the opportunity to work with J.K. Rowling, which is a huge honour. ” John Tiffany said: “Theatre is storytelling in its purest form. It can be simple, transformative and magical, all at the same time. That’s what makes theatre unique and the opportunity to tell the new Harry Potter story in this way is beyond exciting. ” Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender said: “We are very proud to have assembled some of the finest creative talent working in the theatre today to bring to the stage this epic story of love, courage, adventure and the power of the imagination from J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World. With reduced preview tickets starting at £10 per part, regular tickets starting at £15 per part and the weekly and daily lotteries we have set out to make the play accessible to the widest theatre going audience. ” Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be directed by John Tiffany with movement by Steven Hoggett , set designs by Christine Jones , costumes by Katrina Lindsay , music by Imogen Heap , lighting by Neil Austin , sound by Gareth Fry , special effects by Jeremy Chernick , illusions by Jamie Harrison and musical supervision by Martin Lowe . Casting will be announced at a later date. J.K. Rowling is the author of the seven Harry Potter novels, which have sold over 450 million copies and have been translated into 78 languages, and three companion books originally published for charity. She is also the author of The Casual Vacancy , a novel for adults published in 2012, and, under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith, is the author of the Cormoran Strike crime series. J.K. Rowling is making her screen writing debut and is a producer on the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , a further extension of the Wizarding World, due for release in November 2016. Jack Thorne writes for theatre, film, television and radio. His theatre credits include Hope and Let The Right One In both directed by John Tiffany, The Solid Life of Sugarwater for the Graeae Theatre Company, Bunny for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Stacy for the Trafalgar Studios, 2nd May 1997 and When You Cure Me for the Bush. His adaptations include The Physicists for the Donmar Warehouse and Stuart: A Life Backwards for Hightide. On film his credits include War Book , A Long Way Down and The Scouting Book for Boys . For television his credits include The Last Panthers , Don't Take My Baby , This Is England , The Fades , Glue and Cast-Offs and the upcoming National Treasure . In 2012 he won BAFTAs for best series (The Fades ) and best serial (This Is England 88 ). John Tiffany directed Once for which he was the recipient of multiple awards both in the West End and on Broadway. As Associate Director of the Royal Court, his work includes The Twits , Hope and The Pass . He was the director of Let The Right One In for the National Theatre of Scotland, which transferred to the Royal Court, West End and St. Ann's Warehouse. His other work for the National Theatre of Scotland includes Macbeth (also Broadway), Enquirer , The Missing , Peter Pan , The House of Bernarda Alba , Transform Caithness: Hunter , Be Near Me , Nobody Will Ever Forgive Us , The Bacchae , Black Watch , for which he won the Olivier and Critics’ Circle Best Director Awards, Elizabeth Gordon Quinn and Home: Glasgow . Other recent credits include The Glass Menagerie at A.R.T. and on Broadway and The Ambassador at BAM. Tiffany was Associate Director of the National Theatre of Scotland from 2005 to 2012, and was a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University in the 2010-2011 academic year. For further biographies of the full creative team, please visit the official play website HarryPotterthePlay.com Running times for Part One and Part Two will be announced at a later date. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child supports Lumos, the international non-profit organisation founded by J.K. Rowling that works to transform the lives of disadvantaged children. Up Up
- New cast for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child announced | Sonia Friedman
