Theatre Rich List: Mackintosh tops London Theatre rich list

Sir Cameron Mackintosh, producer and West End theatre owner, has held his top position on the 2012 Sunday Times Rich List based on influencers in UK theatre.

With a fortune estimated at £725 million, up £50m on last year, Mackintosh keeps his Number One position in the theatre list,  and 108 in the overall list of Britain’s 1,000 wealthiest people.

The producer is currently working on a big screen adaptation of his most successful musical, Les Miserables, starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and a who’s who of West End stars in smaller roles. His production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera celebrated its 25th anniversary last year and continues to do good business at Her Majesty’s Theatre. His theatre venue business, Delfont Mackintosh, owns 7 West End theatres including the Prince of Wales’ Theatre and Prince Edward.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, in the number two spot, has slipped by £90m to an estimated fortune of £590m. The composer and theatre owner announced last month that he is selling his Palace Theatre, currently home to Singin’ in the Rain, to Nimax Theatres.

At number three we have added Simon Fuller, the entertainment mogul who has made his fortune from the Pop Idol format and also managing pop acts such as the Spice Girls. He is working with Mamma Mia! theatre producer Judy Craymer (see 10)  on the new Spice Girls musical Viva Forever!

Elton John comes in at number four with £220m, and whose music features in long-running West End shows Billy Elliot The Musical and Disney’s The Lion King.

At five, we have included Daniel Ek. Whilst the Swedish software programmer has no direct connection to London Theatre, his Spotify company is revolutionising the way we listen to music, which includes the way we consume theatre soundtracks and music from West End performers (see our new Free Music section).

Tim Rice comes in at number six with £144m. Rice was honoured this month by the Society of London Theatre with a special Olivier Award for his contribution to theatre. His musicals Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar have both recently opened in new revivals on Broadway, and Lloyd Webber plans another TV talent show later this year to cast a new arena production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

The influence of rock group Queen continues to extend across the theatre rich list, with their musical We Will Rock You about to celebrate its 10th birthday on 14 May 2012 at the Dominion Theatre – and with Brian May, Roger Taylor and  John Deacon all appearing in the list.

The Rich List is in contrast to The Stage newspaper’s annual list of the 100 most powerful people in UK theatre, which pegs Ambassador Theatre Group’s Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire in the top spot, and Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh in joint fourth place.

LONDON THEATRE RICH LIST

1. Cameron Mackintosh – £725m

2. Andrew Lloyd Webber – £590m

3. Simon Fuller – £375m

4. Elton John – £220m

5. Daniel Ek – £190m

6. Tim Rice – £144m

7. Brian May – £90m

8. Roger Taylor – £85m

9. John Deacon – £70m

10. Judy Craymer – £63m

LINKS

Sunday Times Rich List

 

 

Matilda The Musical scoops 7 Olivier Awards

Matilda The Musical dominated the 2012 Olivier Awards this evening at the Royal Opera House, winning seven awards.

The 2012 Olivier Awards were presented at the Royal Opera House today in a star-studded ceremony organised by The Society of London Theatre.

The awards were dominated by the RSC’s production of Matilda The Musical which scooped seven awards including Best New Musical, Best Director for Matthew Warchus, Best Actress in a Musical for the four young Matilda leads, Sophia Kiely, Kerry Ingram, Cleo Demetriou and Eleanor Worthington Cox, and Best Actor in a Musical for Bertie Carvel. The show also won Best Sound Design for Simon Baker, Best Theatre Choreography for Peter Darling and Best Set Design for Rob Howell. Based on Roald Dahl’s best-selling children’s book and written by Dennis Kelly with music and lyrics by comedian Tim Minchin, the show continues to play to packed audiences at the Cambridge Theatre in London.

Other big winners tonight included the Donmar’s production of Anna Christie which scooped Best Revival for Rob Ashford’s production and Best Actress for Ruth Wilson.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller were jointly awarded the prize for Best Actor for their alternating roles in Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein at the National theatre, plus Bruno Poet won Best Lighting Design for the show. The National Theatre also took home Best New Play for Collaborators by John Hodge, although missed out on any awards for its blockbuster comedy One Man, Two Guvnors now playing on Broadway and at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

The Open Air Theatre’s production of Crazy For You won both Best Musical Revival and Best Costume Design for Peter McKintosh. Other musical nods included the Radio Two Audience Award which went to Les Miserables and Nigel Harman winning Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Sheridan Smith, who won Best Actress in a Musical last year for her role in Legally Blonde, kept the momentum by taking home a Best Performance in a Supporting Role award for her role in Trevor Nunn’s Flare Path at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre went to the Theatre Royal Stratford East in association with the Barbican and Traverse Theatre for Roadkill.

