Back to Productions PATRIOTS – BROADWAY This production began on 1 April 2024 with an official opening on 22 May 2024. Michael Stuhlbarg is superb. Jesse Green, New York Times In 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the new Russia belongs to its oligarchs—and no one is more powerful than billionaire Boris Berezovsky. When an eventual successor to President Boris Yeltsin is needed, Berezovsky turns to the little-known deputy mayor of St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin. But soon Putin’s ruthless rise threatens Berezovsky’s reign, setting off a riveting, near-Shakespearean confrontation between the two powerful, fatally flawed men. Will Keen is magnificent. Naveen Kumar, Washington Press Tony® and Emmy® Award nominee Michael Stuhlbarg stars as Berezovsky and Will Keen reprises his Olivier Award-winning turn as Putin in PATRIOTS , a shockingly timely history play from Peter Morgan , creator of Netflix’s “The Crown.” Don’t miss this strictly limited engagement of Olivier Award winner Rupert Goold ’s kinetic, exhilarating production, which reveals to us all how Russia's post-Soviet machinations continue to shape our world to this day. A gripping juicy drama. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune CAST MICHAEL STUHLBARGI – Boris Berezovsky WILL KEEN – Vladimir Putin LUKE THALLON – Roman Abramovich STELLA BAKER – Marina Litvinenko RONALD GUTTMAN – Professor Perelman ALEX HURT – Alexander Litvinenko ROSIE BENTON – Beresovsky's Mother & Others JEFF BIEHL – Teacher/FSB Boss & Others PETER BRADBURY – Voloshin/Nurse & Others CAMILA CANÓ-FLAVIÁ – Tatiana/Nina Berezovsky & Others MARIANNA GAILUS – Katya & Others PAUL KYNMAN – Korzhakov/Yeltsin & Others ADAM POSS – Lawyer/Home Office & Others NICK REHBERGER – Assistant/Kahneman & Others BENJAMIN BONENFANT – Understudy DANIELLE CHAVES – Understudy JOE FORBRICH – Understudy TONY WARD – Understudy CREATIVES PETER MORGAN – Playwright RUPERT GOOLD – Director MIRIAM BUETHER – Set Design and Co-Costume Designer DEBORAH ANDREWS – Co-Costume Designer JACK KNOWLES – Lighting Designer ADAM CORK – Sound Design & Composer POLLY BENNETT – Movement Director ASH J WOODWARD – Projection Designer JIM CARNAHAN, CSA – US Casting Director ROBERT STERNE – UK Casting Director

Back to News & Press Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Sonia Friedman Productions announce casting for the UK pemiere of FANGIRLS Tuesday, 26 March 2024 Lyric Hammersmith Theatre today announces initial casting for the new summer musical FANGIRLS , co-produced by Sonia Friedman Productions . The smash-hit Australian musical will have its UK premiere at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre from 13 July – 24 August , with a press night on 23 July . Making her musical theatre debut in the role of 14-year-old superfan, Edna, is Jasmine Elcock [she/her]. Jasmine, a recent graduate of the Central School of Speech and Drama, is currently performing in The Crucible at Sheffield Theatres and recently starred in the English Touring Theatre’s Macbeth. Jasmine is also known for her performance on Britain’s Got Talent in 2016, for which she received the Golden Buzzer. Joining Jasmine as fellow superfans are Miracle Chance [she/her] (The Witches, Heathers ) as Brianna, Mary Malone [she/her] (Burnt at the Stake , Netflix’s Missing You ) plays Jules, Gracie McGonigal [she/her] (The Little Big Things, The Crucible ) plays Lily, and Terique Jarrett [he/him] (Daddy, Hulu’s Find Me in Paris ) plays Salty. Eve De Leon Allen [they/them] (The House with Chicken, Sugar Coat) joins the company as Dom/Ensemble, Max Gill [he/she/they] plays Greta/Ensemble after previously performing at the Lyric in Bugsy Malone and Herons , Lena Pattie Jones [she/her] (She Loves Me, Urinetown – Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts ) celebrates her professional debut as Ash/Ensemble, and Nicky Wong Rush [he/him/they/them] (The Wedding Singer – The Urdang Academy) also makes their professional debut as Dancer. Further casting to be announced. Director, Paige Rattray said about the musical: “The greatest joy of FANGIRLS is always the people in the room. We have created a show that allows us to adapt the roles to people most suited to the spirit of the show. I’m so excited to start work with the new members of our FANGIRLS family - the talent, charisma and great energy we’ve seen in auditions over the last months has been so inspiring that its been hard to make final decisions as we’ve moved closer to rehearsals - it’s always been one of those shows where you wish you could have a cast of thousands. This cast is really very special. I’m so grateful to Lotte Hines our stunning Casting Director for all of the work and expertise she’s put in to find these exceptional people, I’m beyond excited to share their talents with our audience.” Meet Edna: she's 14, she’s a misfit, and she's in love with Harry. There's just one problem: Harry’s in the world’s biggest boy band, has 38 million fans, and doesn't know she exists. When Harry’s band announces a tour stop in Edna's hometown of Sydney, Australia, she knows this is her destiny – her one chance to meet him. But how on EARTH will she get Harry's attention?! And exactly how far is she prepared to go in the name of love? Book, Music and Lyrics for FANGIRLS are by Yve Blake. The musical is directed by Paige Rattray , and the creative team includes David Fleischer as Production Designer, Ebony Williams as Choreographer, Ash J Woodward as Video Designer, Jessica Hung Han Yun as Lighting Designer, Tony Gayle as Sound Designer, Zara Stanton as Music Supervisor, Vocal Arranger and Orchestrator, Candida Caldicot as Musical Director, David Muratore as Music Producer, Lotte Hines CDG as Casting Director, Ardyn Flynt as Associate Choreographer, Laurence Stannard as Associate Musical Director, Kwame Owusu as Associate Director, and Bobbie Chatt as Casting Associate. Up Up