Back to News & Press New cast for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child announced Wednesday, 30 August 2023 A fresh ensemble is set to grace the stage for the upcoming performances of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the West End. Slated for their inaugural show on October 17, 2023, taking on roles will be David Ricardo-Pearce, who is set to portray Harry Potter, while Polly Frame steps into the shoes of Ginny Potter, and Ellis Rae assumes the role of their son, Albus Potter. Thomas Aldridge continues to embody Ron Weasley, joined by Jade Ogugua, who makes her entrance as Hermione Granger. Taneetrah Porter adds depth to the cast as their daughter, Rose Granger-Weasley. Steve John Shepherd embraces the character of Draco Malfoy, while Harry Acklowe portrays his son, Scorpius Malfoy. This lineup is joined by an ensemble of Ishmail Aaron, David Annen, Nairn Archer, Darrell Brockis, Sabina Cameron, Robert Curtis, Toby De Salis, Odelia Dizel-Cubuca, Rory Fraser, Jemma Geanaus, Harry Goodson-Bevan, Jemma Gould, Kelton Hoyland, David Ijiti, Chris Jarman, Sally Jayne Hind, Emma Louise Jones, Kathryn Meisle, Ian Redford, Abigail Rosser, Clancy Ryan, Tonny Shim, Adam Slynn, Sara Stewart, Benjamin Stratton, Maia Tamrakar, Alex Tomkins, Jake Tuesley, Sam Varley, Jess Vickers, Wreh-asha Walton, and Katie Wimpenny. The cast also includes Benedict Archer, Jonah Haas, Honor Hastings, Delilah O’Riordan, Jude Parry, Jojo Perez Hoadley, and Isabella Woodman, who will rotate in two children’s roles, bringing the total to a formidable ensemble of 47. The original two-part, multi-award-winning production is currently available for booking until May 19, 2024, at the Palace Theatre. Book here. Up Up
- THELMA & LOUISE: A NEW MUSICAL | Sonia Friedman
Back to News & Press THELMA & LOUISE: A NEW MUSICAL Thursday, 16 April 2026 A Young Vic, Sonia Friedman Productions, Blue Spruce Productions, Ley Line Entertainment, Callie Khouri co-production Mandy Greenfield in association with MGM ON STAGE Thelma & Louise A New Musical Book by Callie Khouri, Music & Lyrics by Neko Case Directed by Trip Cullman Young Vic, Main House 3 Sept – 24 Oct 2026 Press Night: 16 Sept, 7pm I guess I went a little crazy, huh? On a whim, Louise (Rachel Tucker ) invites her best friend Thelma (Amy Lennox ) for a spontaneous weekend getaway. After an ill-fated encounter with a stranger at a roadside honkytonk, their lifelong friendship is forged into something dangerous and unbreakable. Propelled by a soaring musical score, they set out on a last-chance adventure in a world where every card is stacked against them. More than thirty years after the Oscar and Golden Globe-winning film, writer Callie Khouri reimagines her iconic road movie, Thelma & Louise, as a brand-new musical. With music and lyrics by Grammy-nominated artist Neko Case , this electrifying production, directed by Trip Cullman is wild, hilarious and will rip your heart out. The creative team features choreography by Bobbi Jene Smith & Or Schraiber , scenography by Christine Jones & Brett J. Banakis , costume design by Ryan Dawson Laight , lighting design by Natasha Chivers , sound design by Gareth Owen , musical supervision by Kimberly Grigsby , orchestration and arrangements by John Clancy and musical direction by Ed Bussey , with additional music by Carl Newman, Paul Rigby and Zoe Sarnak . The Creative Producers are Mandy Greenfield and Sonia Friedman Productions and the creative consultant is Imogen Brodie . Stuart Burt CDG CSA is the casting director, Peter Noden is the casting associate,Kev McCurdy is the Fight Director, Yarit Dor is the Intimacy Director, DANIÈLE Lydon is the Voice and Dialect Coach, Chelsea Walker the Associate Director, Matthew Buttrey the Associate Designer and Rob Jones is the Associate Sound Designer. The music producer is Jeff Galegher and the orchestra manager is Sylvia Addison . RCI Theatricals are the US General Managers. Based on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Motion Picture "Thelma & Louise" written by Callie Khouri . Sonia Friedman and Imogen Brodie said: “From the moment it premiered in 1991, Thelma & Louise was a cultural phenomenon and an instant classic. Callie Khouri’s groundbreaking, funny, deeply moving and empowering film sparked a vital and urgent conversation around violence against women and girls, and women’s autonomy in the face of systemic injustice. Astonishingly, nearly 35 years later, we find ourselves in a world where female, indeed all human rights are under serious threat, making this story feel not only relevant but necessary. At its heart, it speaks to freedom, solidarity, friendship and the ongoing fight for equality - all of which continue to resonate today. In bringing this story to the stage, we are reimagining it theatrically and musically, so it feels wholly born for the live experience - immediate, visceral and a rollercoaster of a night out. Together with our exceptional creative team - Callie, Neko and Trip - and our brilliant co-producers Blue Spruce Productions, Ley Line Entertainment, Callie, Mandy Greenfield and MGM ON STAGE, we are thrilled that Thelma & Louise: A New Musical will begin its journey at the Young Vic. ” Callie Khouri said: "I’m thrilled to be collaborating with the Young Vic, Sonia Friedman Productions, Scott Delman, Ley Line Entertainment and Mandy Greenfield in this newly re-imagined story of Thelma and Louise. It’s still a wild and emotional ride made even better by the contribution of the enormous talents of Neko Case, Trip Cullman and our amazing creative team. I can’t wait for audiences to experience this timely re-telling ." Thelma & Louise is supported by Sophie Hale & Roland Rudd and the Charlotte Aitken Trust. Up Up