In dance, the Outstanding Achievement in Dance went to Edward Watson for his acclaimed performance in The Metamorphosis at the Royal Opera House, and the Royal Opera House’s Dame Monica Mason was presented with a Special Award by Zoe Wanamaker for her extraordinary contribution to British dance. The Best New Dance Production went to DESH by Akram Khan Company at Sadler’s Wells.

In the Opera categories, English National Opera triumphed by winning both awards: Best New Opera Production for Castor And Pollux and the Outstanding Achievement in Opera award for the breadth and diversity of its artistic programme.

Best Entertainment and Family show was won by Derren Brown for Svengali, taking home his second Entertainment Olivier Award.

The evening ended with a Special Award tribute to lyricist Sir Tim Rice, with Siobhan McCarthy and Maria Friedman singing I know Him So Well from Chess, Elaine Paige performing Don’t Cry For Me Argentina from Evita and the cast of The Lion Ling.

Hosted for a second year by Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton, who are currently starring in Sweeney Todd at the Adelphi Theatre, the awards celebrate the best of London’s West End Theatre.

LINKS

See the full list of Olivier Awards 2012 winners here

Olivier Awards microsite

WATCH the Olivier Awards on BBC iPlayer

 

Olivier Awards – Winners 2012

Awards announced: 15 April 2012 at the Royal Opera House, London

WINNERS 2012

Best Revival
Anna Christie at the Donmar Warehouse
Presented by James McAvoy
Accepted by Rob Ashford

Best Actress
Ruth Wilson for Anna Christie at the Donmar Warehouse
Presented by Jack Davenport
Accepted by Ruth Wilson

Best Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller for Frankenstein at the Olivier theatre
Presented by David Suchet and Laurie Metcalfe
Accepted by Jonny Lee Miller

Best Performance in a Supporting Role
Sheridan Smith for Flare Path at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
Presented by Lenny Henry and Tyne Daly
Accepted by Trevor Nunn

Best Director
Matthew Warchus for Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge theatre
Presented by James Earl Jones
Accepted by Matthew Warchus from New York

Best Lighting Design
Frankenstein designed by Bruno Poet at the Olivier theatre
Presented by Jodie Whittaker and Harry Lloyd
Accepted by Jonny Lee Miller

Best Sound Design
Matilda The Musical designed by Simon Baker at the Cambridge theatre
Presented by Jodie Whitaker and Harry Lloyd
Accepted by Simon Baker

Best Set Design
Matilda The Musical designed Rob Howell at the Cambridge theatre
Presented by Freddie Fox

Best Costume Design
Crazy For You designed by Peter McKintosh at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Presented by Freddie Fox
Accepted by Peter McKintosh

Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre
Theatre Royal Stratford East in association with the Barbican and Traverse Theatre for Roadkill
Presented by Douglas Booth and Natascha McElhone

Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Edward Watson for his performance in The Metamorphosis at the Linbury Studio at the Royal Opera House
Presented by Tom Chambers and Kara Tointon
Accepted by Edward Watson

Best New Dance Production
DESH by Akram Khan Company at Sadler’s Wells, choreographed by Akram Khan
Presented by Tom Chambers and Kara Tointon

Olivier Special Award
Monica Mason
Presented by Zoe Wanamaker

Radio Two Audience Award
Les Miserables
Presented by Brian May and Elaine Paige
Accepted by David Shannon

Best New Play
Collaborators at the Cottesloe theatre
Presented by Tyne Daly
Accepted by John Hodge

Best Entertainment and Family
Derren Brown – Svengali at the Shaftesbury theatre
Presented by Zac Braff and Susannah Fielding
Accepted by Derren Brown and Polly Findlay

Best Actress in a Musical
The Matildas for Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge theatre
Presented by Kimberley Walsh and Ronan Keating
Accepted by the four Matildas: Sophia Kiely, Kerry Ingram, Cleo Demetriou and Eleanor Worthington Cox

Best Actor in a Musical
Bertie Carvel for Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge theatre
Presented by Hayley Atwell
Accepted by Bertie Carvel

Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Nigel Harman for Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Presented by Jonathan Edwards and Katherine Kelly
Accepted by Nigel Harman

Best New Musical
Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge theatre
Presented by Jim Carter and Barbara Windsor
Accepted by Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin

Best Musical Revival
Crazy For You at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Presented by Dan Stevens
Accepted by Timothy Sheader and William Village

Best Theatre Choreographer
Peter Darling for Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge theatre
Presented by Will Young
Accepted by Peter Darling

Best New Opera Production
English National Opera’s Castor And Pollux at the London Coliseum
Presented by Vittorio Grigolo
Accepted by John Berry

Outstanding Achievement in Opera
ENO for the breadth and diversity of its artistic programme
Presented by Vittorio Grigolo
Accepted by John Berry

Olivier Special Award
Tim Rice
Presented by Elaine Paige

Photos: Olivier Awards 2012 – Red Carpet Arrivals

This year’s Olivier Awards are being held at the Royal Opera House in London. The highlight of London’s theatrical calendar, here we take a look in pitcures as the night unfolds.