Back to News & Press 2011 Oliver Award nominations announced Monday, 7 February 2011 LEGALLY BLONDE has been nominated as Best New Musical, with Jerry Mitchell also nominated as Best Theatre Choreographer. ALL MY SONS has been nominated for Best Revival. The Royal Court Theatre production of CLYBOURNE PARK (produced by Sonia Friedman Productions in the West End) has been nominated for Best New Play. Dominic Cooke was also nominated for his direction. In the acting categories, Sophie Thompson (CLYBOURNE PARK) has been nominated for Best Actress, Mark Rylance (LA BETE) and David Suchet (ALL MY SONS) have been nominated for Best Actor, Sarah Goldberg (CLYBOURNE PARK) has been nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Sheridan Smith (LEGALLY BLONDE) has been nominated for Best Actress in a Musical, Alex Gaumond (LEGALLY BLONDE) has been nominated for Best Actor in a Musical and Jill Halfpenny (LEGALLY BLONDE) has been nominated for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 13 March. Up Up

Back to News & Press Final casting announced for Trevor Nunn's production of Alan Ayckbourn's A Chorus Of Disapproval Thursday, 26 July 2012 Jessica Ellerby, Barrie Rutter, Paul Thornley and Susan Tracy will join previously announced company members Teresa Banham, Daisy Beaumont, Georgia Brown, Rob Compton, Matthew Cottle and Steven Edis. Produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Robert G. Bartner & Norman Tulchin and Adam Kenwright, A Chorus of Disapproval begins previews on 17 September 2012 with booking open until 5 January 2013. Press performances are 25 September at 7.30pm, 26 September at 7.30pm and opening night on 27 September at 7.00pm. Designs are by Robert Jones, with lighting by Tim Mitchell, sound by Fergus O’Hare and music direction by Steven Edis. This production continues Sonia Friedman's collaboration with Ayckbourn, having previously presented his Absent Friends at the Harold Pinter Theatre and his The Norman Conquests on Broadway. The Pendon Amateur Light Operatic Society’s production of The Beggar’s Opera is going off the rails, that is until a handsome but shy young widower Guy (Harman) joins the group. An instant hit with the company’s ferociously zealous director Dafydd (Brydon) and the show’s leading ladies, including Dafydd’s wife Hannah (Jensen), Guy soon gets more than he bargained for as he discovers that all the best action happens off-stage. Classic songs fill the air as the drama on stage is mirrored by the romantic rivalry and small town squabbles causing a stir in the wings of this ambitious local show. Up Up

Back to Productions GOOD LUCK, AND GOOD NIGHT "GEORGE CLOONEY IS RIVETING." Variety WE WILL NOT WALK IN FEAR, ONE OF ANOTHER In a landmark theatrical event, two-time Academy Award® winner George Clooney makes his Broadway debut in Good Night, and Good Luck , an electrifying stage adaptation of the critically acclaimed film. Tune in to the golden age of broadcast journalism and Edward R. Murrow’s (Clooney) legendary, history-altering, on-air showdown with Senator Joseph McCarthy. As McCarthyism casts a shadow over America, Murrow and his news team choose to confront the growing tide of paranoia and propaganda, even if it means turning the federal government and a worried nation against them. Under the direction of Tony Award®-winner David Cromer, from the original screenwriters Clooney and Grant Heslov, Good Night, and Good Luck chronicles a time in American history when truth and journalistic integrity stood up to fearmongering and disinformation—and won. "AS TIMELY AND IMPORTANT AS EVER." Entertainment Weekly "A CHIC, ALLURING, PULSE-POUNDING THRILLER." The Washington Post CAST GEORGE CLOONEY - Edward R. Murrow MAC BRANDT - Colonel Anderson WILL DAGGER - Don Hewitt CHRISTOPHER DENHAM - John Aaron R.WARD DUFFY - Ensemble GLENN FLESHLER - Fred Friendly JOE FORBRICH - Ensemble ILANA GLAZER - Shirley Wersha CLARK GREGG - Don Hollenbeck PAUL GROSS - William S. Paley GEORGE HEERS - Ella CARTER HUDSON - Joe Wershba FRAN KRANZ - Palmer Williams JENNIFER MORRIS - Mili Lerner MICHAEL NATHANSON - Eddie Scott ANDREW POLK - Charlie Mack IMANI ROUSELLE - Ensemble GREG STUHR - Phil from legal JD TAYLOR - Ensemble SOPHIA TZOUGROS - Ensemble AARON ROMAN WEINER - Don Surine CREATIVES GEORGER CLOONEY - Writer GRANT HESLOV - Writer DAVID CROMER - Director SCOTT PASK - Scenic Design BRENDA ABBANDANDOLO - Costume Design HEATHER GILBERT - Lighting Design DANIEL KLUGER - Sound Design DAVID BENGALI - Video/Projections Design LEAH J. LOUKAS - Hair & Wig Design DAVID CAPARELLIOTIS, CSA - Casting Director BRYAN CARTER & DANIEL KLUGER - Music Supervision BRYAN CARTER - Arrangements & Orchestrations GIGI BUFFINGTON - Voice & Dialect JESSICA KAHKOSHA - Archival Researcher

