The Stage 100 announced
Ambassador Theatre Group joint chief executives Rosemary Squire and Howard Panter have topped The Stage 100 list for the seventh year in a row, making them the most successful entrants ever.
The world’s oldest theatre publication, The Stage, has announced the definitive list of the most influential figures working in the UK theatre and performing arts industry today.
To see the full list click here
- Panter and Squire have overtaken Andrew Lloyd Webber, who has topped the list on six occasions. In 2015, ATG made acquisitions in venues in Germany, Australia and the US, and produced shows including Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Rocky Horror Show.
- Rufus Norris’ position at number 12 marks the lowest ever for an incumbent National Theatre director and the first time since 2001 that an NT director has been placed outside the top 10.
- This year’s list also sees Benedict Cumberbatch as a new entry, at number 15, following his stint in Hamlet at the Barbican, with Imelda Staunton the highest riser, up from 70 to 16, follow her turn in Gypsy.
- Producer Sonia Friedman takes the number two slot, up one place from 2015, followed by Cameron Mackintosh at number three.
- Lloyd Webber is at number four, up a place from the previous year, with new entrants Peter Bazalgette and Darren Henley, from Arts Council England, at number five. The pair are the list’s highest new entry.
- ACE chief executive Henley and chair Bazalgette have been credited with securing a better than expected settlement for the arts in last year’s spending review.
- Meanwhile, Royal Exchange artistic director Sarah Frankcom makes big strides up the 100, pushing the Manchester Royal Exchange into the top 20. The Royal Exchange’s improved performance is matched by the increasing importance of Manchester as a cultural powerhouse.
Alistair Smith, print editor of The Stage, said: “Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire’s seventh number one position makes them The Stage 100’s most successful ever entrants, overtaking Andrew Lloyd Webber. The rise of Ambassador Theatre Group has been the defining feature of the last decade in the UK theatre industry. This private equity-owned company is by far the largest theatre company in the UK, and probably the world. Its rise may not have been universally popular, but its influence on the wider industry is unquestionable and its success is a remarkable achievement for the husband and wife team who started it from scratch in 1992.
“Elsewhere on the list, it has been a good year for Arts Council England’s Peter Bazalgette and Darren Henley (placed at number five), who secured an impressive funding settlement for the arts in 2015, and a great year for Sarah Frankcom at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, which breaks into the top 20 for the first time. Benedict Cumberbatch was, meanwhile, the biggest star draw on stage when he appeared in Hamlet at the Barbican. That show’s producer Sonia Friedman was placed second – her highest ever position in The Stage 100 – and this year looks set to be even better for her with the forthcoming stage adaptation of Harry Potter which she is producing.”
About The Stage 100
The Stage 100 is intended to reflect the 100 most influential people working in the theatre and performing arts industry. It is considered from the point of view of The Stage as a trade publication and so focuses on theatre both as a business and an art form. Inclusion within the list and ranking is weighted towards achievements in the past 12 months, but also takes into account continuous achievement. The aim of the list – as much as is possible and plausible – is to reflect the astonishing breadth of the theatre industry. However, we do not weight the list in an attempt to make it gender-balanced or ethnically diverse: we believe the list should aim to reflect the way the theatre and performing arts industry is, not what it aims to be, or what we would like it to be.
Now in its 20th year, The Stage 100 was judged using a new methodology this year.
Step 1: 50 leading figures from the theatre and performing arts industry were invited to anonymously submit the names they would rank from 1 to 5, plus one other name they believed should feature in the list and why.
Step 2: We invited senior editorial contributors to submit their suggestions.
Stage 3: A final judging panel (comprising print editor Alistair Smith, online editor Matthew Hemley, associate editor Mark Shenton and reviews editor Natasha Tripney) decided on the final list.
About The Stage
The Stage Media Company Limited provides news and services for the UK entertainment and performing arts industry.
Established in 1880, The Stage is a must read for those with an involvement or interest in the performing arts industry in the UK and beyond, offering theatre news, reviews, advice and more. The newspaper is published every Thursday and is available to purchase for just £2.10 from newsagents around the country. It is also available for download as a digital edition. The website (www.thestage.co.uk) is read by 450,000 unique users a month. The Stage also publishes an annual list of the 100 most influential people in theatre and the performing arts, The Stage 100, and runs The Stage Awards, recognising the best organisations operating within the UK theatre industry