THE RED CARPET ARRIVALS

 

This year’s Olivier Awards, run by the Society of London Theatre, took place at the Royal Opera House on 15 April 2012. Red Carpet Arrivals.

Olivier Award nominations announced: Matilda The Musical leads with 10 nods

RSC’s Matilda leads Olivier Awards race with 10 nominations

The RSC’s Matilda The Musical has dominated this year’s Olivier Awards nominations, being recognised in 10 categories – the maximum possible for a musical.

Matilda’s nominations include Best New Musical, a collective Best Actress in a musical nod for all four actresses sharing the role of Matilda, plus Bertie Carvel for Best Actor in a musical, Paul Kaye for Best Performance in a supporting role in a musical and Matthew Warchus for Best Director.

Matilda faces competition in the Best New Musical category from Stiles and Drewe-penned Betty Blue Eyes, Ghost The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre, which secured 5 nominations and is set to open on Broadway next month, the National’s London Road and Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

In the subsidised theatre, the National has taken the lead with a bumper crop of 15 nominations for productions including its smash-hit play One Man, Two Guvnors, which is also transferring to Broadway and has just opened in London again at the Theatre Royal Haymarket; musical London Road, for which Rufus Norris is nominated in the Best Director category; and Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein, although the movie director and Olympic games Opening Ceremony creator was over-looked in the Best Director category. The National’s Grief and Collaborators were also nominated.

One Man, Two Guvnors secured five nominations, including Best New Play, Best Actor for James Cordon and Nicholas Hytner for Best Director.

Cordon is up against fellow National alumni Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller in the Best Actor category, who share the nomination for their alternate performances as Frankenstein and the monster in Danny Boyle’s hit production, David Haig for The Madness Of George III, Douglas Hodge for Inadmissible Evidence and Jude Law for Anna Christie at the Donmar Warehouse.

The Best Actress category celebrates an eclectic mix of performances and performers with Anna Christie’s Ruth Wilson nominated, alongside Marcia Warren for The Ladykillers, Lesley Manville for Grief, Kristin Scott Thomas for Betrayal and Celia Imrie for Noises Off – which is transferring to the Novello Theatre shortly.

Trevor Nunn’s production of Terence Rattigan’s Flare Path has been nominated in the Best Revival category alongside Noises Off, Much Ado About Nothing and Anna Christie, with last year’s Best Actress in a Musical winner Sheridan Smith nominated for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for Flare Path.

The Best Actress in a Musical category features Kate Fleetwood for London Road, Sarah Lancashire for Betty Blue Eyes, Scarlett Strallen for Singin’ in the Rain and the four young Matildas, and in the Best Actor in a Musical category Matilda’s Bertie Carvel will fight it out against Nigel Lindsay for Shrek The Musical, Reece Shearsmith for Betty Blue Eyes and Paulo Szot for South Pacific.

This year’s Best Musical Revivals include Crazy For You, which is closing this weekend at the Novello Theatre, Singin’ In The Rain at the Palace, South Pacific and The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium.

In opera, English National Opera received six nominations, including an Outstanding Achievement in Opera nomination, and in dance Sadler’s Wells dominates the awards with five nominations.

Other shows garnering nominations include Jerusalem, The Children’s Hour, Lend Me A Tenor The Musical, Derren Brown: Svengali, Midnight Tango, Potted Potter and The Tiger Who Came To Tea.

The awards will be announced in a ceremony at the Royal Opera House on 15 April 2012.

LINKS

Olivier Awards 2012 – Full list of nominations

Olivier Awards website on Westendtheatre.com

Voting for the Olivier Audience Award

Storify: Watch out Broadway, the Brits are coming!

British Theatre is on a roll over in New York as a number of high-profile West End transfers make their way to Broadway this Spring.

London shows hitting the Great White Way include Michael Grandage’s production of Evita starring Elena Roger and Ricky Martin, Nicholas Hytner’s One Man, Two Guvnors starring James Corden, End of the Rainbow with Tracie Bennett as Judy Garland and Ghost The Musical starring its London cast of Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy.

LINKS

Broadway Tickets section
Book tickets to Evita on Broadway
Book tickets to One man, Two Guvnors on Broadway
Book tickets to End of the Rainbow on Broadway
Book tickets to Ghost the Musical on Broadway
Book tickets to Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway

Olivier Awards audience award shortlist announced

The shortlist for the 2012 Olivier Audience Award, part of the Olivier Awards, has been announced.

The  West End shows Billy Elliot The Musical, Jersey Boys, Les Misérables and Wicked have been voted into the shortlist by members of the public, and were announced today on BBC Radio 2’s Elaine Paige on Sunday show.