Back to News & Press Dreamgirls will commence its first ever tour of the UK in December 2021 Wednesday, 21 April 2021 A full tour schedule and booking links can be found at dreamgirlsthemusical.co.uk . Featuring the classic songs ‘And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going’, ‘Listen’ and ‘One Night Only’ , this sensational, multi-award winning production of Dreamgirls had its critically acclaimed West End Premiere in December 2016 at London’s Savoy Theatre, 35 years on from opening on Broadway. Meet The Dreams – Effie, Lorrell and Deena – three talented young singers in the turbulent 1960s, a revolutionary time in American music history. Join the three friends as they embark upon a musical rollercoaster ride through a world of fame, fortune and the ruthless realities of show business, testing their friendships to the very limit. As previously announced, Nicole Raquel Dennis will play the role of Effie White in the UK tour of Dreamgirls . Her London stage credits include Alana Beck in the original West End cast of Dear Evan Hansen (BBTA winner – Best Supporting Actress in a Musical), the original West End cast of Waitress (Adelphi Theatre), The Book Of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre) and Dreamgirls (Savoy Theatre). A finalist on ITV’s The Voice in 2019, Nicole Raquel Dennis wowed viewers and judges at her blind audition, performing Dreamgirls mega-hit ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’ alongside team mentor Jennifer Hudson. Hudson won an Oscar (Best Supporting Actress) for her portrayal of Effie White in the 2006 Oscar-winning motion picture adaptation of Dreamgirls which also starred Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx. Nicole Raquel Dennis will play the role of Effie White in the Dreamgirls UK tour at certain performances with further casting to be announced soon. This award winning production is Directed and Choreographed by Olivier® and Tony® Award winning Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon , Mean Girls , Disney’s Aladdin and Something Rotten!), with Set and Costume Design by Tim Hatley , Lighting Design by Hugh Vanstone , Sound Design by Richard Brooker , Hair Design by Josh Marquette and Music Supervision by Nick Finlow . With Book and Lyrics by Tom Eyen and Music by Henry Krieger , with Additional Material by Willie Reale , the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls was Directed by Michael Bennett who Co-Choreographed the show with Michael Peters . The production opened in 1981 and subsequently won six Tony® Awards with the original cast recording winning two Grammy® Awards for Best Musical Album and Best Vocal Performance for Jennifer Holliday’s ‘And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going.’ The Original London Cast Recording of hit West End musical Dreamgirls is available via Sony Masterworks Broadway. The UK and Ireland tour of Dreamgirls is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions , Greenleaf Productions, Fakston Productions, Rupert Gavin/Mallory Factor, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Griffin Dohr in association with 1001 Nights Productions, Steven Rivellino. The show’s opening is subject to the government allowing indoor performances to begin with sufficient notice, understanding what restrictions on social distancing and audience attendance caps are imposed, the public health status, and the availability of insurance cover either from the market or more likely from a government indemnity scheme. Up Up

Back to News & Press Live music and theatre industries launch legal action against Government to force the publication of Events Research Programme data Wednesday, 23 June 2021 Today the live music industry body LIVE and a range of theatre businesses, including Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group, Cameron Mackintosh, Michael Harrison and Sonia Friedman, have commenced legal proceedings against the Government to force it to hand over the report of Phase 1 of the Events Research Programme (ERP). The ERP is the Government's research into Covid-19 mitigations in sport, entertainment and business conferences settings. The music industry and theatre businesses have repeatedly called on the Government to outline the scientific basis for its decision to maintain restrictions on events. Despite portions of the ERP economic impact assessment being leaked to the media this week, the Government refused calls from many MPs in a debate on Tuesday 22 June to release the report in full. The live entertainment sector has spent the last few months participating in, and paying for, full capacity pilot events as part of the ERP - including The BRIT Awards at The 02 arena, an outdoor festival event in Liverpool for 5,000 people, a snooker tournament at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield and the Download festival for 10,000 people last weekend. These events have been a huge success, according to the government itself in various press reports, showing that with proper precautions in place, live events at full capacity can go ahead