- Production images of Rosmersholm released today | Sonia Friedman
Back to News & Press Production images of Rosmersholm released today Monday, 29 April 2019 Tom Burke (Strike, The Musketeers ) plays the soulful John Rosmer haunted by history and tradition. Hayley Atwell (Howards End, Captain America ) is Rebecca West, an enigmatic and unpredictable, free-spirited heroine. Giles Terera (Hamilton , West End) is Andreas Kroll, a powerful moral voice, who struggles to reconcile his friendship to Rosmer amidst the changing political tides. Henrik Ibsen ’s classic examination of a country in state of political flux has been adapted by Duncan Macmillan and is directed by Ian Rickson . The cast also includes Lucy Briers (Wolf Hall , West End/Broadway) as Mrs Helseth, Jake Fairbrother (Lady from the Sea , Donmar Warehouse) as Peter Mortensgaard and Peter Wight ( The Birthday Party , West End) as Ulrik Brendel. An election looming. A country on the brink. A rabid press baying for blood. At the centre of the storm is Rosmersholm, the grand house of an influential dynasty. This is where the future will be decided by John Rosmer – a man torn between the idealised hope of the future and the ghosts of his past. Rosmersholm began performances at the Duke of York’s Theatre on April 24th. The production opens on May 2nd. The run will end on July 20th. Produced by Sonia Friedman Productions With Brenda Leff, Colin Callender, John Gore, Bradford W. Edgerton Living Trust, 1001 Nights Productions, Burnt Umber Productions, Tulchin Bartner Productions. Up Up
- Full casting announced for the Olivier Award nominated West End Transfer of Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour | Sonia Friedman
Back to News & Press Full casting announced for the Olivier Award nominated West End Transfer of Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour Monday, 3 April 2017 Olivier Award-nominated for Best New Comedy and Best Supporting Actress for the entire company, Vicky Featherstone ’s smash-hit production of Lee Hall ’s adaptation of Alan Warner ’s The Sopranos sees Caroline Deyga (Chell), Karen Fishwick (Kay), Kirsty MacLaren (Manda), Frances Mayli McCann (Kylah) and Dawn Sievewright (Fionnula) reprise their roles, with Isis Hainsworth joining the company as Orla. Joining the company on stage are Amy Shackcloth (Musical Director/Keyboard), Lilly Howard (Assistant Musical Director/Keyboard), Emily Linden (Guitar) and Becky Brass (Percussion). The production opens on 15 May, with previews from 9 May. With tickets from just £10 and all previews priced at £30 and under, over 30,000 tickets will be priced at £30 and under throughout the run. ★★★★ ‘Big hearted and enjoyably coarse, but with moments of real poignancy, this is a fearless portrait of adolescence, fuelled by songs and Sambuca.’ Evening Standard From the creator of Billy Elliot (Lee Hall ) comes the uplifting and moving story of six Catholic school girls from Oban, let loose in Edinburgh for the day. Funny, raucous and heart-breaking, Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour is adapted from Alan Warner ’s brilliant novel about six young friends on the cusp of change. Featuring, amongst others, the songs of ELO, Our Ladies is a glorious anthem to friendship, youth and growing up disgracefully. Prepare thyself for 24 hours of holy chaos. Contains singing, hilarity, sambuca and strong language. ★★★★ ‘A high spirited, hilarious, exhilarating and poignant portrait of essentially good, naïve girls having a reckless stab at being bad, and being brave, eager to experience everything life can throw at them and discovering important stuff about themselves and their friendships in the process.’ Mail on Sunday Winner of a Scotsman Fringe First Award, a Herald Angel Award, a Little Devil Herald Award and a Stage Ensemble Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015, the production also received a Tonic Award at the inaugural awards just last week. Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour is a co-production between the National Theatre of Scotland and Live Theatre, and presented in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions, Scott M. Delman, Gail Berman Theatricals and Tulchin Bartner Productions in association with William Court Cohen, Ashley M. DeSimone & Jeremiah J. Harris. Up Up