Voting now continues to choose a winner, which will be announced at the Olivier Awards on 15 April at the Royal Opera House, in a ceremony hosted by Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton. Voting will stay open until 5pm on 11 April.

Shows that were on the Audience Award longlist but missed out in the voting include Mamma Mia!, War Horse and The Mousetrap.

Billy Elliot The Musical has been playing at the Victoria Palace theatre since 2005, with music by Elton John. Jersey Boys, a hit on Broadway, tells the story of American band Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and plays at the Prince Edward Theatre. Les Misérables, which is the world’s longest running musical having opened in 1985, and is currently playing at the Queen’s Theatre starring Ramin Karimloo. Finally, Wicked, which won the Audience Award in 2010, has been playing at the Apollo Victoria since 2006.

The full Olivier Award nominations will be announced on 15 March.

LINKS

Olivier Awards website on Westendtheatre.com

Voting for the Olivier Audience Award

London theatre exhibition provides an intimate portrait of West End stars

Simon Annand exhibition The Half reveals West End stars backstage 

A great deal of mystery surrounds the nightly ritual of a performer preparing to go on stage. The final half-an-hour before curtain up, known as The Half, is when actors spend their last few minutes transforming themselves into someone before going on.

Theatre photographer Simon Annand has captured these intimate moments in a new exhibition in London called The Half, which runs until 8 April 2012 at the Idea Generation gallery in Shoreditch.

The exhibition features portraits from his 2008 book of the same name and a number of new and unseen images of London’s leading theatre performers.

Simon has been building up this project for over 25 years and has gained unprecedented backstage access to a host of big name theatre performers including Anthony Hopkins, Cate Blanchett, Daniel Day Lewis, Judi Dench, John Gielgud, Vanessa Redgrave, Jim Broadbent, Jeremy Irons, Glenda Jackson, Jude Law, Charlotte Rampling, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Martin Sheen, Felicity Kendal, Kevin Spacey and Ralph Fiennes.

New works on show include Amanda Holden in Shrek The Musical, Kelly Brook in Calendar Girls and Danielle Hope as Dorothy.

Simon Annand said: “To photograph actors when they are “getting into character” is to see them at their most photogenic as you can see why they have been attracted to this particular thrill of becoming another…  The performer is very exposed and there is something endlessly romantic and heroic about it.”

A series of events will also be held at the exhibition including a book signing by Simon Annand on Sunday 18 March 2012 from 3pm to 6pm, and  ’Its Not About The Tits’ with Polly Rae and Simon Annand on 8 April 2012 from 6.30pm, featuring a one off Burlesque performance by the inimitable Miss Rae.

DETAILS

Simon Annand: The Half is open to the public until 8 April 2012 at the Idea Generation Gallery, 11 Chance Street, London E2 7JB. T. +44 (0)20 7749 6850. The gallery is open Monday to Friday 10.00am – 6pm & Sundays 12 – 5pm.

LINKS

Idea Generation Gallery website

Simon Annand website

Amazon: Buy The Half by Simon Annand

GALLERY

THUMBNAILS

 

The Stars Sing Betjeman at the Criterion

A musical celebration of acclaimed poet Sir John Betjeman is taking place at the Criterion Theatre in the West End on Sunday 18 March at 7pm.

The Stars Sing Betjeman in aid of the Diana Award will set Betjeman’s poems to music by Mike Read, and will include performances from stars including recent Dreamboats and Petticoats cast member Tony Christie, Mike d’Abo, Limahl, The Springfields, Elliott Frisby, The Jive Aces and Cantabile. More performers will be announced prior to the event.

Sir John Betjeman was a poet and writer and held the post of Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death in 1984. He was also a popular television personality and an exponent of Victorian architecture, becoming a founding member of the Victorian Society.

The Diana Award supports the work of young people across the UK act as volunteers, campaigners, careers and anti-bullying champions. With the award young people are encouraged to carry on inspiring the lives of others and improving our communities.

Tickets start at £20. Buy tickets here.

The King’s Speech at the Wyndham’s Theatre starring Charles Edwards, Jonathan Hyde and Emma Fielding

The original play of The King’s Speech, which was turned into an Oscar winning movie starring Colin Firth, will come to London this Spring.

Starring Charles Edwards as George VI, Jonathan Hyde as Lionel Logue and Emma Fielding as Queen Elizabeth, the production opens at the Wyndham’s Theatre in London from 22 March 2012.

It is slated to run during the festivities for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Adrian Noble’s production of David Seidler’s stage version of The King’s Speech won an Oscar for Seidler for the screenplay he wrote for Tom Hooper’s film.

This production is currently on a UK tour having started its run at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford.

BOOKING

Book tickets to The King’s Speech at the Wyndham’s Theatre in London