safely. But the Government chose to keep the live entertainment industry under severe restrictions from 21 June, while allowing parts of the economy that have not been subject to similar scientific studies, including hospitality, public transport and retail, to operate. The Government has also refused to publish the results from the first phase of the Events Research Programme, despite saying that it would do so on numerous occasions. As well as declining to publish the ERP results, the Government is yet to provide any form of insurance scheme for the sector or to make it clear what kind of ongoing mitigations may be required in the future - effectively making it impossible to plan for any live entertainment business. The short-term hit is stark. Industry research indicates that the potential four-week delay to reopening will lead to around 5,000 live music gigs being cancelled, as well as numerous theatre productions across the country, costing hundreds of millions of pounds in lost income. This devastating impact was well-known to the Government according to leaked ERP economic impact assessments. Live entertainment and theatre generate £11.25 billion in Gross Value Added each year and the sectors support just under one mill ion jobs between them. The Government's Culture Recovery Fund has been welcome but very little has penetrated the commercial theatre sect or in particular. The Government has now begun to announce a third round of pilots. It is clear that these pilots are little more than a way of allowing certain high-profile events to go ahead, primarily large-scale sporting events, while keeping the rest of the sector shut. In the legal action, lodged today, the parties assert that the Government has flagrantly breached the 'duty of candour' which requires it to be transparent when faced with a legal challenge and that none of the reasons given for withholding the Events Research Programme material t hey seek withstand scrutiny. They have asked the Court to consider their application at an urgent hearing as soon as possible. As well as forming the basis for a reopening decision for 19 July, the Events Research Programme findings also provide a path to ensuring t hat live entertainment does not need to be the first to close should there be a Covid resurgence over the winter. Covid certification, plus simple mitigation measures in venues, mean that events can be run safely. In addition to publication of the Events Research Programme reports, there are other things that the theatre and live music sectors need from Government now, in order to be able to plan for a reopening from 19 July: 1. Insurance - the live entertainment industry has been pleading with the Government for more than 9 months to help address the market failure in the provision of commercial Covid cancellation cover. The Government was willing to do this for the film and TV industry but will not step in in the same way for music, theatre and events. Without it, the risk of running activity is too high for many to be able to go forward. 2. Quarantine - the tiny number of productions that are running at reduced capacity, or are in rehearsals, are dropping daily as they are forced to close after a single positive test, even when everyone else in a cast tests negative. The Government has said that it is considering moving to a 'daily testing' regime, such as that undertaken recently by Michael Gove, but live entertainment needs it now. 3. Guidance - the live entertainment industry has been told that there will be new Stage 4 live events guidance. But people are cancelling events due to take place post 19 July because they do not know what the on-going restrictions or requirements are going to be. Guidance should be made available now. Andrew Lloyd Webber said: "Last week I rejected the Government's invitation for Cinderella to be singled out as a last-minute part of the Events Research Programme. Today, with a range of voices from across the theatre and live entertainment industries, we are forced to take it further. We simply must now see t he data t hat is being used to strangle our industry so unfairly. The Government's actions are forcing theatre and music companies off a cliff as the summer wears on, whilst cherry-picking high-pro fi le sporting events to go ahead. The situation is beyond urgent." Stuart Galbraith , music promoter and Co-Founder of LIVE, the representative body for the live music industry, said: "The live music industry has been very willing to work wit h Government for the last year to show that our industry can operate safely. But it is int olerable that after running pilot shows for the Government's Events Research Programme, at our own cost, we have been blocked from seeing the results, leaving the whole sector in limbo with the real chance that the entire summer could collapse for the second year running. "Even now, the live music sector has no idea what the rest of the summer brings, and we are left with a complete inability to plan ahead due to the Government 's continued unwillingness to provide some form of insurance to enable events to move forward." Cameron Mackintosh said: "Having been forced to close our theatres twice last year, the second time after the government encouraged reopening for Christ mas, losing further millions as a result, a joint insurance scheme to protect us against another enforced closure is vital. Along with most of the commercial theatre we have had absolutely no direct financial help either for our productions or the upkeep of our historic theatres. Opening without any sort of protection is impossible for many producers, live event organisers and theatre buildings across the country. Having contributed huge amounts of money to the exchequer over the last few decades, t he theatre desperately needs to be supported in its hour of need or the government will be responsible for the disintegration of one of this country's most priceless and irreplaceable assets after centuries of being the envy of the world." Peter Gabriel, WOMAD Festival, said: "Without immediate government intervention, the festival industry is on the brink of collapse. That doesn't mean cash; it means providing the certainty to enable us to deliver festivals, guidance on safety, and an understanding of how their timing affects us in the real world. "At the end of this week, WOMAD will be faced with one very difficult and heart-wrenching decision. Millions of pounds of investment and the livelihood of around five thousand people are at stake. Several pilot events have been successfully run over recent months. But, like other festival teams, we need to be told what that research means for WOMAD. We struggle to understand why these trials took place if the Government can 't now tell us the results and how that will affect all of us." Sonia Friedman said: "The Government continues to display a wilful lack of understanding of the extraordinary value of the theatre industry, and the way in which we operate. We can only fully reopen once. We need absolute clarity on when and how we can fully reopen - to bring a show back to full production takes months in planning to rehearse and to build a box office advance. It is also incumbent on the Government to underwrite the potential losses riding on its words and provide an insurance scheme to theatre and live entertainment that it, readily and rightly, provided to the fi lm and television industries. Right now, the government's delay and lack of provision and support for the commercial sector has prohibited our reopening in full, but its dithering and lack of clarity is preventing us even being able to make a plan as to how we move forward to save the industry that we love." Craig Hassall , CEO of Royal Albert Hall, said: "The chronic uncertainty and endless indecisiveness from government, and pilot events with no published result s, have damaged audience confidence and further harmed a sector that has already been decimated by the pandemic. For as long as venues like the Royal Albert Hall, and hundreds more across the country, are prevented from effectively operating with no justification, we cannot play our part in supporting the critical ecosystem of freelancers, small businesses and suppliers who rely on us and who are so desperately in need of work." Michael Harrison said: "The theatre and live event industries are operating on a knife edge because of the rules around testing, tracking and isolation. All rehearsal rooms, theatres and performing arts venues have introduced robust Covid secure measures including regular testing to ensure the safety of the many actors, musicians, stage managers and theatre makers but current guidance means that rehearsals or performances must be stopped for 10 days following a single positive test at huge expense. "Without daily testing replacing isolation, productions will be forced to suspend or close and producers will not have the financial resource to continue with product ions leaving theatres across the country dark and many out of work. These rules are yet another barrier on our road to recovery." Up Up

Back to News & Press Daily rush tickets available for day-of purchase for all performances of Farinelli and the King Monday, 4 December 2017 $32 rush tickets will be available for day-of purchase at the box office for all performances. The Belasco Theatre box office opens at 10:00 AM, Sundays at noon. Ticket locations may vary, and are subject to availability. Additional seating, including more $32 balcony seats, are now available for purchase. The production will also sell standing room tickets at a later date to be announced.Farinelli and the King is a new play by Claire van Kampen , directed by John Dove , designed by Jonathan Fensom , with musical arrangements also by Claire van Kampen . The critically acclaimed production opens Sunday, December 17, 2017 at the Belasco Theatre . Farinelli and the King plays a strictly limited engagement for 16 weeks only through Sunday, March 25, 2018.The Belasco Theatre has been transformed for this beguiling and transporting production, lit almost exclusively by the glow of candlelight with live music played on Baroque instruments in a gallery above the stage.King Philippe V of Spain (Mark Rylance), plagued by insomnia, lies awake in his chamber. The Queen, desperate for a cure, hears of Farinelli - a castrato with a voice so divine it has the power to captivate all who hear it. Philippe is astonished when Farinelli sings, and begs him to stay. But will Farinelli, one of the greatest celebrities of his time, choose a life of solitude over fame and fortune in the opera houses of Europe? Mark Rylance returns to the Belasco , where he starred in the Globe’s Twelfth Night and Richard III double bill in 2013. He won his third Tony Award for his performance as Olivia in Twelfth Night and was also Tony nominated for his performance in the title role of Richard III . Farinelli and the King is Mark Rylance ’s first return to Broadway since he won the 2015 Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies , and after his critically acclaimed performance in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk .The cast features Sam Crane (Farinelli), Huss Garbiya (Doctor José Cervi), Melody Grove (Isabella Farnese), Lucas Hall (Jethro/Miguel, cover Farinelli), Colin Hurley (John Rich) and Edward Peel (De La Cuadra). The company also features Peter Bradbury and Margot White .Grammy Award-winning countertenor Iestyn Davies also stars as the singing voice of Farinelli, performing many of the exquisite Handel arias first sung by the real-life Farinelli in the 1730s. Acclaimed countertenor James Hall will perform the singing voice of Farinelli at select performances. The schedule for Mr. Davies’ and Mr. Hall’s performances is available on the ticketing page of the Farinelli and the King website. Eric Jurenas will cover the role.Sam Crane , Iestyn Davies , Huss Garbiya , Melody Grove , James Hall , Colin Hurley , Edward Peel and Mark Rylance are appearing with the support of Actors’ Equity Association. The Producers gratefully acknowledge Actors’ Equity Association for its assistance of this production.Farinelli and the King premiered to rave reviews and played a sold out run at Shakespeare’s Globe’s Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in February 2015. The production later played a sold out engagement on the West End in Fall 2015, where it was the highest grossing show in the history of the Duke of York’s Theatre, and received six Olivier Award nominations. Farinelli and the King marks the seventh theatre production starring Mark Rylance that Sonia Friedman Productions has produced, following Twelfth Night , Richard III , Jerusalem , La Bête , Boeing-Boeing (London and New York) and Nice Fish (London).Lighting design is by Paul Russell . U.S. Casting is by Jim Carnahan , C.S.A. U.K. Casting is by Matilda James . U.K. Music Supervisor is Bill Barclay . Production Stage Manager is Evangeline Rose Whitlock . Stage Manager is James Latus . Production Management is by Aurora Productions . U.K. General Management is by Sonia Friedman Productions . U.S. General Management is by Bespoke Theatricals . Farinelli and the King is produced on Broadway by Sonia Friedman Productions , Shakespeare’s Globe and Paula Marie Black , with Tom Smedes , Peter Stern , Jane Bergère , Jane Dubin/Rachael Weinstein , 1001 Night Productions , Elizabeth Cuthrell & Steven Tuttleman , Rupert Gavin , Robyn Paley , SGC US , Tulchin Bartner Productions , Cindy & Jay Gutterman/Marc David Levine , Marguerite Hoffman/ Van Kaplan , and Shakespeare Road . ON-STAGE and BANQUETTE SEATING On-stage and banquette seating ($32-$157) is now available at Telecharge.com and the Belasco Theatre box office. Theatregoers who choose on-stage seats, in the upper gallery and at stage level, will have an authentic, up close and intimate viewing experience. The front two rows of the Belasco Theatre have also been replaced with cushioned banquettes, in the style of Shakespeare’s Globe’s indoor Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, a recreation of a Jacobean-era theatre, where Farinelli and the King originally premiered in 2015. The banquette seats also provide close proximity to moments of the production’s staging. $32 TICKETS Over 200 seats at every performance have been set aside to be sold for $32. These tickets include seating on all levels of the theatre, as well as a selection of on-stage and banquette seating. Additional $32 tickets are now available. As part of the producers’ commitment to accessible tickets, over 25,000 $32 seats will be made available throughout the run.Tickets are available at Telecharge.com, or at the Belasco Theatre box office. 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 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to open in Australia in 2019 Sunday, 22 October 2017 Performance dates and ticketing details will be announced soon. Visit HarryPotterThePlay.com to sign up to the mailing list and receive ticketing information and news. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said, “Exclusive to our region, this award-winning production will arrive in Victoria after its world premiere in London’s West End and a highly anticipated opening on Broadway. To secure a production of this calibre is a testament to Melbourne’s standing as an arts and cultural capital and leading global city for theatre. We encourage all Victorians, and our friends from across the country, Asia and the world, to join us in welcoming Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to Melbourne. ” Producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender said, “When we embarked on this journey, it was an objective to ensure we could get the production to Australia as soon as logistically possible. You can’t ever assume a new play is going to have a further life, but we knew that if Harry Potter and the Cursed Child did have a life beyond London and Broadway, that the next stop would be here. “The Harry Potter stories have millions of fans across the globe, and so we’re very happy and proud that we’re able to bring our beautiful production to Australia, where we know a whole new audience will experience the eighth story. Melbourne is a fantastic city with such wonderful culture and heritage, and so we’re thrilled that the gorgeous Princess Theatre will be Cursed Child’s next home.” Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling , Jack Thorne and John Tiffany , Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a new play by Jack Thorne , directed by John Tiffany . The production 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. 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. The critically acclaimed production received its world premiere in July 2016 at the Palace Theatre in London where it continues to play to sold out houses. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has won 22 major theatre awards in the UK and is the most awarded production in the history of Britain’s prestigious Olivier Awards, winning a record-breaking nine awards earlier this year including Best New Play and Best Director. The play will open on Broadway in April 2018 at the Lyric Theatre in New York. 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. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is directed by John Tiffany with movement by Steven Hoggett , set by Christine Jones , costumes by Katrina Lindsay , music & arrangements by Imogen Heap , lighting by Neil Austin , sound by Gareth Fry , illusions & magic by Jamie Harrison and music supervision & arrangements by Martin Lowe . International Casting Consultant is Jim Carnahan and Australian casting by Janine Snape . Executive Producer of the Australian production is Michael Cassel. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions , Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions . Up Up

Back to News & Press Jez Butterworth's new play The Hills of California, directed by Sam Mendes, to come to the West End Wednesday, 11 October 2023 Sonia Friedman Productions and Neal Street present a new play by Jez Butterworth , directed by Sam Mendes , The Hills of California . Following their multi-award-winning triumph, The Ferryman , Jez Butterworth , writer of Jerusalem , and Sam Mendes , director of The Lehman Trilogy , return to the West End to bring you The Hills of California . The latest play from the acclaimed playwright will run at Harold Pinter Theatre , for a limited season, from 27 January 2024. Casting for the production will be announced in due course. This house. It’s called ‘Sea View’. It’s just I’ve looked out of every window, and you can’t. You can’t see the sea. Blackpool, 1976. The driest summer in 200 years. The beaches are packed. The hotels are heaving. In the sweltering backstreets, far from the choc ices and donkey rides, the Webb Sisters are returning to their mother's run-down guest house, as she lies dying upstairs. The creative team for The Hills of California is Writer: Jez Butterworth , Director: Sam Mendes , Designer: Rob Howell , Lighting Designer: Natasha Chivers , Sound Designer, Composer and Arranger: Nick Powell , Choreographer: Ellen Kane , Musical Supervisor and Arranger: Candida Caldicot , Casting Director: Amy Ball , Young Person’s Casting Director: Verity Naughton and Associate Director: Zoé Ford Burnett . Sonia Friedman Productions and Neal Street deepen their commitment to making theatre more accessible, offering 1,000 tickets at £10 to NHS and key workers, those who are in receipt of government benefits, educational groups, community organisations, and those who currently access food banks. They are supported by Ambassador Theatre Group’s Creative Learning team. Organisations can register their interest via ATG’s West End Creative Learning Producer: Conor Hunt on conorhunt@theambassadors.com Tickets go on sale Friday 20 October at 12pm. Sign up for pre-sale access to tickets at www.hillsofcaliforniaplay.com , on sale from Wednesday, 18 October, 12pm. Up Up

Back to News & Press New comedy The Comeback is coming to the West End this December Sunday, 14 October 2001 This debut play from The Pin’s award-winning Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen – ‘destined to become one of the great comedy duos’ (Radio Times) – tells the story of two double acts fighting to wrestle control of the most chaotic, farcical and high-stakes gig of their respective careers. Directed by Emily Burns , The Comeback will have audiences doubled over laughing and wiping a tear away at the end with its heart-warming exploration of bittersweet nostalgia and the enduring power of friendship. This show is a much-needed dose of feel-good, dizzying escapism with real emotional heart, and a celebrity guest each night to boot. Up-and-coming comics Alex and Ben have been booked in the warm-up spot for a beloved but fading double act’s comeback tour. Neither duo are delighted to be playing to a sparse crowd in a sleepy, seaside town, but when it’s revealed that a Hollywood director is in the audience, both acts glimpse a final chance for their big break. Cue sabotage, mistaken identity and full on farcical mayhem, as the performance descends into a desperate battle for the limelight. With the action alternating between offstage and on, and the tone between Noises Off and Morecambe and Wise’s old-school charm, this is a warm-hearted, joyful, and dazzlingly funny new comedy. Each night Ashenden and Owen will be joined on stage by a celebrity guest star. All will be revealed on the night… Previous praise for The Pin: “Destined to become one of the great comedy duos” - Radio Times “Exquisitely silly and very funny...makes you feel as though you might be hearing the next Mitchell and Webb” - The Times “One of the most dazzling comedy shows in Edinburgh” ★★★★ Guardian "I had a knot in my stomach from laughing so much" ★★★★ Times “A very classy, very funny show indeed” ★★★★ Telegraph “Will simply make you laugh your socks off” ★★★★ Evening Standard "This absurdist deconstruction of the sketch show is masterful” ★★★★ Sunday Times “ A bulletproof nugget of comic theatre” Guardian The production, which is the first produced by SFP since lockdown, will play at the Noel Coward Theatre. Not only will seating in all levels of the theatre auditorium be adjusted to ensure social distancing (with full rows being removed in the stalls to ensure 1m+ distance between bubbles), audience members will also receive e-communications detailing health and safety guidelines, including, if applicable, which entrance to use to access their seats and an allocated arrival time to minimise any congestion inside the theatre. In addition, patrons will be asked to wear a face covering unless exempt due to medical reasons, have their temperature checked upon arrival and e-tickets will be used to ensure a contactless experience. All practices adopted will be following the guidelines that have been signed off by the appropriate authorities, industry bodies and in keeping with Society of London Theatre’s ‘See It Safely’ campaign. Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen said: "After 8 years of lugging props between tiny venues, and 8 months of watching those props gather dust, we feel ridiculously excited and fortunate to be bringing a play to the West End. For it to have been developed with and presented by a producer of Sonia Friedman's immense standing makes us very proud, and provides ample material for anxiety dreams in which hidden cameras are revealed and words like "prank" shouted. We hope to provide 90 minutes of silliness, escapism, and extremely well dusted props." Sonia Friedman said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be announcing The Comeback as SFP’s return to the West End. I was excited about The Pin’s debut play long before lockdown, but after the year we’ve had, it feels like the perfect tonic. More than ever, we need the laughter and emotional connection of communal experience – and frankly, nothing provides that like live theatre. The Comeback delivers all that and much more. It’s so heartening to see artists and audiences in theatres once again this Christmas. As theatre makers – performers and producers alike – we have a duty to do our bit to lift the nation’s spirits and nourish its soul. Theatre plays a critical role in maintaining our collective mental health. That’s why, even while theatres were forced to close, artists looked at other outlets to make and share work, on and offline. It’s why now, despite the ultra-tight financial pressures social distancing entails and against all the odds, we’re doing all we can to get shows back on stages. Audiences need live entertainment as much as we need them. Make no mistake, though: theatre is not back in business. Having shuttered 18 productions worldwide seven months ago, all of which remain suspended, I cannot fully – let alone profitably – re-open my shows. As well as government go-ahead (even just a date), we’re still waiting for an insurance scheme to protect our profession in the months ahead. Producing shows this Christmas is a tightrope act, but The Comeback will go ahead – following health and safety protocols signed off by the appropriate authorities - and so long as government guidelines allow. Changed circumstances offer new opportunities – to introduce adventurous audiences to the most brilliant and inspiring new talent. That’s one of the best parts of my job, and The Pin are up there with the very best. Following in the footsteps of Britain’s comedy greats – Morecambe and Wise, Fry and Laurie, French and Saunders – they are going to light up the West End with a combination of laugh-out-loud slapstick, self-aware silliness and witty wordplay in the most heart-warming story of two friends following their dreams. This genius comedy shows just how precious live performance is and, as British theatre begins to build itself back up, becoming a frontline of the national recovery, The Comeback couldn’t be more timely. Theatre isn’t just for Christmas. This is just the start.” Tickets for the production which will run at the Noel Coward Theatre from December 8th – January 3rd and are now on sale. Please visit www.thecomebackcomedy.co.uk for full booking information. Up Up